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Indian media propagating against Sikhs and Sikh struggle

April 15, 2010 | By Sikh Siyasat Bureau

Ludhiana (April 15, 2010): Two young Hindus boys were killed by some unidentified persons in the State of Punjab during 1980s. A Prominent English daily then published a report on front page making an impression that their newly wedded brides are now turned widows and the prospects of life of these Hindu women are destroyed by (Sikh) extremists. “But we were shocked when we came to know that both young boys were never married and the whole story was fake and part of embedded journalism of Indian media”. This is just one incident that was recalled by Senior Journalist (Retd.) of UNI, Jaspal Singh Sidhu, during a seminar held at Chandigarh, two years back. Sidhu was appointed at Amritsar Sahib during 1980s when the struggle of Sikhs for Anandpur Sahib Resolution, was at a historic turn. Sidhu also opined that Indian media regularly publish such false or exaggerated stories in order to hamper the image of struggling nations, particularly the Sikhs.

This practice is still continuing. ANI is one such news agency that makes such baseless stories with sole purpose to defame Sikhs and their just struggle for their rights.

Recently it  issued a short video story titled “Khalistan Movement, a major setback to Punjab’s growth.” It claims that ‘An agitation for a Punjabi-speaking state in the 1960s gave birth to a separatist agitation called Khalistan movement in the north Indian state of Punjab. The movement turned violent by the eighties and was responsible for affecting the states growth and prosperity.’

It is notable that the whole story did not speak even a word regarding the reasons behind the Punjabi Suba Agitation and discriminations done to the Punjab or mass level atrocities and human rights violations committed by Indian state in Punjab to suppress Sikh struggle.

Sikhs were promised an autonomous State in northern reason of this peninsula, known as current day India, before partition of 1947 by Indian Hindu leaders, who eventually turned down their promises after gaining power. Peaceful agitation of Sikhs was labeled as “a conspiracy hatched at international levels against Indian state”, but media or Indian state never gave any piece of evidence to support this allegation.

In order to suppress Sikh armed struggle for freedom, Indian State let loose its forces on civilian Sikhs. Indian Supreme Court has admitted at least 2091 illegal cremations were carried by state agencies at just three cremation grounds during 1990s in Punjab. Human Rights activist, S. Jaswant Singh Khalra, projected that at least 25000 Sikh civilians were illegally killed and cremated as unclaimed or unidentified dead bodies by Indian forces. But, Indian media never talk about these mis-deeds of Indian state.

Another point is that Punjab’s development and prosperity is hampered by Indian state by not giving the residents of this state, their legitimate rights. The natural resources of the State are being looted at the instance of union government of India. River water, most precious natural resource of Punjab, is illegally allocated to other non-riparian states. Punjab government has recently accessed the value of water allocated to Rajasthan since 1947 at 1,50,000 Crore Rupees, but Punjab received nothing. Why not ANI report on this issue?

“People must understand the intentions of Indian media. Indian media is working on these lines that if you loudly shout a false statement, again and again, then it would give an impression that it is a true statement.” said S. Makhan Singh Gadhuan, a senior leader of Sikh Students Federation.

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Related Topics: Indian Media, Sikh Struggle, Sikh Students Federation

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