Dear sir,
I wish to congratulate you on your anniversary and wish you the very best for the future. We in New England have given World Sikh News our whole hearted support in the hope that it will be an effective voice of the Sikhs in North America, I have, however, noted the following shot comings
- Delivery in New England is typically two weeks late, Hence the news is not ‘new’ any more when we get it, I would like to suggest that you look into publishing an East Coast edition in New York, New Jersey or New England, Delivery by Air Mail for East Coast subscribers may be an alternative.
- feel that photos of Sikh enemies like Rajiv Gandhi and Zail Singh should not be splashed across the front page of WSN, this will only help build up their image. ‘True Sikh heroes should be portrayed more prominently wherever possible,
- I would like to commend you ‘on your coverage of activities of organizations like W.S.O. on the national level, however, news about the W.S.O. on the International Front is lacking, 1 also feel that as the official newspaper of the Sikhs in North America, you should highlight the activities of other Sikh organizations like the Khalistan Council, International Sikh ‘Organization, Sikh Student Federation, etc. Perhaps an outline of the objectives and accomplishments of these organizations together with interviews of their officials can be presented.
I would also like to welcome ‘comments and suggestions on the above from other WSN readers. Charanjit S. Randhawa Marlboro, Mass.
Dear Editor
‘Thank you for printing the information on the Bhajan Lal conspiracy case, It is shocking the way things happen in India, There is no justice for Sikhs, But then again, India is a fascist government in the disguise of the world’s largest democracy. In the U.S.A. things like ‘granting official guest status to Mr. Bhajan Lal is a disgrace to the American people. Why is the U.S. Government acting like puppets for the Indian Government? This unjust, illegal and unwise, The young men who have been held in American jail for over two years have been denied bail, and even trial, Bhajan Lal was not here for any official reason, he was here simply to see his eye doctor. If those men had plotted to kill any ‘other such man, they would probably be free by now. In fact, many actual killers are free after a few years.
People must be made aware of the character of Bhajan Lal, a despicable villain, who was responsible for many atrocities against Sikhs, It does not make it legal to ill him, but people will see that there was an enough provocation because of his past behaviour against the Sikhs. The five Sikhs charged with conspiracy to murder him should be tried fairly and if found guilty, given a sentence that should take into consideration how they were provoked by the Operation Blue Star and other atrocities. One cannot help but ‘wonder why such boys are in a jail while a criminal like Bhaja Lal remains at large.
I would like to request on behalf ‘of my dear friend, Virinder Singh, who is one of the five charged in the conspiracy, that all Sikhs write to the Justice Department and protest to the Federal Government for granting Mr. Bhajan Lal official guest status, Please do not forget the Sikhs who are rotting in ‘American jails. You can do something to help. Please write to: USS. Attorney General, Dept. of Justice, constitution Avenue and 10th Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20530
For more information contact: Inder Kaur Khalsa, (Secretary for Sikh Religious Society of the Mid West, 10696 N. Perry Rd., Blue Mounds, Wi, 53517 or call (608) 4374555,
Dear Editor:
PRIVATE ARMIES IN INDIA
Of late there have come up a number of armed organizations like Trishul Sena, Bajrang Dal, Shiv Shakti Sena, Hindu Manch, RSS, Vishva Hindu Parshid and scores of other such dals and Senas, seemingly under the patronage of the Central Government. The youths of these armed groups belong mostly to the lower and lower middel class Hindu community. The latest addition, however, is a Muslim force “Adam Sena”, sponsored by the Naib Imam Sayed Amjad Bukhari of Jama Masjid Delhi, This indeed is a retaliatory move on the part of the Muslims. Once Hindu armies are accepted, Rajiv. Government has no legal or moral justification to curb the Muslim force, without neountering external critism.
The ill-advised trend, if not arrested in good time, might spell a catastrophe beyond measure, not as much for the groups themselves, as for the common man on the street; which would ultimately pose a formidable threat to the “Law & Order” of the entire nation, which may, God forbid Run out of control for even the army.
‘One cannot be over alarmed by this volcanic situation thus prevailing in the country and the ill-advised manner in which it being tackled, It is time for every‘one to cry to halt the mushrooming of the “private armies which, else, would only result i chaos, disintegration and disaster beyond words.
Narendra Singh.
Article extracted from this publication >> October 31, 1986