Amritsar, Sep 19 : Ignoring the fact that India has a Sikh Prime Minister in Dr Manmohan Singh, who is also a Congress Member of Parliament, Pakistan Radio’s ‘Punjabi Darbar’ programme has been broadcasting programmes which accuse India, especially the Congress Party, of adopting a discriminating attitude towards the Sikh community.

The programs broadcast by the ‘Punjabi Darbar’, highlighted the respect shown to Sikhs by Pakistan. It claimed that since Partition, the Congress government and its leaders have betrayed the Sikhs. The programmes broadcast by the Pakistan Radio, exhort the Sikhs to unite and fight for their ‘rights’.

The exhortations by ‘Punjabi Darbar’, however, have had little impact on the Sikhs.

Sukhjinder Raj Singh Lali from Majitha claims the broadcasts indicat the level of frustration in Pakistan even after 60 years of independence. Leaders like Pandit Jawahar Lal Nehru, Rajiv Gandhi, and more recently Beant Singh -- the former Punjab Chief Minister – worked for peace in and prosperity of Punjab.

He said that to ensure peace in the region, the people of Pakistan should respond positively to the peace process started by both countries and stop producing such propaganda-based programs.

Surinder Kumar Billa, the president of the All India Hindu Shiv Sena, said the close ties between Hindus and Sikhs has not been to the liking of fundamentalists in Pakistan.

People in the border districts of Punjab have become immune to the propaganda beamed by the broadcasts.  They recall that the State had 14 Sikh Chief Ministers, who were the Congressmen.  At present, there are three Sikh MPs from the Congress Party who represent Punjab in Parliament.

Punjab, which is known as the granary of India, experienced prosperity only when the Congress was in power both in the State and at the Centre.

Punjab, whose major population comprises of Sikhs, has played a key role in India achieving its First Green Revolution when Congress was at the helm of the affairs both in the State and at Centre.

Just think had it been the case that successive Indian Governments had a discriminating attitude against the Sikhs, how did we have a Sikh President in Giani Zail Singh and now Dr. Mammohan Singh as Prime Minister. There were and there are many Sikh Governors in various states of the country too. For example, in Tamil Nadu, there is Surjit Singh Barnala.

In India, where modernity co-exists with ancient traditions and faiths, people are now aware of the propoganda that seeks to divide the people in the name of caste and religion. (With inputs from ANI)