THE PUNJAB MINORITY
SIR,—It is necessary for the public to realise that there are strong forces in the life of India which are not represented by the recognised main political parties. For one thing, it is misleading to write off the Sikhs and the Scheduled Castes as just minorities," to be quietened with a little concession here- and there. Emperors of old, commanding great forces, found the Sikhs remarkably difficult to quieten. But there is a more important factor which is at last coming into Press notice, the Punjab considered as a country in some ways " on its own." For many reasons, which would need many pages to explain, the Punjab population has a distinct social character and tradition. In- these days it has had the sturdiness and solidity necessary to support a ruling union party combining Muslims, Hindus and Sikhs. The province also provides a very large proportion of the best soldiers and the best mechanics in all India. Its geography dominates much of India's history.' The Congress Party is small beer there, and although the Muslims have a majority, the Muslim League has not prevailed there against the feeling of an united Punjab. The Times correspondent writes (June 3oth): "The Punjab Premier takes the line that the Unionist Party of Moslems, Hindus and Sikhs stands for a definite point of view on how the Punjab should be governed, and that it would not be right to submerge it in the com- munalism of Congress or the Moslem League."
Most Press writings seem to take no more account of the Punjab than of any other province, and tacitly assume that its< leaders must. fall in line with one of the two so-called main Indian political parties, or with some bargain struck between them. The Punjab will never fall in line with anything that is not to the liking of the Punjab, and all the rest of India could not constrain the Punjab to do so. When the evidence (including much of India's history) is properly studied, world opinion will rather wish the politicians of the rest of India to emulate the Punjab.—
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