Sikhs all over the world are upset and angry over the recent raid by Indian Commandos and police on the Golden Temple, the holiest Sikh Shrine, located in ‘Amritsar, Punjab, India. WSO sent telegrams to Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi and Chief Minister of Punjab Mr. Sujit Singh  

barnala. The leaders also appealed to all freedom loving people around the world to condemn the Indian Government’s state terrorism against the Sikh minority. The text of the telegram is given below:

“The WSO strongly condemns the raid on the Golden ‘Temple and killing and arrest of innocent Sikhs. We fully support the Damdami Taksal and A.I.S.S.F’s call for independence’. Signed by S.Didar Singh Bains and S. Manohar Singh Grewal Copies of the telegram were sent to Indian Express, The Tribune Damdami Taksal and A.I.S.S.F.

This telegram has been sent to Surjit Singh Barnala, Rajiv Ganhi, Indian Express and the Tribune, Ronald Reagan, Margaret Thatcher, and Mr. Kohl. Text of the telegram .The Sikh ‘minority condemns Rajiv Gandhi, Sugjit Singh Barnala, and JS. Ribiero for the dastardly attack by the armed forces on the Golden Temple and sixteen other historical shrines on April 30th, 1986. The attack was meant to politically prop-up discredited and corrupt Punjab leaders it will prove to be counterproductive and further destabilize Punjab We welcome and appreciate the decisions of the men of conscience resigned from Barnala administration. Furthermore, the religious persecution of the Sikhs mustn’t for the sake of peace. We demand release of all innocent men in Punjab, the end of secret trials, end of fake police encounters, the lifting the ban on the foreign journalist and independent news medina Punjab and finally to arrest a prosecute those responsible for killing of Sikhs in 1984. Manohar Singh Grewal President-W.S.O.

Sikhs the world over are appalled over Indian Government’s armed forces raid on the Golden Temple and sixteen other Sikh historical shrines on April 30, 198 Sikhs are being. Persecuted and killed daily and WSO request your help in stopping state terrorism against Sikhs by the India Government. Punjab Govt. in Turmoil CHANDIGARH, India the Punjab state government led by moderate Sikhs was in turmoil ‘Saturday following the resignation of three cabinet ministers and other officials in protest against government raid on the Golden Temple in Amritsar.

Chief Minister Sugit Singh Barnala ordered thousands of security forces to attack the temple Wednesday after Sikh gathering declared the independent state of “Khalistan” from inside the temple, the holiest shrine of the Sikh religion.

It was the first raid on the site since June 1984, when the army. Attacked the temple and more than. 6,000 people, mostly Sikhs, were killed. Security forces normally don’t enter holy places in India.

News reports said last week’s attack was prompted by Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, whose mother and predecessor, Indira Ganhi, was assassinated by Sikh bodyguards five months after the first raid on the temple.

Three members of Barnala’s 12member cabinet Tourism Minister Such a Singh Chotepur, Agriculture Minister Amrinder Singh and Education Minister Sukh jinder Singh have resigned since Friday to protest the raid.

At least 12 other officials of the ‘moderate Sikh Akali Dal party have also stepped down.

“There was no need for the police to attack”, Amrinder Singh told The Associated Press. “After all, what have they achieved besides recapturing the temple?”

Police have said the five leaders who declared the independent state slipped away before the raid in which seven persons were killed and many others injured.

Barnala said the raid was necessary because Sikhs who controlled the temple since January “Almost declared a war against the country.”

The chief minister claimed at a news conference in Chandigarh he had the support of more than 55 of the 73 Skali Dal legislators. Other Political parties have extended their support to him,

Barnala said his opponents were trying to broaden their political power base, “The leaders who resigned have shown their sympathies and links” with Sikh freedom fighters, he said.

The latest killings raised the death toll to 12 since the temple raid. Police have rounded up about 200 suspected Sikhs throughout Punjab under preventive detention laws since the attack. ‘Sikh leaders have issued statements, vowing to give a “crippling reply” to the Indian Government and calling Barnala a “lackey” of Gandhi’s government.

Sikhs’ an influential religious minority, make up about2 percent of India’s 750 million people, Sikhism was converted into a martial religion, by the last Sikh Guru in the 17th century.

Article extracted from this publication >> May 9, 1986