"Govt has a rule that only a fixed percentage can join Army from a state. This quota must go"

I am very happy that you are here and also the fact that we are doing this interview at the war memorial. Punjab is very proud of this war memorial; we have sacrificed many lives for the country during the freedom struggle and in the wars that followed.

•Yes, we thought of this since Punjab and north Indian states have made enormous contribution and many sacrifices during wars. We don’t really build war memorials in India; our leaders and some friends got together to build this memorial. And we thought this would be a good venue for the interview. It is also close to your house.

This is a very big initiative by you.

•That is very kind of you. You are a true patriot — someone who’s spent 17 years in prison.

But I have one regret. The Government of India has a rule that only a fixed percentage of the population can join the Army from a state. This is the only Central service in which reservation is based on population. Instead, it should be according to merit. This is one of the grievances we have. There should be no quota at all. After all, there is no state quota in other Central services such as IPS and IAS.

•So why this rule only for the Army?

I don’t want to name anyone, but some people did it due to their own personal interests. The politics of this country today is about personal interests and one’s own gains. National interest is entirely overlooked. Earlier, Punjab had 25 to 50 per cent of its population in the Army. Generals used to be from Punjab. Now, there are very few, because of this rule.

•So, you want it to change?

Yes, definitely. This has been a major demand of Punjab for a long time.

•At the Centre, there is always a fear associated with Punjab — that of Sikh politics. A tag of separatism has been attached to it.

Sikhs can’t be separatists. In our very roots, even in our prayers, we think of the whole world as a place for the entire humanity, not just this country. These are all baseless fears that the Centre comes up with to taint us.

... contd.