The S S Barnala Chat
S S Barnala walked through a minefield as far as questions went, and came out relatively unscathed, even promising he'd consider standing for vice-president again. Excerpts from the chat:
Mr S S Barnala(Wed Sep 15 1999 5:40 IST)
Hello everyone, I am ready for your questions.
Master (Wed Sep 15 1999 4:3 IST)
Sat Sri Akal, Mr Barnala. Sir, what kind of government is it that is toppled by the price of onions? Do you think the Congress was behind the lack of supply?
Mr S S Barnala(Wed Sep 15 1999 5:40 IST)
Master: It was mainly because of the inclement weather and untimely rains that the onion crop was damaged. Some Congress wholesalers were also responsible for hoarding onions. That is why the prices went high in October-November last. Now the prices are stable throughout the country because the weather has been good and production all over is fairly satisfactory.
Jason (Wed Sep 15 1999 4:7 IST)
Hello Mr Barnala, what do you think will be the verdict for this election? Who do you think will rule at the center? Do you think the BJP will be able to come back?
Mr S S Barnala(Wed Sep 15 1999 5:42 IST)
Jason: In my view, the National Democratic Alliance is going to get a comfortable majority and come to power. And I am very hopeful that Mr Atal Bihari Vajpayee will be the next prime minister.
Girish (Wed Sep 15 1999 4:10 IST)
Mr Barnala, it is evident that even this time we will not have a clear mandate and either parties the BJP or the Congress will have to form a coalition government. How long do you foresee any kind of alliance working out this time?
Mr S S Barnala(Wed Sep 15 1999 5:44 IST)
Girish: This is an era of coalitions. The NDA consists of several parties and their combine will have a comfortable majority and form a stable government. I think this government will last the whole term.
Jaishree (Wed Sep 15 1999 5:6 IST)
Mr Barnala, what will the opposition do if Sonia Gandhi is elected the prime minister?? Shouldn't there be a provision that a person of foreign origin can never hold one of the highest offices in India?
Mr S S Barnala(Wed Sep 15 1999 5:46 IST)
Jaishree: In my view, Sonia Gandhi will not become a prime minister because her election to the Parliament is quite doubtful.
Jay (Wed Sep 15 1999 5:11 IST)
Surjeetji, since the BJP has come to power the Sangh has swung into action. Christian priests and Muslim mullahs are being killed and burned. The local shakhas don't even condemn it. What kind of governance are you planning to bring to this great country? Dara Singh is still lose and kills another man while he is on the run!
Mr S S Barnala(Wed Sep 15 1999 5:51 IST)
Jay: During the previous regime there were very few religious incidents as compared to the time of the earlier government. No major rioting took place, there was no report of killing of mullahs. When a Christian priest was killed, a high-level enquiry was held and those guilty will be punished. Dara Singh is an absconder and efforts are on to arrest him.
s k (Wed Sep 15 1999 5:29 IST)
To Mr Barnala: What is your opinion on dynasty politics and its effect on democracy? Many Indian politicians try to hand their parliamentary seats to their children, their wives, etc. Do you feel that this is an ethical practice? Shouldn't this practice be discouraged as primitive and uncivilized?
Mr S S Barnala(Wed Sep 15 1999 5:55 IST)
sk: Dynastic politics has been prevalent in India particularly because the Nehru-Gandhi family believed in dynastic politics. Sometimes the children of politicians take up politics because for a long time they are involved in politics because of their parents.
Sometimes it is just like a son inheriting his father in industry or in business that his father has been pursuing. Experience of the children in elections and in politics sometimes make them eligible for political role, so we cannot rule out the possibility of children of politicians coming into politics.
s k (Wed Sep 15 1999 5:12 IST)
To S S Barnala: Why has your party insisted on taking up issues that have solely to do with Sikhs in India? I am speaking about the Uttarkhand issue. Why does it specifically concern your party, and why should your party make an issue out of it? Are you a Sikhs-First party? Do you exclusively pursue the interests of Sikhs? If not, then why have you intervened particularly on Uttarkhand, and where do you show a similar interest in issues of other ethnic groups in India? Do you feel that is an appropriate role for a party sitting in the national Parliament?
Mr S S Barnala(Wed Sep 15 1999 5:59 IST)
sk: Our party is not against the formation of Uttarakhand. We only opposed the inclusion of Udham Singh Nagar district in the Uttarakhand state because the people of Udham Singh Nagar district in general did not want to join Uttarakhand.
It was not a question of Sikhs, in fact in US Nagar, Sikhs are not in a majority. Other people living there, Hindus, Muslims and Christians also did not want to be part of Uttarakhand.
BAJWA (Wed Sep 15 1999 5:57 IST)
BUT WHAT YA SAY ABOUT SUKHBIR BEING MADE MINISTER AHEAD OF SENIOR LEADERS
Mr S S Barnala(Wed Sep 15 1999 6:5 IST)
Bajwa: Sukhbir's entry in politics has been since the last six years and has been actively working in his constituency. So he had every right to be elected member of Parliament and the Prime Minister exercised his prerogative in inducting Sukhbir Singh as a minister of state.
Sheetal (Wed Sep 15 1999 5:58 IST)
Mr Barnala: The exit poll is just predicting that Congress will win 10 out of the 13 seats in Punjab. Comment.
Mr S S Barnala(Wed Sep 15 1999 6:0 IST)
Sheetal: This is a wrong prediction. The Congress will not get a majority of seats in Punjab. The majority of seats will go to the Akali Dal and BJP alliance.
Muslim (Wed Sep 15 1999 6:2 IST)
Mr Barnala: The Congress party thrashed poor Sikhs. So you have distanced yourself from them. The BJP thrashed Muslims so they have distanced themselves from that party. So, what was the reason for you to join hands with a communal party? You could have been neutral.
Mr S S Barnala(Wed Sep 15 1999 6:9 IST)
Muslim: We have aligned with the BJP not as a communal party. We had an alliance with the BJP earlier in the Punjab when we formed coalitions long back. We thought it was proper to have an alliance so that Hindus and Sikhs could have greater affinity. This alliance has resulted in better understanding between Hindus and Sikhs all over the country.
dony (Wed Sep 15 1999 6:5 IST)
Barnalaji - Don't you think the Punjab govt's decision to provide free electricity to farmers was not in best interests of state and country. Will such popular policies not destroy our economy ?
Mr S S Barnala(Wed Sep 15 1999 6:13 IST)
Dony: In my view, supplying free electricity for tube wells and free canal water to the Punjab farmers has not resulted in any loss to the nation. Rather, it has increased the production of agricultural crops. The production of paddy has considerably increased because of free availability of water for irrigation (120 million tonnes, that is 30 million tonnes more than last year!)
jagdeep (Wed Sep 15 1999 6:5 IST)
There are attempts by Pakistan to revive terrorism in Punjab. What is your government in the state doing to curb this tendency? Now you can't blame the Union government either, since you are part of it. Or is it because your government was pulled down that terrorism is trying to raise its head again?
Mr S S Barnala(Wed Sep 15 1999 6:18 IST)
Jagdeep: Pakistan has been trying to encourage terrorism in Punjab since long. Now the people have fully realised the consequences of terrorism, so in Punjab we find that people -- to the man -- are against terrorism and will put in all efforts to maintain peace in Punjab. The state government is also taking all the steps needed for containing terrorism whenever any instance takes place in the state. That is why Punjab is now considered as the most peaceful state in the country.
dony (Wed Sep 15 1999 6:19 IST)
How do you opine about the protest by some Sikh leaders in Delhi against the rule that enforces female pillion riders on two-wheelers to wear helmet?
Mr S S Barnala(Wed Sep 15 1999 6:23 IST)
Dony: The Sikh tenets do not allow the wearing of any cap. The helmet is considered a cap, that is why the opposition to the wearing of helmets by both men and women. Even while fighting a war, Sikhs do not wear a helmet. That is why they wanted an exemption from helmets for Sikh men and women.
Taraksha (Wed Sep 15 1999 6:3 IST)
Mr Barnala: You stood for the vice-presidential elections and lost. Any regrets. I mean, do you plan to contest again?
Mr S S Barnala(Wed Sep 15 1999 6:21 IST)
Taraksha: Yes, I contested for the post of vice-president as a candidate of Shiromani Akali Dal and its allied parties. I secured 70 votes more than the total number of members of our allied parties, so I have no regrets. I can again contest if asked to do so by my party.
Mr S S Barnala(Wed Sep 15 1999 6:24 IST)
Thank you all very much for your questions, and good night!
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