WASHINGTON, D.C. A meeting of Amnesty International’s Inter Religious Task Force was held in Washington, D.C. on October 30, 1986. It was attended by 30 delegates representing all major 12 World Religions and sects. Sikh religion ‘was represented be Washington D.C.s metropolitan area’s S. Raj Want Singh who is also a Director of Sikh Association of America.
At this meeting, S. Rajwant Singh presented the cases of the Sikh youths who are being incarcerated without trial in Indian fails, He also brought to the attention of the Task Force the fake encounters in which hundreds of Sikh youths are being killed! He also raised the issue of S. Simarnjit Singh Mann’s detention who is also being detained in violation of the Indian Constitution.
‘On November 2, 1986, Guru’ Gobind Singh Foundation held a memorial diwan in memory of thousands of innocent Sikhs Marty is killed in Delhi by the Indian Government in the wake of Indira Gandhi’s assassination on Oct, 31, 1984, This prayer meeting was also addressed among others by Mr. James O’Dea, Director of Amnesty International’s Unit At lantic Region. He said that ought not to limit their fight for human nights to themselves only. He advised they should expand their fight to include all the other oppressed people all over the World “Sikhs” he said, “are not the only victimized people”. He Concluded by saying that his group will be presenting specific cases of Human Rights violations to the Government of India and will seek Concrete answers,
The congregation was also addressed by Sardar Amarjit Singh Buttar, Member, National Executive of World Sikh Organization. He briefly discussed the various issues facing the Sikh Nation and stressed the need for unity of the Sikh nation. He deplored the management of some Sikh Gurdwaras in the country who refuse to discuss the current Sikh situation from the Gurdwara platform, He doubted whether such managements would have still followed the same policies, had their own kith and skin been roasted alive or raped. It happened in India in 1984. He said that these management were dancing to the tune of the Indian Government’s so called loyal servants, sitting in Indian Embassy’s Consulate offices. At the end he requested all the Sikhs to subscribe to Sikh Nation’s only voice “World Sikh News” so that ‘our message of truth based on facts can be dissiminated to one and all, Amarjit Singh Buttar.
The police has rounded up Mr. Waryanm Singh, Editor of a monthly magazine Gurmat Parkash, an official publication of the S.G.P.C. for alleged links with a Freedom fighter.
Article extracted from this publication >> November 28, 1986
