ÿþ<HTML><HEAD><TITLE>SIKANDAR-BALDEV SI&#7748GH PACT</TITLE> <style type="text/css"> .BODY { background-color: #EAF1F7; background-image: url('images/gtbh.jpg'); background-repeat: no-repeat; background-attachment: fixed; background-position: center; color: #0066CC;} .C1{text-align: justify;color: #0066CC;FONT-size: SMALL;FONT-family: Tahoma;} .BIB{text-align: center;color: #000099;FONT-size: SMALL;FONT-family: Tahoma;} .CONT{text-align: right;color: #FF0000;FONT-size: SMALL;FONT-family: Tahoma;} </style><META NAME="keywords" CONTENT="SIKANDAR,BALDEV,SIDGH,PACT"> <META http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8"></HEAD> <BODY class="BODY" oncontextmenu="return false" ondragstart="return false" onselectstart="return false"> <FONT ALIGN="JUSTIFY" FACE="Tahoma"> <p class="C1">&#65279SIKANDAR-BALDEV SI&#7748GH PACT is the name popularly given to the rapprochement arrived at in 1942 between the Ak&#257l&#299s and the Muslim dominated Unionist Party, then ruling the pre-partition province of the Punjab, as a result of which the Ak&#257l&#299 nominee, Baldev Si&#7749gh, joined the Unionist Cabinet under Sir Sikandar Hay&#257t <u>Kh</u>&#257n. The Unionist government had taken office in 1937 following elections held under the Government of India Act 1935, introducing provincial autonomy with a wholly Indian ministry responsible to the legislative assembly. At the pools the Unionist Party had emerged successful with a large majority, and its leader, Sir Sikandar, had formed the government winning the support of some Hindu and Sikh members, especially those representing landed interests. The Sikhs who had 31 seats in the 175-member legislative assembly were divided into two main groups, one representing the <u>Kh</u>&#257ls&#257 National Party and the other Shiroma&#7751&#299 Ak&#257l&#299 Dal. The former joined hands with the Unionists, its leader Sir Sundar Si&#7749gh Maj&#299&#7789h&#299&#257 joining the Cabinet, and the latter with the Indian National Congress who, with the support of 17 Independents, formed the Opposition. Outside the Assembly, the Ak&#257l&#299s were the severest critics and opponents of the Unionist Government. As World War II broke out in 1939, moves were initiated to bring about a reconciliation between the Ak&#257l&#299s and the government. Parleys began between the pro-British Premier of the Punjab, who had a confortable majority in the Assembly, and the Ak&#257l&#299s, leading to Sir Sikandar Hay&#257t <u>Kh</u>&#257n writing a letter to Sard&#257r Baldev Si&#7749gh, an Ak&#257l&#299 or Panthic member of the Legislative Assembly, conceding some of the demands the Ak&#257l&#299 leaders had been raising. Explaining the terms of the Pact at a press conference held at Lahore on 15 June 1942, Sir Sikandar made the following points : (1) Facilities for <i>jha&#7789k&#257</i> meat --one of the persistent Sikh demands--- would be made available in government institutions where separate kitchens for Muslims, Hindus and Sikhs existed. (2) With regard to legislation relating to religious matters, members belonging to a community will take decisions at all stages of legislation affecting that community and such decisions shall have his support. (3) About the Sikh demand for adopting Punjabi, in Gurmukh&#299 script, as the second language in the Punjab, he said that it was not possible immediately, but he had no objection to giving effect to the proposal. (4) As to the recruitment of Sikhs to government services, he clarified that the proportion for the various communities had already been fixed and that the Sikhs had been allotted a 20% share in the services. (5) Regarding Sikhs' representation at the Centre, the Punjab Premier assured Sardar Baldev Si&#7749gh that if and when an expansion or change in the present Executive Council at the Centre was contemplated, the Sikh claim would have his sympathy and support. He also gave the assurance that he would support the Sikh claim for a due share in the Central services.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;As a consequence of the Pact, Baldev Si&#7749gh joined Sir Sikandar's Cabinet, replacing Sard&#257r Dasaundh&#257 Si&#7749gh who had become a minister as a representative of the <u>Kh</u>&#257ls&#257 National Party after the death in 1941 of Sir Sundar Si&#7749gh Maj&#299&#7789h&#299&#257. It was clarified that Baldev Si&#7749gh had made the pact in his "personal capacity", with the "moral support" of the Ak&#257l&#299 Dal. Whereas he sat with the Government, the Ak&#257l&#299 group in the legislature continued to sit with the Opposition. The Ak&#257l&#299 Dal was left free to pursue its own political programme. It, in fact, proclaimed publically its disapproval of the Pact at a conference held at Gujr&#257&#7749w&#257l&#257 on 18 July 1942.</p> </font> <p class="BIB"> BIBLIOGRAPHY<p class="C1"><ol class="C1"><li class="C1"> Sarhadi, Ajit Singh, <i>Punjabi Suba</i>. Delhi, 1970<BR> <li class="C1"> Nayar, Baldev Raj, <i>Minority Politics in the Punjab</i>. Princeton, 1966<BR> <li class="C1"> Brass, Paul R., <i>Language, Religion and Politics in North India</i>. Delhi, 1975.<BR> <li class="C1"> Khushwant Si&#7749gh, <i>A History of the Sikhs</i>, Vol II. Princeton, 1966<BR> <li class="C1"> Gopal Singh, <i>A History of the Sikh People</i> (1469-1978). Delhi, 1979<BR> <li class="C1"> Harbans Singh, <i>The Heritage of the Sikhs</i>. Delhi, 1983<BR> <li class="C1"> Dilg&#299r, Harjinder Si&#7749gh, <i>Shroma&#7751&#299 Ak&#257l&#299 Dal</i>. Chandigarh, 1980<BR> </ol><p class="CONT">K. C. Gul&#257&#7789&#299<br></p><BR> </font><img src="counter.aspx" width="1px" height="1px" alt=""></HTML></BODY>