Cong manifesto: Promise to destroy colonial vestiges
Monday, 12/12/2016
http://www.tribuneindia.com/news/punjab/politics/cong-manifesto-promise-to-destroy-colonial-vestiges/335547.html
Chandigarh : In its manifesto, the Congress will promise to enact a law that will destroy last vestiges of the colonial regime.
“If voted to power, the party will either destroy all colonial vestiges that glorify the subjugation and imperialist policies or display these in a manner that act as a reminder to the injustice,” said Manpreet Singh Badal, who has authored the manifesto in consultation with senior leaders, including Punjab Congress chief Capt Amarinder Singh.
The Congress will promise to enact the “Punjab Law of Historical Memory” to condemn the British Raj as the “single most unfortunate, cruel and humiliating phase of Punjab’s history and that of India”.
Manpreet said the party would promise to enact several legislations, but what could be shared now was the content of “Punjab Law of Historical Memory”.
The law will be aimed at collective recognition of the region’s past and identifying specific periods of prosperity and decline. For instance, he said, “the reign of Maharaja Ranjit Singh is to be celebrated as an era of greatness and strength. Special efforts will be placed on locating, preserving and displaying its relics. On the other hand, the British Raj is to be formally condemned”.
Will it not be an attempt to distort history? “It should be understood as a conscious effort to give information about Punjab’s past. Moreover, it seeks to reignite the Punjabi sense of pride by collectively identifying our epochs of greatness and misfortune. Besides identifying reasons behind them, we must aspire for greatness while denouncing the misfortune,” he said.
The former Finance Minister said a soft copy of the manifesto had been sent to former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to seek his comments. “I discussed the manifesto with Manmohan Singh,” said Manpreet, who consulted the party leadership to include certain points in the manifesto.
