AMRITSAR, Punjab, India: Feb. 6, Reuter: Unknown gunmen shot dead eight members of a family near the Sikh holy city of Amritsar and six other people were killed in various incidents in Punjab, police said on Saturday.
Police in Amritsar said gunmen raided a house of 20 km from the city on Friday night and shot down Kundan Singh and his family. Singh was suspected of being a police informer, the police said.
Six other people, including two policemen, were killed in other incidents involving Sikh freedom fighters who have stepped up their armed campaign to demand an independent homeland to be called Khalistan, or the “Land of the Pure”.
More than 1200 people were killed in Punjab last year compared to 640 in 1986.
Fortnightly SURAJ of London, recently published excerpts from a book by a Pakistani writer. The paper has asked some questions, cleverly designed to fan hatred between Sikhs and Muslims.
The article and the questions were obviously conceived to misguide the readers into adopting the negative attitude of ill-will towards Pakistan, enmity towards Muslims and doubts about the struggle for freedom being waged by the Sikh nation.
- JAGJIT SINGH CHOHAN has written a detailed rejoinder to the editor of this paper, exercising his right to reply. Dr. Chohan, however, has little hope that his rejoinder will be published by SURAJ with prominence equal to the one given to the article in question.
In the interest of the Sikh struggle, and to protect the nation from the misguiding influence of the article, he has also released the rejoinder to the press in the form of an OPEN LETTER.
Following is the full text of the OPEN LETTER.
Article extracted from this publication >> February 12, 1988
