NEW DELHI: Sikhs of the Capital held two processions and staged demonstrations on Sunday demanding action against those responsible for the killings in Bidar, Karnataka in which six Sikh students were killed.

The first demonstration was staged by the youth wing of the Shiromani Akali Dal, Delhi state. Nearly 200 men, women and children walked in a procession from Gurdwara Bangla Sahib to Karantak Bhawan in Chankyapuri, slogans all the way.

At Karnatak Bhawan they presented a memorandum addressed. to the Chief Minister of Karnataka, which demanded severe action against those responsible for the Bidar killings and at least Rs 5 lakh is compensation to the families of each of those killed in these riots.

They also demanded a compensation of Rs 50,000 each to the 100 odd injured students.

The Akali Dal memorandum, said it hoped that the enquiry into the killings would be fairer than the one held by the Congress (l) Government into the November 1984 massacre.

The other demonstration organized by the Delhi Sikh Gurudwara Management Committee under its leader, Mr. Talwinder Singh Marwah, presented a memorandum to the Prime Minister’s office demanding action and proper compensation to the victims of the Bidar killings.

Both the demonstrations ended peacefully, according to the police.

PTI adds: The president of the Shiromani Akali Dal (Master Tara Singh), Jathedar Rachhpal Singh on Sunday urged the Centre to dismiss the state Government if it failed to restore normalcy in Bidar in a fortnight’s time.

Speaking to newsmen, Jathedar Rachhpal Singh said the Centre should ask Karnataka Government to take steps to ensure that such incidents are not repeated.

He demanded that that Karnataka Government immediately arrest the guilty and those police officers who had failed to do their duty at the time of the incident.

The Jathedar felt that the judicial enquiry ordered by the State Government would not serve the purpose and wanted a commission comprising three judges of the Supreme Court to go into the affair.

Jathedar Rachhpal’ Singh said the Prime Minister should appoint a commission to see why such incidents were taking place even after so many years of Independence.

Article extracted from this publication >> October 7, 1988