CHANDIGARH: In an attempt to demoralize the Sikh youth break their self-confidence, and to hurt their pride, the government of India has let loose the terror on Sikh women through their Para military forces and police, Police has been empowered with draconian laws, they enter into Sikh homes, abuse the inmates maliciously, and beat the women folk mercilessly. The police forcibly take the women to police station where they are raped, tortured and paraded naked, according to a report by the NariManchor Women’s Forum”, released recently.

A team of women nights activists, Dr. Jiwan Jot Kamal S. Sandhu M.A.,L.L.B, and Ganpat, a lawyer, headed by Justice Ajit Singh Bains visited villages of Batala Police District and Ludhiana.

The team interviewed the hesitant and scared victims, talked to the witnesses, and verified the government record.

Though atrocities against Sikh women can be traced back to a number of women were arrested from Golden Temple without any charges and were kept in jail for 5 years without any trial. Bimal KhaIsa wife of Beant Singh was arrested a number of times; Nabhe Dian Bibian ( a group of three singing sisters of Nabba) were arrested for singing Ballads of Sikh valour, a pregnant woman was kicked in the abdomen her child died because of it; the mother and wife of Was an Singh Zaffarwal were arrested without any reason, the present level of violence against them is unprecedented.

It is interesting to note that 50 to 60 policemen opened fire at Zaffarwal’s farm house while there were 13 women and children in the houses and no male member was present. These women and children were made to sit in the open on a freezing night of December:

In December 1986, women were dishonored in village Brahmpur of District Tarn Taran, Villagers were publicly flogged by the police. A girl had to spend the night. in bushes on the wintry night without clothing. After all the hue and cry raised by the people, the concerned Battalion was simply transferred without any punishment.

Since middle of 1987 the excesses of women by the armed personnel has crossed the limits. All this is being done under a plan of hurting and subduing the Sikh nation.

Under the Draconian laws, paramilitary forces enter into any Sikh house and forcibly take the women to police station, where the women are tortured on the plea of interrogationraped and paraded. naked.

Some Incidents of Batala Batala is a Tehsil of Gurdaspur District. But lately it has been tumed into a police district. Police has been empowered by special draconian laws. The police under S.S.P. Gobind Ram and B.S.F. are on a man hunt looking for the Sikh youth. The Women’s Forum team made inquiries into 4050 villages vnder Hargobindpura police station.

The family of Ajit Singh Shah of village Padda, which is under the jurisdiction of Police Station Hargobindpur, lived at a farm house outside the village. One night some gunmen came and asked for meals at the point of gun, and the scared family served the meals, In the morning they took their injured companion to the town for treatment. One of them stayed back.

The whole village was surrounded by para military forces in the morning. The Youngman was captured tortured and interrogated. Soon he was shot down by the police quite in front of the village people. All the members of the house were kicked, slapped and flogged. :

Bibi Sukhwinder Kaur wife of Balwant Singh, son of Ajit Singh ‘Shah, told the team that she was beaten by the police along with others. Police kicked her then flogged her with a belt. The Jawans of CRPF shouted filthy words and alleged that she feed the youth and also sleep with them.

The men were made to stand naked in the open. It was winter and awesomely cold. “Me, my father-in-law, my husband and a relative of ours who was visiting us were taken to the police station. I was kept for 5 days and there was no policewomen,” she said.

These are just a few of the harrowing stories in the report. Theorginal report came in PunJabi language and will also be Published in the English Section Sort the benefit of all. Excerpts are also published in the PunJabi section of this issue.

Article extracted from this publication >>  July 7, 1989