LUDHIANA — The Punjab Human Rights Organization, while seeking Punjab Governor’s intervention in the release of three Sikh women and an eight month old child picked up by Ludhiana police, June 24 said that the postponement of elections in Punjab was a blessing in “disguise” for the militants and a deathblow to all those contesting the poll.

The PHRO Chairman, Mr. D. S. Gill and its general secretary, Mr. Mohinder Singh Grewal, in a statement here said the elections had kicked upon lively controversy in Sikh politics. Most militant organizations opted to keep-off the elections while all the Akali Dals and the AISSF (Manjit Singh) did not conceal their glee over the “democratic process” being revived.

Should the elections be contested after the way Delhi has behaved with the Sikhs? The reply perhaps, is that the electioneering in the present constitutional frame-work is not Sikhs’ cup of tea. Unfortunately, not even a single party or an individual contesting elections in the State had responded to the PHRO seven-point poser, added the human rights activists.

A lack of democratic, over ground issue-based programmed on behalf of militants at the mass level, they added, led Alkalis and pseudo-militants to parade their “support” for the militants and maintain contacts with Delhi praising this or that ruler as a great sympathizer of the Sikhs, In turn, the PHRO alleged, they struck secret deals to “gain” elections.

The PHRO once again called upon the contestants to spell out as to how they were going to supplement the present struggle for restoration of human rights and against State tyranny by indulging in the electoral farce. Given the situation, it concluded, that no government in Punjab can survive without becoming a puppet of Delhi, loud slogans and tall claims by certain Sikh leaders notwithstanding.

Meanwhile, the PHRO administration secretary, Mr. Gurbhajan Singh Gill, sought the intervention of Governor, Gen, Malhotra in releasing the three women and the child, who were picked up from their rented house, 372-B, Bhai Randhir Singh Nagar, on June 21 at 9 p.m. along with their husbands namely Bhai Bachittar Singh alias Ajit Singh, Bhai Kikkar Singh and Bhai Kalwinder Singh Kindo, all from the Khalistan Liberation Army (KLA).

The KLA activists, according to PHRO, had been killed by the police at Dhandari Kalan village near Ludhiana stage-managing an encounter the same night.

(Mohinder Singh Grewal) Gen.

Sec.: PHRO

Article extracted from this publication >> July 19, 1991