Sir,
Every Indian would be shocked and horrified to read the news item in your newspaper in which two minor Sikh girls were kidnapped by the Punjab’s security forces and were raped and murdered in cold blood. Beating up of their father by the police to pressurize him to sign it up as a case of suicide has added insult to injury. Central government will have to pay a very heavy price for these heinous crimes perpetrated by the security forces against innocent Sikh civilians.
This will definitely add fuel to the already inflamed situation in Punjab. At a press conference on July 30th at Amritsar, JF. Reibeiro, exI.G, police of Punjab and current advisor to Punjab Governor SS. Ray, has frankly admitted again the hiring of bad characters, criminals and smugglers called Alam Sena, named after S.S. P Alam to infiltrate and discredit the six militants in the eyes of the general public. These rogues and thugs went out of control according to the police chief and indulged in crimes against the general public, committing crimes ranging from robberies to smuggling, rapes and even murders.
In the government controlled media in Punjab, these crimes were portrayed to have been committed by the Sikh militants. The truth would have never come to light but for the two senior police officers of Patiala who were gunned down in their office by the notorious gangster and smuggler, Balbir Singh, ex-policeman who was one of the most prized members of Alam Sena or Gunda Sena (army of the scoundrels). Ina democracy based on justice and equality for all, the Indian public opinion should force the Gandhi government to take action against Mr. Reibeiro and other senior police officers who instead of protecting the law, took the law into their own hands which resulted in grave violations of human rights of the Sikhs and untold suffering to Sikh masses.
This prompted the Sikh militant organizations to issue warnings of grave consequence to the police collaborators who commit crimes in the names of militant organizations. Would the Gandhi government ever punish these senior police officers who are guilty by their own admission of breaking the laws of the land? Your guess is as good as mine.
Rajinder Puri, President of Jan Ekta Manch and an eminent journalist strongly condemned this ill-conceived police strategy and demanded immediate stern action against the culprits. A prominent Delhi based civil liberties organization headed by Justice Tarakunde has described police atrocities in Punjab, case by case, in the book titled, “Police Oppression in Punjab.”
‘An independent committee on initiative and information on Punjab comprised of prominent Indian personalities in their fields, all non-Sikhs, cited S.S.P Govind Ram of Batala for brutalities, torture of detainees, parading and flogging them in public under the scorching heat of Punjab. This constituted utter disregard for constitutional rights of the ordinary Sikh peasants. Ironically, this was also confirmed by government’s ‘own inquiry by the Deputy Commissioner of Jullundbur. Chairman of Punjab Human Rights Organization, A.S. Bains, gave a stinging denunciation of the cowardly and savage behavior of police, inconsistent with democratic norms. Transfer of D.I.G Chamman Lal of border areas Punjab to New Delhi when he protested against the harsh and humiliating treatment of innocent Sikh civilians by the police was yet another example of not listening to the voice of reason and lack of respect for individual rights. Police corruption has reached alarming proportions in Punjab. Indiscriminate arrests of innocent Sikh youths and releasing them after coercion of money from their parents has become the talk of the town and an open secret in Punjab. Those who are familiar with the functioning of police in India could appreciate and well imagine to what low levels Indian police can scoop down, especially when armed with absolute powers to the teeth such as is the case in Punjab.
Innocent Sikh youths are shown. to have killed in fake police encounters as scapegoats for the militants to show to the public that the police is doing something worthwhile. If all the claims of the Punjab police were correct, then all the so called extremists in Punjab would have been exterminated by now. Amnesty International, repeatedly expressed its frustration and anguish over the noncooperation and refusal by the Gandhi government to enter Punjab to follow up leads on the Sikh youths who died or still are missing in police custody. If this callous behavior of the security forces is not altered, Punjab with the strategic location, the bread basket of India and backbone of the Indian defense forces, could be lost forever. Lack of initiative and shortsighted policies of the Gandhi government are convincing more and more Sikhs that they will never get justice from his government and are left with two options, either submit to government pressure or rebel and fight. If the history is any proof, then it is quite clear that the Sikhs never submitted to oppression and would opt for the latter. It should be clearly understood that the lines of division always start first in the minds of the people before taking up a geographical shape. Repression never solved any problems and Punjab is no exception. Still, there is plenty of truth in the old British saying, “Sikhs are the best friends and the worst enemies.” I sincerely hope that in the broad national interest, Gandhi government will reverse her misdirected policies towards Punjab, stop pitching Hindus against Sikhs and stop raising the ghost of Indira Gandhi to play with the emotions of the majority community to get votes, for the attainment of narrow political ends. In the absence of any bold steps towards reconciliation from the government, Punjab will continue to be on fire and its flames would destroy the remaining bonds between Punjab and the rest of India. Let us pray that better sense prevails and Punjab problem is brought to the negotiating table, away from the shadow of guns, death and destruction.
Dr. Mohinder S. Poonia
Fresno, California
Article extracted from this publication >> September 29, 1989
