“The bombing took place after the MNF led by the late Laldenga declared independence from India and is observed as ‘Zoram Ni’ (Mizoram Day) on this day by the Mizo Zirlai Pawl (MZP) or Mizo Students Federation.” says a PTI report.

“The Prime Minister and the Union Government must tender a public apology for what the Indian Air Force and the army did to the innocent civilians in Mizoram in 1966, chairman of the North East Students Organisation (NESO), Samujal Bhattacharyya said at a function here.

Bhattacharyya pointed out that the Prime Minister had apologised to the Sikh community on behalf of the Government in the Rajya Sabha in 2005 for launching Operation Bluestar at the Golden Temple in Amritsar in 1984.

“If the Prime Minister, elected from the North East can apologise to his own community on the action of the army in 1984, he and the Union Government must apologise to the people of Mizoram for the atrocities committed by the Centre in 1966,” he said. Bhattacharyya rued that no words of regret from the government had come even after 44 years.

• Murder Case against Dera Chief: supporters burnt trains, buses
• 1984 Victims Betrayed: Sajjan gets anticipatory bail from Delhi HC
• 1984 Genocide: Court refused bail to accomplice of Sajjan Kumar
• Jagdish Tytler’s Case: Court Directs CBI to Give Witnesses’ Statements to the Victim’s Advocate
• Twisting the Process of justice: PSO says Sajjan Kumar is missing

Prof. Devinder Pal Singh Bhullar

Chandigarh (March 2, 2010): To promote the cause of seeking clemency for the victims of Death Penalty the Sikh Students Federation shall conduct a signature campaign at Punjab University Chandigarh on 4^th of March, 2010. In a press statement issued by Jagdeep Singh, Joint Secretary of the organization, it is said that 139 countries around the globe have either abolished the death penalty in law or in practice. Recently Keniya has stayed the execution of about 3000 prisoners, who were awarded death penalty. India has not executed any prisoner for death penalty after 2004 and before that the last execution took place in1997. The track record shows that India is fast moving towards a state which is not in favor of death penalty. “However till India decides to do away with the death penalty, it’s essential to draw attention to the prisoners who are facing death penalty in this country which are totaling in number in relation to whom mercy petitions are pending before the President Of India.” said SSF President, Parmjeet Singh Gazi.

He further informed that this campaign is started by Lawyers for Human Rights International, an organization promoting the cause of Human Rights, and SSF is conducting the campaign in various educational institutions, and Mata Upkar Kaur, mother of Prof. Devinderpal Singh Bhullar shall attend Thusday’s Campaign at PU, Chandigarh.

Currently SSF is perusing the cases of three persons who are behind the bars since a long time and are awaiting execution; these include Prof. Devinderpal Singh Bhullar (Tihar Jail Delhi), Dharampal (Ambala Jail, Haryana) and Piara Singh (Amritsar Jail, Punjab).  “Death punishment is awarded to Bhullar, who has served about 15 years in prison, by ignoring many legal and evidentiary facts, therefore inherent flaws of the judgment forms basis for demanding clemency for Bhullar.” said PS Gazi. Similarly, prolonged detention, inhuman conditions of life in prison and health factor forms basis for demanding clemency for Piara Singh and Dharampal, he added.

• Students of Fatehgarh Sahib for clemency to Prof. Devinder Pal Singh Bhullar and five others
• Campaign against Deanth Penality received good response from Pbi Versity students
• Existence of Death Penalty in Statute Books Justify State Killings – Usha Ramanathan
• Bakhsish Singh is arrested by Police?
• SSF demanded action against Security personnel for killing Kashmiri Student

Condemning the state government for bitterly failing to rein in rioters time and again, the speakers said this was third time that hooligans had a field day in Punjab, first it was in Doaba region after Vienna shootout and second at Batala in the wake of blasphemous act against Jesus Christ.

There’s lawlessness in Punjab again and it’s because incompetent and inefficient government is in place. KAC leaders lashed out at supporters of Sirsa dera for attempting to terrorize the common man and damaging public property.

• Panth up in arms against proposed changes in the calendar
• Panthic bodies gave call to oust Badal from SGPC control
• SGPC’s performance nil, needs overhauling, says Panthic Bodies
• Edict against Dera Sauda Sirsa – Sikh bodies urge Akal Takhat to ensure implementation
• No compromise on right to demand freedom could be there – Dal Khalsa

Tension ran high in many towns in the two neighbouring states as police were put on high alert and Haryana requisitioned 1,500 para-military personnel to deal with the situation.  The protesters set afire a compartment each of the Ferozepur-Ludhiana Sutlej Express, the Narwana-Kurukshetra train and two local trains after asking the passengers to disembark, a railway spokesman said.  They also vandalised railway property at Tapa, Moga and Kalaiyat in Punjab, he said.

It is notable that deras often indulge in such a kind of violence and arson activities but still find favor of Indian state and its organs. But on the other hand since the initiation of controversy with dera sauda in 2007, the Sikhs always remained peaceful while expressing their anger; they never damaged any public property nor indulged in arson, still the State suppress them harshly.

• 1984 Victims Betrayed: Sajjan gets anticipatory bail from Delhi HC
• Jagdish Tytler’s Case: Court Directs CBI to Give Witnesses’ Statements to the Victim’s Advocate
• Twisting the Process of justice: PSO says Sajjan Kumar is missing
• CBI pulled up by Delhi Court for failing to issue notice to the complainant before filing the closure report against Sajjan Kumar
• Public apology from Indian Prime Minister demanded by NESO

It is interesting to note that the family members of Jasbir Singh Jassa and Darshan Singh were already claiming that duo were picked up by the police on 13 February, 2010 at around 6 PM from their house. Police showed arrest of Jasbir Singh Jassa on intervening night of 20 and 21 February and now Darshan is claimed to have been arrested on 25^th February.

Advocate Lakhwinder Singh Kaliraun, Secretary of Sikhs For Human Rights (SFHR) condemned the practice of Punjab Police to keep persons in illegal custody.

• No Whereabouts of Darshan Singh even after 12 Days; Family prevented by police from meeting CJ at Patiala
• Bakhsish Singh is arrested by Police?
• No whereabouts of two picked up from Sangrur
• Punjab Police showed arrest of Jassa after more than a week long illegal detention
• Parminder Singh Patiala released on third day of illegal detention

Sajjan Kumar and Jagdish Tytler

Various Sikh Organizations including Sikh Students Federation, Sikhs for Human Rights, Baba Banda Singh Bahadur Youth Federation and Shiromani Akali Dal (Panch Pardhani) have termed this move as a betrayal with victims of the massacre. “Victims of 1984 Sikh Massacre, who have survived it, are living with a ray of hope to get justice, but it seems that under current Indian system they are not going to get it.” said Parmjeet Singh Gazi, President of Sikh Students Federation.

• Jagdish Tytler’s Case: Court Directs CBI to Give Witnesses’ Statements to the Victim’s Advocate
• Twisting the Process of justice: PSO says Sajjan Kumar is missing
• CBI pulled up by Delhi Court for failing to issue notice to the complainant before filing the closure report against Sajjan Kumar
• Murder Case against Dera Chief: supporters burnt trains, buses
• 1984 Genocide: Court refused bail to accomplice of Sajjan Kumar

The rejection of the governments offer by the radical Sikh group assumes significance as names of several senior leaders of the organization including its mentor Gajinder Singh figure in black list and all of them have taken asylum in various countries including US, Europe, Canada and elsewhere since the heydays of militancy.

Countering the statement of the Home Minister that the Indian government was willing to consider rehabilitation of misguided Sikh youths in case they give up the demand for Khalistan, the party head H S Dhami and spokesperson Kanwarpal Singh minced no words in stating that silence of guns and electoral success of moderate Sikhs like Badal in Punjab does not indicate that Sikh masses have once and for all abandoned the goal of Khalistan.

Showing no sign of any weakness, the leaders took P Chidambaram to task for using the term ‘misguided’ to address those youth who joined Sikh struggle in the wake of the army assault and anti-Sikh massacre in June and Nov 1984. “They were neither misguided nor mindless. They took to arms to combat state excesses as Indian institutions failed to give justice to Sikhs”.

Posing a counter question to home minister, they said can the state deny that in a democracy the fundamental rights of citizens belong to all, including those who stand for a separate Sikh state. Will you transport all those Sikhs from Punjab to foreign land who still desire for khalistan, they asked. Citing numerous judgments of P & H High Court and apex court on this issue, they said striving for Khalistan through democratic means is neither unlawful nor against the law of the land.

They said instead of thinking in terms of rehabilitating the Khalistanis, the Indian government should focus on resolving all vexed issues that gave birth to militancy in the state in early 80’s.

They said the return of Khalistanis has never been a big issue for them. Instead, the core issue was political resolution to the Sikh conflict popularly known as Punjab Problem. If guns in Punjab have fallen silent that doesn’t mean that the Sikhs have stopped believing in the Khalistan ideology, they remarked. However, the irony of the situation was that the arrogant (Indian) state was in a denial mood.

Accusing the Indian government of double standards, they asked Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh to enter into a dialogue with those Punjab groups that espouse the Sikh goal for independence on the pattern of centre holding talks with NSCN (IM) and Hurriyat Conference to resolve Naga and Kashmir dispute.

“The (Indian) state should shed it anti-Sikh attitude and mindset and allow them (read Khalistanis) to visit their native land and pay obeisance at Darbar Sahib who believes in pursuing non-violent struggle to attain their goal”.

However, they agreed with the views of Akali leadership and MP Tarlochan Singh that such persons should be allowed to return to lead normal lives who had nothing to do with the (Sikh) struggle but had fled the state because of police repression prevalent in the state at that time.

• Dal Khalsa remembered its’ founding member Bhai Gajinder Singh living in exile since 1981
• Dal Khalsa to hold debate on writings of Bhai Gajinder Singh
• Indian State is patronizing and encouraging anti-Sikh and anti-social sects and cults
• Dal khalsa wrote letter to Indian PM on constitutional and legal discriminations
• RSS preacher condemned for making anti-Sikh propaganda

Additional chief metropolitan magistrate Lokesh Kumar Sharma dismissed the plea of this accused person as “devoid of merit”. Girdhari Lal was arrested by CBI and produced before the court on February 23 following a non-bailable warrant against him.

The court had on February 17 issued the arrest warrant against Lal as he failed to appear before it on summons. Lal, along with former outer Delhi MP Sajjan Kumar and Balwan Khokhar, Mahender Yadav, Maha Singh, Capt Bhagmal, Santosh Rani, Krishna Khokhar were named as accused in the murder of five persons in Delhi Cantt during the organized violence against the Sikhs in first week of November 1984.

CBI had filed two charge-sheets on January 13 in the cases registered on the recommendation of Justice GT Nanavati commission which had inquired into the sequence of events leading to the Massacre of Sikhs in 1984. It is notable that thousands of innocent Sikhs were burnt alive and brutally murdered after the assassination of Indira Gandhi, then prime minister of India. Indira was guilty for ordering armed attack on Darbar Sahib (Amritsar), a spiritual Sikh Shrine to suppress peaceful struggle of Sikh Nation for freedom, called “Dharam Youdh Morcha”.

While commenting on recent developments Bhai Harpal Singh Cheema of SAD (Panch Pardhani) said that “We appraise those fighting for justice but Sikhs have left any hope to get justice from Indian Courts that took 25 years to issue arrest warrants against those who are responsible for killing thousands and many like Jagdish Tytler are not even charged.”

• Jagdish Tytler’s Case: Court Directs CBI to Give Witnesses’ Statements to the Victim’s Advocate
• Twisting the Process of justice: PSO says Sajjan Kumar is missing
• CBI pulled up by Delhi Court for failing to issue notice to the complainant before filing the closure report against Sajjan Kumar
• 1984 Victims Betrayed: Sajjan gets anticipatory bail from Delhi HC
• Declare Sajjan Kumar as Absconder: Sikhs for Justice

In December 2008, due to the efforts of Sikhs for Justice, CBI had come to USA and recorded statements of eye-witnesses Jasbir Singh and Giani Surinder Singh. Giani Surinder Singh’s statement was recorded by CBI in New York on December 23-24, 2008. The statement was recorded in about 14 hours and Giani Surinder Singh had alleged harassment at the hands of CBI stating, “It seems that instead of Jagdish Tytler, they want to portray me as the perpetrator of the massacre. The questions CBI asked me should have been directed at Tytler, who brought the mob and directed them to kill the Sikhs first and rob them later.” Giani Surinder Singh was the head Granthi of Gurdwara Pulbangash Sahib and witnessed burning alive of three Sikhs on November 1, 1984 by a mob led and directed by Jagdish Tytler.

Incidentally, Giani Surinder Singh died in July 2009 in mysterious circumstances while he had gone to India to testify against Jagdish Tytler.

Jasbir Singh’s statement was recorded by CBI on December 25-26, 2008 in California. He had testified that he had seen Jagdish Tytler rebuking his men for not killing enough Sikhs in his constituency. After his media statement in 2007, Jasbir Singh alleged that he was contacted by someone close to Jagdish Tytler and offered bribe and was intimidated. Jasbir Singh had refused to change his statement.

Attorney Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, Legal Advisor, Sikhs for Justice stated that closure of cases against Jagdish Tytler despite such credible witnesses would be denial of justice. Attorney Pannun further stated that there are more witnesses who have come forward against Jagdish Tytler and would be produced before the court. Among the witnesses who have come forward are Resham Singh, Alam Singh and Chain Singh.

During November 1984 massacre of Sikhs, Resham Singh saw Jagdish Tytler outside Gurdwara Pulbangash Sahib, Delhi. Resham Singh’s account corroborates late Giani Surinder Singh’s statement. Giani Surinder Singh’s sworn and written statement to CBI clearly names the two eye witnesses Alam Singh and Chain Singh who were also present there with him. Whereas, the closure report of CBI does not even mention Alam Singh and Chain Singh.

• Twisting the Process of justice: PSO says Sajjan Kumar is missing
• CBI pulled up by Delhi Court for failing to issue notice to the complainant before filing the closure report against Sajjan Kumar
• 1984 Victims Betrayed: Sajjan gets anticipatory bail from Delhi HC
• 1984 Genocide: Court refused bail to accomplice of Sajjan Kumar
• 1984 Trial: Sajjan Kumar ordered police to fire on Sikhs and Instigated killer mobs to burn them alve: CBI

Sajjan Kumar and Jagdish Tytler

Ludhiana/New Delhi (February 25, 2010): A strange but apparently planned ‘cat and mouse drama’ is going on in Delhi regarding expected/speculated arrest of Former Congress MP Sajjan Kumar.  CBI the premier investigation agency of the country has failed to arrest Sajjan Kumar despite a non-bailable warrant against him in some cases related to Sikh Massacre of 1984. Now Personal Security Officer (PSO) of Sajjan Kumar has claimed that Former MP is “missing” for the past one.

“Delhi Police Constable Ram Niroha, posted as the PSO of the Congress leader and Z+ category protectee, had approached the Security Wing on February 19 informing them that Kumar had gone missing from that day. Sources said Niroha, posted with the Security Wing, was suspended from service and a probe is on to establish the veracity of his claims. Police has stationed a PCR van outside Kumar’s residence in Madipur. His brother Ramesh Kumar is MP from South Delhi constituency.” says TOI report.

“It seems Kumar has gone underground to evade arrest,” a senior police official said, adds the report.

Kumar’s lawyer had earlier told the court that he was not running away and was just exploring all statutory remedies available to him by approaching a higher court. The CBI had on February 23 informed the court that they could not arrest Kumar as he could not be located, prompting the judge to slam the investigating agency for “not being serious in apprehending” the Congress leader.

The Sikhs for Justice, a NGO pursuing cases of 1984 Sikh Massacre has urged the court to declare Sajjan Kumar as absconding offender.

This case is an instance that how various organs of Indian systems works in hidden collaboration to protect the guilty and deny justice to the victims of State oppression or atrocities.

• CBI pulled up by Delhi Court for failing to issue notice to the complainant before filing the closure report against Sajjan Kumar
• Jagdish Tytler’s Case: Court Directs CBI to Give Witnesses’ Statements to the Victim’s Advocate
• 1984 Victims Betrayed: Sajjan gets anticipatory bail from Delhi HC
• 1984 Genocide: Court refused bail to accomplice of Sajjan Kumar
• Declare Sajjan Kumar as Absconder: Sikhs for Justice