Follow Us
From Our Special Representative
Ludhiana, January 23
Punjab had suffered a rude shock at a result of its partition. It would be unjust and unfair to the people of this State as also of India, to think of giving it another shock by further division of this lacerated land, which has bled profusely because of what had happened to the millions of its people, said the Prime Minister of India, Mr Nehru in the course of his election speeches made in the Punjabi region today at various places.
Read More: Punjab Assembly Elections — 1962
He referred repeatedly to the Akali demand of a Punjabi Suba, which he characterised as being unreasonable, unsound, unconvincing and something which was bound to damage the interests of the people of the State.
He said that he failed to understand the basis of this demand because if Punjab was divided any further, its progress and prosperity was bound to be hampered . What Punjab had been able to achieve during these 10 years, would be once again lost. Politically, economically and socially, any further division of the State would be against the common man's interest and he was sorry why this simple fact was not being appreciated and understood, Punjab was a Punjabi Suba essentially.
One argument that was given by the protagonists of Punjabi Suba was that it was necessary that a State of that name should be carved out in order to help the growth of Punjabi. There could be nothing more fallacious than this. Punjabi was a growing and a rich language and no effort on any one's part could retard its progress. He was satisfied, said the Prime Minister, that Punjabi had progressed during the last four or five years, much more than it would have even in hundred years, Punjabi was one of the fourteen languages, which had been mentioned in the Constitution and which it was the duty of the Government to help to grow.
1
3
6