Nov 1989 marks the fifth anniversary of continued killing and injustice toward Sikh people. Thousands of Sikh men, women and children were killed, tortured and made homeless in 1984 massacre. Hundreds and thousands of Sikh, men are rot ting in the jails all this is being done to punish and teach “a lesson” to the Sikhs because the Prime Minister Indira Gandhi was killed by two members of this community. Sikh families have been under constant attacks which recently have been stepped up at large scale. Torture, cruel and inhuman treatment and killing of Sikh youths in fake encounters and destruction of their properties is every day affair in Punjab.
According to a so called counter terrorist S.S. Kala. Who had boasted of killing scores of Sikhs, special death squads have been created with the blessing of none other than the Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi and special advisor to Punjab Governor Mr Riberio to annihilate the Sikhs,
According to Punjab Human Rights Organization (PHRO) report, “Punjab police has launched a deliberate and massive aggression against the helpless Sikh women, The women are humiliated and abused in public in front of their families. They are stripped naked and paraded in front of their male relatives. In some cases they have been mass raped by the police force of Punjab”.
The most striking feature about all these incidents is that perpetrators of these crimes have never been brought to justice or punished. Our hearts go out to all these brave women who have been victimized for no fault of their own. How can there be peace when there is so much injustice?
Instead of protecting the rights of Sikhs the rulers are busy violating their rights. This has led to such a tense situation where by very survival of Sikh people is at peril. What recourse do these proud people have under the circumstances? Sikh youth are fighting for their rights. This is the only recourse left for them in an attempt to make their point and they are doing it at the cost of their lives. We wonder who are the real terrorists the people or the state?
The most urgent task before women is to get organ zed, know their rights and protest against the aggression and the ruling communal authorities responsible for victimization of Sikh men.
Women International Organization (SWIO) condemns vehemently the despicable acts of rapes and tortures of innocent Sikh women in Punjab by the ruling state authorities. We the women of free world reiterate the demands of Hon. Herger and other human rights activists to bring the guilty to justice and punish them for their crimes.
Article extracted from this publication >> November 17, 1989
