While leaders of the world talk of peace and nonviolence and are stressing the need to settle international disputes amicably, here we have Indian Prime Minister, who threatens to kill all those Sikhs who are engaged in active resistance against State’s tyranny. V.P. Singh, the Indian Prime Minister, declared on the occasion of India’s Independence Day that “we will win Punjab with love and anti-nationals with arms.” In other words he is advocating the solution of Sikh problem by eliminating those who are struggling for their right to self-determination, And his is the Prime Minister of a country which has always donned the mantle of ‘holier than thou’ in international politics.
And this is not a hollow threat. V.P. Singh’s government on the one hand talks of need to assuage the hurt feelings of the Sikhs, and on the other allows its military and paramilitary outfits and the police 0 Kill Sikh youth at will. Every day, a number Of Sikh youth are killed in ‘encounters’ once they are killed, they are branded as ‘unidentified terrorists.
The PHRO has from time to time brought out many investigative reports on the atrocities and the reign of terror let loose by the police. Torture, killing of Sikh youth in fake encounters, molestation of Sikh women at the hands of dehumanized police force and abductions have become order of the day.
The report at hand is a detailed account of a Sikh family’s agony. It bears testimony to the fact that the State can kill ‘anybody on the pretext of Sighting terrorism’ and that the Sikhs have ‘no rights, not even the right to live. This report is about a Sikh army officer (Subedar) who after having himself served the Indian army with honour, had sent two of his sons too to the army. And for his dedication to the nation’s interests, for his meritorious service, what he and his family got were death pangs and abject misery at the hands of the ‘law enforcing agencies’ of this country.
Subedar Gurbachan Singh (60) had retired from the Indian Army in January 1987 and took to farming with his sons at his native village Kaleke , Police Station Bagha Purana, District Fairdkot in Punjab, the homeland of the Sikhs in India.
He had three sons, Amarjit Singh (30), Rajinder Singh (28) and Sukhdev Singh (26). Amarjit Singh, the eldest son, was earlier serving in the Tank Regiment of the Indian Army. Rajinder Singh too had served the Indian Army and resigned in 1984, He had studied up to B.Sc. Part at the Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana. The third Son, Sukhdev Singh (now lodged in Jail) also helped his father in agricultural operations. The Subedar’s wife Ajit. Kaur (50) and daughter Jasminder Kaur (21) also lived with them in the joint family, All were well and happy till July 3, 1987 when Gurbachan Singh, the retired Junior Commissioned Officer, was arrested by the Bagha Purana Police and charged under sections 505/506 Indian Penal Code and % of Terrorist & Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act (TADA) for raising slogans for Khalistan, a separate Sikh State, vide case FIR No, 211/1987. He was then sent 10 the Ferozepur Jail and released on bail on September 24, 1987.
‘As a matter of fact, the Subedar was arrested, according to the PHRO information, in a false case because of the activities of his son Rajinder Singh who was a follower of late Sant Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale and personal attendant of the Sant’s Sather, Baba Joginder Singh Rode, the then ‘Acting President of Shiromani Akali Dal, a political party of the Sikhs. He was also a close associate of Bhai Gurjit Singh, the then President of the All India Sikh Students Federation (AISSF) and presently a member of the Panthic Committee, a militant Sikh organisation.
According to Gurbachan Singh, Rajinder Singh was not in any way involved in violent activities but went underground fearing tornire, maltreatment or even. Eliminating at the hands of the Bagha Purana Police Inspector, Mit Singh, who was notorious for his sadistic nature and subsequently killed by the Khalistan Liberation Force (KLE) chief, Gurjant Singh Budhsinghwala,
Mit Singh, having failed to apprehend Rajinder Singh, picked up instead his father, mother and sister. Gurbachan Singh, after interrogation and torture, was falsely involved in the case while his wife Ajit Kaur and daughter Jaswinder Kaur were set free, only on the intervention of the village council. While in illegal custody, they were humiliated and abused by the male police. The Police wanted them to produce Rajinder Singh who was then absconding. After this, Ajit Kaur, Jaswinder Kaur and Sukhdev Singh left their home and moved to another district. The Police burnt their residential house and destroyed the standing crops. Even the tubewell and the electric motors were not spared. The Police went to the extent of untethering the cattle from their house leaving them to no one’s care,
Jaswinder Kaur, then wrote about this to his brother Amarjit Singh, then serving in the Army who visited his village and saw the disasier himself. While on way to the Police Station Bagha Purana to complain against the atrocities let loose on his family, Amarjit was waylaid by a police party. He was severely tortured in the police station for a week and let away on the intervention of the Army authorities. He, however, did not return to the Army and, instead, joined the ranks of the Khalistani armed groups to take revenge from the Police for the anguish and agony caused to his family.
According 10 the Police report No, 40, dated 8.7.88 of the Meha Police Station in district Faridkot, the dead body of Amarjit Singh alias Ranjodh Singh son of Gurbachan Singh was found in the fields of village Kokri Kalan. Amarjit Singh belonged, according 10 the family sources, 10 the Bhindranwale Tigers of Khalistan Force (BTKF) headed by Baba Gurbachan Singh Manochahal, who along with other Panthic Committee members, had made a declaration from within the Golden Temple on April 29, 1986 for the formation of a ‘separate and independent Sikh State Khalistan.
This was not the end of the matter. Gurbachan Singh, his wife, youngest son Sukhdev Singh and his wife Balbir Kaur were picked up this time, by Sadar Police, ‘Moga on June 14, 1988. The Subedar stated before the PHRO team which visited his village for an on the spot study that they were set free after a few days while Sukhdev was charged for harboring and providing financial help to Surinder Singh alias Chhinda of village Vadda Ghar who was wanted by the Police for terrorist activities.
After release on bail in the above case, ‘Sukhdev Singh was arrested by the Bagha Purana Police and falsely implicated in yet another case, FIR No. 1 dated 3, 1.1990 under Section 25 of Indian Arms Act alleging that a..12 bore revolver had been recovered from his person. He is at the ‘moment rotting in the ail without trial. Both cases are pending in the designated courts as he has been charged under TADA,
Rajinder Singh is still absconding. He is wanted by the Police in a number of criminal cases of murder, attempted murder, and arson, under IPC, TADA and Arms Act. According to his father, he has been falsely implicated because of his political activities and connection with Sant Bhindranwale’s family including Bhai Gurjit Singh, an underground militant leader.
A hell was let loose on the family of Gurbachan Singh just because of Rajinder ‘Singh. His eldest son Amarjit Singh was killed, his younger son Sukhdev Singh incarcerated for long, he himself is facing charges for raising slogan for Khalistan besides remaining in jail for about three ‘months while harassment, maltreatment and molestation of their womenfolk remains a continued phenomenon.
Whenever there occurs. Violent incident in the area of Moga or Bagha Purana, the police at once raids the house of the ‘Subedar in search of Rajinder Singh who is still elusive. The Police has spread a wide net to capture him. In the prevailing state of affairs, it is hoping against hope that the Sate of Rajinder Singh would be better than that of Amarjit Singh in case he happens to ‘come in the open.
This is not an isolated act of state repression and brutality, there are hundreds of such cases in every district of Punjab, if not in every village. A cursory look at this report will give an idea about the real nature and the character of the Indian State today, You may well arrive at your own conclusion on how the Indian State deals with mere dissenters and relatives of the Sikh activists or those who are actively involved in resisting the state terrorism in Punjab, Democracy or rule of law is a thing of the past in India.
- Gill General Secretary
Article extracted from this publication >> September 21, 1990
