New York, NY: The Bar Association of New York was shocked to learn about the black laws and the gross violations of the Sikh human rights in India. The Association members were reacting to the disclosures made by Justice Ajit Singh Bains (Retd.), President Punjab Human Rights Organization. Justice Bains in his address to the Bar Association explained the strangulating scope of the draconian laws that have been specialty applied to Punjab —laws that make it obligatory for the accused to prove his innocence; laws that do not give him the right to know or cross-examine the prosecution witnesses; laws that provide for two years detention without trial. He also gave details of the fake encounters which have assumed the character of an’ official state policy. The young Sikhs are arrested from their homes in full view of the witnesses and taken to the areas near Pakistan border and shot dead. Detainees are taken out of jails and brutally murdered in fake escapes.

  1. S. Badev Singh, Secretary Sikh Cultural Society, New York, in his speech explained the circumst ances of S. Simranjit Singh Mann’s arrest and his continued detention without any charges and without any trial for more than two years now. He also narrated the harrowing story of Operation Bluestar followed by Operation Wood Rose.

Miss Mary Pike, one of the Attorneys defending Gill and Sand hu in the extradition case against them, narrated personal experiences during her visit to India in connection with collecting material for the case. She said, she was particularly pained at the atmosphere of harassment that seemed to be all pervasive there. She suggested that a committed of the Bar Association should go to Punjab to make an on the spot study of the situation, When somebody from the audience pointed out that such a committee will not be permitted by the Indian government to visit Punjab, she said that would mean government has much to hide.

The Executive Committee of the Association was supplied « with the literature and the documents that conclusively prove the charges of human rights violations and show double standards of the government in dealing with religious minorities.

 

Article extracted from this publication >>  December 25, 1987