Shri Nehru has displayed remarkable astuteness in his handling of the Akali agitation. At least for the time being he has neutralised the Punjabi Suba movement at the highest level. And it is likely that it will take the Akali leaders a long time to regroup their forces which are in utter disarray right now. On the basis of Shri Nehru’s speech in Bhavnagar in which he said that “the question of discrimination against them (the Sikhs) does not and cannot arise,” Master Tara Singh has been able to persuade the Akali “Dictator”, Sant Fateh Singh to give up his fast. Shri Nehru has not compromised the Government by making any vague promises to the Akalis or any concessions to the concept of Punjabi Suba. The masterstroke which broke the deadlock between the Punjab Government and the Akalis was the unconditional release of Master Tara Singh. Credit for this must undoubtedly go to Shri Nehru. However, the Master’ release immediately following Shri Nehru’s expression of willingness to discuss with Sant Fateh Singh all the issues arising out of the Akali movement as soon as the latter got “well enough” to go to New Delhi did create a certain amount of confusion among the Akalis. While the extremists interpreted it as a sign of the Government’s weakness, Master Tara Sing himself appeared to feel somewhat hurt that the Prime Minister should have made his appeal to Sant Fateh Singh instead of addressing it to the Master himself. Since then the Master also has had an opportunity to assert his own importance and he is now apparently of the opinion that with the entire movement having gone haywire the next best thing is to come to terms with the Prime Minister. One hopes that in the ensuing discussions with the Prime Minister both the Master and the Dictator would keep an open mind. But no discussion can be fruitful unless the Akali leaders openly swear off resorting to threats of mass agitations. The fact that the seven-month -old agitation lost them whatever little public sympathy the Akalis once had is good reason why the Akali leaders should adopt statesmanlike methods. Also the failure of the present agitation and the narrow escape from a loss of face must act as a warning against embarking on a similar adventure again.
10 January, 1961
