I am sorry to take the time of the House in going in a little detail into the Sikh position, but I thought it my duty to acquaint the House with the Sikh case. Let me, however, make it clear that the safeguards which the Sikhs demand for their due and strong position in the Punjab and the North West, are meant to be provided within the Indian Republic and not outside. They are anxious that all communities may live together in harmony and peace. They are prepared to live happily with their Mussalman brothers in the Punjab and the North West, even treating them as elder brothers, but not as a superior ruling race or a separate nation. The Sikhs, therefore, cannot tolerate the partition of this great and ancient land. They will stoutly oppose the establishment of Pakistan and all that it implies or stands for.
