AMRITSAR SAHIB, Punjab—To mark the World Human Rights Day on December 10, a ‘Sikh Rights – Sikh Freedom’ march will be carried out from Gurdwara Shaheed Baba Deep Singh Ji to Sri Akal Takht Sahib. The march commence at 11 am to raise awareness of violations of human rights in Punjab against the Sikhs.

The march is being organized seeking release of Jathedar Bhai Jagtar Singh Hawara, head of the supreme temporal seat of the Sikhs.  Bhai Hawara is incarcerated in the Delhi based Tihar Jail for assisting the assassination of Beat “Singh” former Chief Minister of Punjab who was responsible for genocide of the Sikhs in the 1990s.  A petition seeking Bhai Hawara’s release earlier crossed 100,000 signatures on the White House’s website.

A number of Bapu Surat Singh Khalsa’s prominent supporters gave a statement requesting Sikh Sangat to attend the march.  Bhai Joga Singh requested Sikh Sangat to take part in the march in large numbers.  Speaking with Sikh24, Karnail Singh Peer Mohammad also appealed the Sikh Sangat to take part in the march in large numbers.  

Karnail Singh informed that the motive of the march would to aware masses about the violation of human rights of Sikhs being committed by the Indian government.  He informed that USA based Human Rights organization ‘Sikhs For Justice’ had given the call for this march.  He also appreciated efforts of the Akhand Kirtani Jatha (International), Damdami Taksal Jatha Bhindran (Sangrawan), Shiromani Panth Khalsa (International), Sikh Chetna Manch, Bhai Dharam Singh Khalsa Trust and other organizations for supporting the march.

NEW DELHI, India—Rejecting the CBI’s closure report in a case related to the murder of Badal Singh in Pulbangash area during Sikh genocide of 1984, the Karkardooma Court has directed the Central Bureau of Investigation to continue probe into the case.

In its verdict, Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Saurabh Partap Singh stated that the some aspects of the case were still to be probed further. Honourable Magistrate Saurabh Partap Singh has directed the CBI to unearth the true facts of the case as soon as possible. The court further stated that it would be in interest of justice if the investigation is monitored by the Court on bi-monthly basis to ensure investigation on each aspect of the case. The next hearing in the case has been deferred to February 2, 2016.

It is noteworthy that CBI had earlier filed its closure report on the case exonerating Jagdish Tytler. CBI’s move was later challenged by Sikh Genocide 1984’s victim Lakhwinder Kaur, whose husband Badal Singh was burnt alive by the Hindu mobs lead by Jagdish Tytler in Gurdwara Pulbangash situated in North Delhi. Total three Sikhs namely Badal Singh, Thakur Singh and Gurcharan Kaur were reduced to ashes by the Hindu mobs in this incident on November 1, 1984.

JALANDHAR, Punjab—Taking serious notice of shocking revelations made by cat turned police cop Gurmeet Pinky, Former Chief Minister of Punjab and Head of Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee Captain Amarinder Singh has demanded a high level probe against the Police Officers responsible for committing fake encounters of Sikh youth extra judicially. It is notable that Gurmeet had made shocking revelations that he was eye witness to a minimum of 50 fake encounters committed by Punjab police officers extra judicially.

Gurmeet Pinky had stated that while serving in Ludhiana and Bathinda, recently retired Director General of Punjab Police Sumedh Saini killed many Sikh youth in fake encounters. Namely, Prof. Rajinder Pal Singh Bulara (husband of former Member Parliament Rajinder Kaur Bulara) and Bhai Sher Singh Shera, who were killed in extra judicial encounters. 

Lashing out at Badal led Punjab government for misusing its administrative powers to suppress antagonist voices, Captain Amarinder Singh stated that a judicial commission would be appointed to probe into the false cases registered by Akali government, if the Congress succeeds in upcoming assembly elections of 2017.

He announced that political personalities and parties with homogeneity in ideology are invited to join Congress for contesting upcoming elections of 2017.

ABOHAR, Punjab—Concerned over the agrarian crisis in Punjab, team leaders of the All India Farmers Empowerment campaign today said organic and sustainable farming can improve the lives of farmers.

The campaign launched by the rural wing of Brahmakumaris, an NGO affiliated with UN, was inaugurated at New Delhi in September by Union Minister for Agriculture Radha Raman Singh and Punjab Governor Kaptan Singh Solanki on November 23 at Chandigarh.

Residents of Abohar welcomed the ‘Kisan Rath’ team which passed through Johari Mandir road and Circular Road on way to the Panchayat Samiti Complex.

Balluana legislator Gurtej Singh Ghuriana said agricultural research institutions had been working continuously in this direction but the Brahmakumaris organisation is not only working for yogic agricultural but also for developing mutual goodwill, brotherhood, respect and elimination of social evils and addictions, which was admirable.

Additional Deputy Commissioner Charandev Singh Mann said the efforts of Brahmakumaris for the prosperity of agriculture and farmers are beneficial to farmers and the government. While farmers will produce more by the yogic agriculture, their health and the economy of the country will also get benefitted. Their research in the field of yogic agriculture can bring a new revolution in development of villages and will give impetus to the overall rural development.

Mann said paddy produce in Fazilka district shot up from 42,000 metric tonne to 95,000 metric tonne in a year. He advised the farmers to cut their expenses to size besides involving adult children in cultivation. They need to be educated to achieve empowerment, he exhorted.

LUDHIANA, Punjab—Human rights activist and senior lawyer HS Phoolka today said the Delhi court’s rejection of CBI’s clean chit to Congress leader Jagdish Tytler was a slap on the face of the investigating agency as well the leaders who backed Tytler.

He said the decision was an embarrassment for PPCC chief Capt Amarinder Singh who had been saying that Tytler and Kamal Nath were not involved in the riots for his vested interest to become the the state Congress president.

“The Akali Dal which is trying to take the credit for the court’s decision should apologise to the riot victims as the clean chit was given to Tytler for the third time in December 2014 and the Deputy CM’s wife Harsimrat Kaur who is a Union Minister remained mum,” he alleged.

Phoolka said the court also reprimanded the CBI to carry out the investigation properly and questioned why certain aspects were overlooked.

Phoolka played the video wherein former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi reportedly appeared to have justified the riots. He said the Bharat Ratna conferred on the former PM should be withdrawn.

CHANDIGARH, Punjab—Almost a year ahead of the Assembly elections, the Punjab Government today announced the setting up of the Sixth Pay Commission to woo government employees.

Chief Minister Parkash Badal met representatives of various employee unions and said modalities for the Sixth Punjab Pay Commission, including its composition, terms and conditions, would be soon finalised by the Personnel Department. 

The commission would be mandated to give recommendations on the new pay scales for employees and revision in pensions.

Though the state’s top functionaries have themselves publically spoken against the huge wage bill of the state government and maintained that the Punjab Government employees were among the highest paid, the SAD-BJP leadership seems to have had a change of heart almost one year ahead of the elections.

Over 65 per cent of the state’s revenue receipts go into payment of salaries and pensions and other retirement benefits (Rs 25,536.35 crore) and another 20 per cent is spent on making interest payments (Rs 9,900.14 crore).

As this year the revenue receipts have shown less than targeted growth, it will be a challenge for any government to revise the pay scales and clear the wage bill each month. Badal also said that another installment of 6 per cent dearness allowance (DA) for government employees and pensioners/family pensioners, due from July 1, 2015, would be paid from January 2016 onwards. The DA arrears for 17 months are pending and employees were assured today that these would be released within two months.

The CM also announced sops for industrial units located in Goindwal Sahib Industrial Nucleus Complex. Though the industry located here has been representing to the government for several years to get a bailout package, it was only today that the CM announced concessions.

He permitted the industrial plot holders of up to 8,000 sq yards to deposit the balance amount at 10% simple interest. Earlier, this facility  was only limited to the plots of 500 and 1,000 sq yards.

The 30-odd ancillary units of Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited will get sanctioned industrial subsidies before the end of this fiscal.

CHANDIGARH, Punjab—A meeting of the Bandi Singh Talmel Committee was held yesterday in Chandigarh to deliberate upon cases of growing desecration in Punjab.  The Talmel Committee was constituted earlier by Bapu Surat Singh Khalsa’s supporters to oversee his struggle while members of the Sangharsh Committee are in prison.  The meeting was held at the Gurdwara Gursagar Jheel in which a number of key decisions were taken.

Deliberating upon the rising incidents of desecration of Guru Granth Sahib and Human Rights abuses in Punjab, the activists of the Talmel Committee resolved to invent own strategies to stop Sri Guru Granth Sahib’s desecration across Punjab. Following resolutions were given approval in the meeting –

1. Establishment of Gurdwaras in villages and towns should be controlled. Count of Gurdwaras in particular region should be restricted according to population density and distance of homes of Sikh devotees.
2. A Head Granthi, two assistant Granthis, 24 hours available watchmen and installation of CCTV cameras in each Gurdwara should be made mandatory. Gurdwara Committees unable to fulfil these conditions should not be allowed to place Sri Guru Granth Sahib.
3. Record of all the Holy Scriptures present in Gurdwaras should be properly maintained and the distribution should be controlled.
4. Committees of Sikh youth should be erected on local level which can promote Sikh values with the help of latest technical aids.
5. Fighting for one’s human rights is a sacred act and committees should be organized on local levels to aware masses about their basic rights.
6. Scriptures of all religions are respectable and Sikh masses should join efforts to ensure safely of Holy Scriptures of all religions.

Bhai Bahadur Singh, Bhai Jang Singh, Bhai Bhavandeep Singh Sidhu, Bhai Azadwinder Singh, Bhai Kulwant Singh, Bhai Parshotam Singh, Bhai Gurnam Singh Sidhu, Bhai Jatinder Singh Eesrhu, Bhai Lakhwinder Singh and Bhai Harmanjit Singh were present during the meeting.

LUDHIANA, Punjab—Spokesperson of Shiromani Akali Dal (Badal) and Education Minister of Punjab Dr. Daljeet Singh Cheema has today paid visit to Bapu Surat Singh  Khalsa at his Hassanpur based residence.

The Education Minister arrived at Bapu Surat Singh Khalsa’s home in the evening along with Deputy Commissioner of Ludhiana Sri Rajat Aggarwal and SSP Jagraon Ravcharan Brar.

In a brief talk the Education Minister and other administrators were repeatedly urging Bapu Surat Singh Khalsa to start drinking water. But Bapu Surat Singh Khalsa firmly replied to the Government’s representatives that he doesn’t even want to see their faces, let alone listen to their advice on drinking water.

Bhai Gogy also advised that Dr. Daljeet Singh is offering to pursue talks about the release of political Sikh prisoners from tomorrow but he is repeatedly urging Bapu Ji to drink water.

It should be noted that after making numerous attempts to derail Bapu Ji’s struggle, he has remained steadfast and unshaken. Repeated attempts to dissuade Bapu ji from continuing his struggle have thus far been unsuccessful.

AMRITSAR SAHIB, Punjab—The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhik Committee has asked Sikh masses to submit their passports and a proof of identity, if they wish to attend ‘Khalsa Sajna Diwas’ (Vaisakhi) in Gurdwara Panja Sahib (Pakistan) during April, 2016.

Additional Secretary of SGPC Diljeet Singh Bedi announced that Sikh devotees who volunteer to attend the sacred ceremony in Gurdwara Panja Sahib should submit their documents before December 30 this year.

LUDHIANA, Punjab—At 4 AM today (Punjab time), Bapu Surat Singh Khalsa was once again forcibly taken into custody.  Before his arrest, Bapu Surat Singh had remained unconscious for several hours.  

Yesterday, a number of prominent Government officials, including Dr. Daljit Singh Cheema had come to Hassanpur to urge Bapu ji to drink water.  He promised that the Government would take concrete steps to release political prisoners.  Dr. Cheema was accompanied with Ludhiana Deputy Commissioner, Jagraon SSP and Civil Hospital, Ludhiana medical officials.

Sikh activists who were accompanying Bapu Surat Singh during the time of his pickup explained that Bapu Surat Singh’s heath had went down immensely.  They explained that when Government officials came to speak with Bapu Ji, he was unconscious for most of the time. 

Bapu Surat Singh is currently at the emergency ward of the DMC, Ludhiana.

PUNJAB, India—On Human Rights Day, 10 December, the Khalra Mission Organisation, the Punjab Human Rights Organisation, and Ensaaf release a new web-based human rights tool to help empower victims of government abuse to report their experiences at ReportPunjabPolice.org.

They  request anyone with information on human rights violations to use this tool to document abuses perpetrated by security forces in Punjab. The data collected through the site will shine a spotlight on the officials and institutions that violate human rights.

This web-based form is based on United Nations reporting standards. Victims will have the option to submit their reports to the UN through this tool too.

Since mid-October 2015, reports of police abuse in Punjab, India have escalated, including accounts of torture, illegal detention, and unlawful killings. For example, during a peaceful protest over the desecration of the Guru Granth Sahib in October, police opened fire and killed two people.

At the same time, former security officials have recently come forward and reported on unlawful killings and torture during the Decade of Disappearances in Punjab from 1984 to 1995. In early December 2015, former police Inspector Gurmeet Singh Pinky alleged that he witnessed at least 50 unlawful killings during that decade, at the orders of senior officers including former Director General of Police Sumedh Saini.

Human rights organizations have repeatedly called on the Indian Government to prosecute those responsible for the Decade of Disappearances in Punjab, and remove them from positions of power. Given that many of the officials who orchestrated those widespread and systematic abuses remain in power, and are incapable of impartially investigating their own crimes, KMO, PHRO, and Ensaaf are concerned about a return to widespread violations. To enable the people of Punjab to report human rights violations as quickly and securely as possible, we have launched ReportPunjabPolice.org.

FATEHGARH SAHIB, Punjab—Showing a high appreciation of journalist Kanwar Singh Sandhu, Simranjit Singh Mann has stated that Sikh community can’t repay the services availed by Kanwar Singh Sandhu for bringing forth the extra judicial activities of Punjab police via cat Gurmeet Pinky. Mann has said that Kanwar Sandhu has made it possible with his highly polished intellect.

Mann has stated that with the inhumane acts of the Punjab police dictated by Gurmeet Pinky, Journalist Kanwar Sandhu is now a target of Government agencies. He demanded security for the journalist from the government.

LUDHIANA, Punjab—Bandi Singhs Rihai Sangharsh Committee has accepted the Punjab government’s proposal to pursue talks about the release of political Sikh prisoners. The committee will undergo a meeting with representatives of Punjab government in Deputy Commissioner’s office in Ludhiana on December 11.

Annoucing the decision, Bhai Ravinderjeet Singh Gogy (Bapu Surat Singh Khalsa’s son) said that the representatives of Bandi Singhs Rihai Sangharsh Committee would meet the Government’s representatives tomorrow at 11 am in the office of Deputy Commissioner Sri Rajat Aggarwal. Representatives of the government couldn’t be confirmed.

Dr. Daljit Singh Cheema had also offered to pursue talks with Punjab Government about the release of political Sikh prisoners whilst visiting Bapu Surat Singh Khalsa’s home in Hassanpur yesterday.  

AMRITSAR SAHIB, Punjab—Bhai Mohkam Singh and Jathedar of Takht Sri Kesgarh Sahib Bhai Amrik Singh Ajnala were yesterday produced in the court of Judicial Magistrate Harsimranjeet Kaur. The court has deferred the next hearing of the case to December 14.

Bhai Mohkam Singh and Jathedar Amrik Singh (Ajnala) were sent back to Ludhiana and Kapurthala jail, respectively.

Meanwhile, Bhai Balwant Singh Gopala, who is indicted in the case of protesting violently and damaging government property, has said that Punjab Government was wrongfully indicting Sikh activists in fake cases.

CHANDIGARH, Punjab—The Punjab government has announced the adding of the prefix ‘Sri’ to the name of the historical Sikh city of Anandpur Sahib.

The Additional Chief Secretary of the Punjab government has issued a notification regarding change of name in all official records of government departments.

Chief Minister Parkash Badal had earlier made the commitment of this change during the 350^th foundation anniversary of Sri Anandpur Sahib, in June this year.

CHANDIGARH, Punjab—The Akali Dal-BJP government still has a debt of over Rs 1.25 lakh crore ($18.7 Billion USD) and has finding it hard to pay salaries to its staff. Surprisingly, the Punjab government claimed in a statement today that state finances were sound.

The Aam Aadmi Party said the present Badal government has steered Punjab towards complete bankruptcy and the situation has worsened exponentially over the last ten years. Sucha Singh Chhotepur said while the wealth of the Badal family had increased manyfold in the past few years, small to medium businesses have been bullied to closure.

“A huge number of business units have shifted their base to other states because of interference of the Badals,” he said, adding that the government did not have enough funds to run its daily affairs and the salaries of its had been stalled for many months.

Leaders of Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee has sought the  imposition of ‘financial emergency’ in Punjab. They blamed the Badal party of using state resources to keep their regime alive.

In a press note shared with Sikh24, Senior leader Partap Singh Bajwa and Bibi Rajinder Kaur Bhattal have alleged that the Badal’s were selling government property to remain in power.

It is noteworthy that the appointment of a 6^th Pay commission by Akali government has sparked a sharp debate over financial crisis of Punjab. Punjab is current under debt worth Rs. 124000/- Crore and the government is close to being declared insolvent. The government is regularly selling state property to manage its expenditures.   

Jails and widow homes have been remortgaged to raise 2.1 million rupees to help refill an emptied treasury over the last two years.

CHANDIGARH, Punjab—In a conference organized by ‘Sikhs for Human Rights’ on World Human Rights Day at Makhan Shah Lubana Auitorium, Former DGP (Prisons) Shashi Kant signified that SSP Ajit Sandhu, responsible for murdering Human Rights Activist Jaswant Singh Khalra, was still alive and living in Canada.

Jaswant Singh Khalra was abducted from his home on September 6 by Punjab police contingents led by SSP Ajit Sandhu appointed in Tarn Taran. As per information exposed by eye an witness in court, Khalra was murdered between September 24 and 25 by SSP Ajit Sandhu. SSP Ajit Sandhu was later shown to have committed suicide however the unrecognizable face of the dead body had sparked a sharp controversy over his death. Sikh bodies have been claiming that he has survived in Canada for a long time.  

Refraining from openly naming SSP Ajit Sandhu, DGP Shashi Kant said that the officer was responsible for committing immense atrocities and extra-judicial fake encounters of so many Sikh youths.

The former DGP also revealed that all the Government machinery including those who prepared his Post mortem report, helped SSP Ajit Sandhu to flee away from Punjab. He claimed that Ajit Sandhu was enjoying a luxury life in Canada under a fake name.

CHANDIGARH, Punjab—Addressing the gathering of activists during the human rights conference in Makhan Shah Lubana Auditorium of Chandigarh, Former Judge of Supreme Court and Chairman of Press Council of India Justice Markanday Katju stated that imposing sedition charges against organizers of ‘Sarbat Khalsa 2015’ was wrong and Police contingents responsible for registering fake FIR’s should be booked.

The conference was organized by ‘Sikhs for Human Rights’, ‘Lawyers for Human Rights’, ‘Punjab Human Rights Organization’ and ‘Sikh Youth of Punjab’.

Justice Katju added that Supreme Court had earlier made it clear that demanding Khalistan in a democratic manner was not wrong, but only committing violence in the demand for Khalistan was.

Commenting on revelations made by cat Gurmeet Pinky, Justice Katju said that a thorough probe was needed against the police cops exposed by Pinky. He said that responsible police cops should be immediately indicted for committing fake encounters of innocent Sikh youths. Citing one of his verdicts on the case of fake encounters by police, Justice Katju informed that he had recommended Capital punishment for such a crime.

Expressing deep concern over the boom of land mafia, sand mafia, transport mafia and hotel mafia in Punjab, Justice Katju added that inclination in the property of Akali leaders and rising debt of Punjab should be probed immediately.

Talking about the innocence of Prof. Davinderpal Singh Bhullar, Justice Markanday Katju said that he went through the verdict of the case in which Prof. Bhullar was held guilty by the panel of judges with a 2:1 ratio. He said that he was in-line with Justice M.V Shah’s verdict of declaring Prof. Bhullar innocent in the case.

Justice Katju said that he met Dr. Manmoham Singh regarding the pardoning of Prof. Bhullar during his tenure, but Dr. Manmohan Singh had expressed helplessness in the case. Justice Katju added that he then brought the matter into notice of President of India following which the punishment of Prof. Bhullar was commuted.

FARIDKOT, Punjab—A one member Investigation Commission which was appointed by the Punjab government to probe into the desecration incidents of Bargari and the martyrdom of two innocent Sikhs will be initiating its work on December 17.  The commission which comprises of just one retired judge will be gathering statements of eye witnesses and affected people.  

The commission was appointed on October 16 following the martyrdom of Shaheed Bhai Krishan Bhagwan Singh and Shaheed Bhai Gurjit Singh in police firing.

The retired Judge, whose name is yet to be announced publicly, will visit the venue of Bargari incident on December 17 from 10 am to 5 pm.  An appeal has been made to the eye witnesses to submit their statements to the Judge in the form of affidavits attested by First Class magistrate, Notary Public or Oath Commissioner.

While Sikh24 denounces credibility of the commission, we urge those with first hand and credible information about the incident to meet with the Judge personally in the rest house of the Public Work Department on December 18 from 10 am to 5 pm. The Judge will also attend the witnesses to collect their statements in the form of affidavits. All the statements made before the retired Judge will be considered legal as per sections 176 and 177 of Indian Penal Code of 1860.