Chandigarh: Hunger Strike of Bapu Surat Singh Khalsa for the release of Sikh political prisoners languishing across the different jails of India has completed 72 days. This struggle was commenced by Bapu Surat Singh to ensure the release of those prisoners who have served their life sentences.
While addressing a press conference former IAS and Sikh author S. Gurtej Singh and Bibi Sarvarinder Kaur, daughter of Bapu Surat Singh Khalsa, said that Bapu Surat Singh had started his struggle at his home at village Hassanpur of District Ludhiana. This struggle was totally peaceful and Bapu Surat Singh didn’t begin it with the intention of criticizing an individual one or an organization. But the Punjab Police forcefully arrested him and admitted him in hospital against his will. During this period, America resident children of Bapu Surat Singh Khalsa arrived in India to fulfill his last wishes. But the Government also arrested his son Ravinderjit Singh Gogy levelling false charge u/s 107/151 (Cr. P. C.)against him.
Bibi Sarvinder Kaur (L) and S. Gurtej Singh IAS
Bibi Sarvinder Kaur said that while initiating the force feeding of Bapu Surat Singh Khalsa, Punjab Police and doctors used a cruel strategy. “Pipes were mercilessly stitched on his forehead to invade diet in his body through his nose”, she said.
DGP Sumedh Saini blamed on Bapu Surat Singh was doing all this to raise funds, which is a pure lie, said she. Sumedh Saini is levelling these blames without any proof, she added.
S. Gurtej Singh and Bibi Sarvarinder Kaur said: “We want to clarify here that Bapu never submitted any list of 82 prisoners to Punjab Government. Instead, Bapu Ji’s struggle is for the release of those prisoners, on the cases of which the Supreme Court hasn’t asked the state governments to refrain from taking action. Baj Singh and Hardeep Singh are examples of these cases. The Court has asked the Government to organize discussion on the release of these prisoners, but the Government denied doing so”.
“Beside this, the accused culprits of Sikh Genocide of Delhi like Jagdish Tytler and Sajjan Kumar needs to be imprisoned under the same articles, which are implemented on sikh prisoners. The law can’t be criticized, but the law operating powers are holding dubious approach. If the same law can provide regular paroles to Gumeet Pinki (Cat of Punjab Police), SSP Pritpal Singh Virk, Sanjay Datt and others, then why it is not so in case of Sikh Prisoners? “
“So, Parkash Badal can be considered the main obstacle in the release of Sikh Detainees. As now the Government of Jammu & Kashmir has already raised an example by releasing Muslim Prisoners, the Badal Government would have acted upon this issue without any hesitation. But it didn’t happen. The Badal Government tried to destroy the struggle of Bapu Surat Singh Khalsa in manner of Dictatorship, refraining from starting correspondence on this issue. Government leveled false charges against Bapu and his son to detain them”.
“Indian Law gives provision of struggling peacefully for their rights to its citizens, but the Government used illegal strategy to suppress the voice of Human Rights. We appeal the Badal Government to take suitable initiative to release the Sikh Detainees like J&K Government. In case the Badal Government fails in releasing Sikh Detainees or do not release due to its political benefits, it might face huge failure in controlling the agitation of Sikh Nation” they added.