Sikh activists hold march in Khalsa’s support

Amritsar, Punjab: Activists of various Sikh organisations today held a march in support of Gurbaksh Singh Khalsa, who has been on a fast to seek the release of six Sikh detainees.

Led by Sikh Youth Federation (Bhindranwala), the procession passed through the city’s main areas before culminating at Akal Takht.

The participants raised slogans against the Union Government for its “bias” against the Sikh detainees. A delegation of Sikh Students Federation (Garewal) led by Gurcharan Singh Garewal met Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Gurbachan Singh on the issue.

Talking to mediapersons, Garewal said the Jathedar had told him that the SGPC was in touch with the state government to resolve the matter at the earliest.

Meanwhile, noted journalist Kuldeep Nayar and senior Supreme Court lawyer HS Phoolka have sent a representation to the Governor of Gujarat for the release of Sikh detainee Lal Singh languishing in jail for 24 years. He was arrested by the Gujarat Police in 1992 and awarded life imprisonment by a Gujarat court.

“The continued detention of Lal Singh who has served his sentence is unjustified. He has not committed any murder or any other heinous crime.

“He was awarded the sentence under TADA for recovery of arms and explosives.

“The High Court recommended the state government thrice to consider the request for his release.

“The High Court also took note in its judgment that he was released on parole six times and had surrendered within time and there was absolutely no allegation of his involvement in any criminal activity or disturbance of peace during the period of parole,” reads the representation.

Supreme Court lawyer Phoolka, who has also been fighting the cases of the 1984 Sikh genocide victims, said similar representation would be made to other state governments on receipt of information about such prisoners.

About crusader Gurbaksh Singh

• Gurbaksh Singh Khalsa (see pic) was born to Jathedar Ajit Singh and Mohinder Kaur on Dec 12, 1965, in Thuska Ali village of Kurukshetra district in Haryana
• He received his primary education in the village school
• Gurbaksh Singh engaged in Gurmat studies at Gurdwara Lakhnour Sahib. He was baptised at the age of 11
• He got married in 1987 to Jasbir Kaur, he has a son, Jhujhar Singh, who is married
• Gurbaksh Singh was influenced by Bhindranwale’s ideology which brought him in conflict with the govt
• Arrested for the first time in 1982, he remained in jail in 1986-87 for opposing the ‘ban on kesri turbans’
• He was again arrested in 1994 for allegedly making inflammatory speeches.
• Gurbaksh Singh faced 10 cases registered in different places, including Panipat and Amritsar
• He was picked up by the police from his house. He remained in police remand for a month and 28 days
• His wife was allegedly subjected to police harassment
• Gurbaksh Singh was an accused in a case registered after a blast in Sector 34, Chandigarh, in 1999. Sentenced to 10 years’ imprisonment, he is now on parole
• He has been acquitted in eight of the 10 cases registered against him. One case is still pending
• Gurbaksh Singh was lodged in the Ambala jail for some time. He was later shifted to the Burail jail, Chandigarh
• It was here that he met Jagtar Singh Hawara and Paramjit Singh Bheora lodged there in connection with the Beant Singh assassination case

Source: The Tribune