PHRO activists with the support of Punjab Sikh Lawyers Council (PSLC), Sikh Vichar Manch and Sikh intellectuals organized a Sikh Samelan” on August 31,1986 at the Guru Nanak Engineering College, Ludhiana. It was attended by more than 500 delegates from all over India. The samelan resolved that Sikhs should forge a joint front with other minority nationalities of India which were similarly fighting against the Center for their political rights. The samelan also endorsed the right of the peoples to self-determination to determine their political status where dependence fails.

 To secure recognition other right of public dissent and generally to lend support to the struggling peoples who were fighting to defend their religious, cultural, linguistic and ethnic identities against New Delhi attempts to oppress these just and democratic struggles, the Indian Minorities and Dalit Front (IMDF), the ARCs constituent held a “Minorities Convention” at red Cross Bhawan, Jalandhar on November 9.1986. Most of the minorities were represented the convention chaired by the heir of late Nawab Sher Mohd Khan of Malerkotla, Hazi Anwar Ahmed Khan, ex MLA, who was specially deputed for the occasion by Shahi Imam of Jama Masjid, Delhi, The convention pledged besides other things to jointly fight against the Hindu chauvinist rulers of Delhi who had been magnifying their culture under the slogan of Hindi. Hindu, Hindustan to absorb the minorities into Hindu fold.

The PHRO gave a call to the public in Punjab to observe November 1,1986.s “Black Diwali” as on this day two years ago, thousands of Sikhs were butchered in Delhi and other pans of the country in the wake of Indira Gandhi’s assassination. The call was endorsed by certain other Punjab organizations. The call was success as people particularly in rural areas completely observed Diwali as “Black Diwali” in protest against the Sikh carnage.

Responding to the call by the National Alliance, a coordinated body comprising PRO, ARCC, PUCL (Delhi and Raipur), OCDR (Tamil Nadu), APR (Kerala), PNDR (Orissa), Samata Sangathan, IFTV (Delhi), Mukti Jana Sansritie Manch, Vidyajyot, Haryana Jana Morcha, Intemationalist Labour Union (Faridabad) and Sarraha Sanggharsh Samiti to observe February 14,1988.as“PunjabDay” all over India, the ARCC organized a torch light demonstration at Ludhiana protesting against the Killings in fake encounters, the imposition of repressive legislations curtailing fundamental rights and the frequent use of army against civilians.

“The PHRO organized yet another convention at Chandigarh on April 9,1988 to oppose the 59thamendment. The convention was attended by more than 300 representatives of a dozen odd political parties and numerous human rights groups, and chaired by PHRO President Sukhdev Singh, P.N.Lekhi, Ajmer Singh Lakhowal (BKU) and Kalyan Singh (General Secretary, Takht Sri Patna Sahib Prabandhak Committee). V.M. Tarkunde and Kuldip Nayar sent telegrams expressing their support to the aim of the convention.

Over 100 activists of the PHRO and the BKU Bharti Kisan Union) were arrested by the Chandigarh administration on April 22, 1988 while they were demonstrating against the amendment outside the Punjab Governor residence. They were kept in jail for a week.

A call for observance of UN Human Rights Day on December 10, 1987 and 1988 as protest day in Punjab was given by the PRO. People struck their work on that days and there was a complete Punjab bandh against the violations of human rights in the state.

There was a complete statewide bandh for one day on April 30,1989 against the unspeakable atrocities on Sikh women who were then being humiliated, dishonored and raped by the police and security forces. The call was issued by the PHRO. Subsequently, the Indian state had to call temporary halt to its mad campaign against women,

The PHRO observed August 15, 1989, the Independence Day, as lack day in protest against human rights abuse in the state; it organized a “black flag march at Ludhiana on that day. About 500 activists were arrested and detained for the rest of the day in different police stations in and around Ludhiana,

During 1991, the UN Human Rights Day was again observed as protest day in Punjab and demonstrations were held in several cities in North America, Europe, Australia and South East Asia. The call again was by the PHRO. The public response was widespread. There was a big demonstration outside UN office in London and Buckingham Palace. Similarly PHRO chapters registered their protest in Paris (France), Bonn (Germany), Geneva (Switzerland) and Washington DC (USA). The PHRO North American Chapter organized protest outside White House carrying placards, “Stop US. Aid to India” “Stop IMF Loans to India” etc. By calling for a day of protest on the UN Day, the PHRO sought to shake the world public opinion 1o their responsibilities respecting human rights situation in Punjab, The demonstration outside the White House was directed against granting financial help to India by the World Bank and IMF which, in turn, was being used to beef up security forces doggedly engaged in rushing dissidence in Punjab, Kashmir and Assam.

Apart from documentation, publications of report and building public opinion in defence of human rights the PHRO has been educating the people about their rights civil liberties and prestige organized seminars to raise and awaken public consciousness.

(On March 12,1989, a seminar was organized on “Sikhism and Human Rights” at Amritsar which it was aid that Sikh nation’s history was full of martyrs who laid down their lives for the defence of human rights. The Sikh Gurus themselves made sacrifices for this cause.it was further said that the human rights aimed for by the modem society and the UN fell short of Sikh ideals for which the Sikh movement suffered many hardships. The Sikh faith took birth to secure human rights, The first Guru of the Sikhs, Guru Nanak raised his voice against the state tyranny. The other Gurus gave further impetus to the rights movement started by Guru Nanak. The fifth Guru, Guru Arjan Dev and the ninth Guru, Guru Teg Bahadur gave their lives for the protection of religious rights of the people. The tenth Guru, Guru Gobind Singh went ahead and declared that “when all means fill it is right to use the sword”, that is, one can take up arms in self defence.

The seminar concluded:” To become the pride of the humble, the strength of the week and the shelter to the unprotected is the true meaning of the protection of human rights in Sikhism”,

Similarly the Defence of Human Rights in Sikh faith” was the topic of the symposium held by the PHRO on April 6, 1991 at the Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana. Bhagat Puran Singh, the apostle of philanthropy and founder of Pingalwara movement in North India, was honored with Bhai Ghanayia Award on the occasion for his dedication to suffering humanity. The award was named after Bhai Ghaniya (who, in the Sikh annals, is known for serving both friends and enemies alike in war) because Bhagat too is serving the humanity irrespective of caste, creed or community.

The Punjab Human Rights Organization has, thus, become virtually a mass movement against sate repression in this part of the Indian subcontinent. It is a non-party movement because of the fact that no office bearer of any Political party (of India) can become a member of the organization or any of its branches and no member of any political party can hold office of the PHRO.

The PHRO since its inception has been striving hard to bring together all those who have certain amount of respect for human Tights. For this purpose, it has always lent its support and sought cooperation from other non-groups which include the Punjab Sikh Lawyers Council, the BKU, the Sikh Vichar Manch, the Sikh Students Federation and even militant organizations. The response to the PHRO from these groups and the public has been over whelming.

The right to self-determination should be given to all those peoples: (nations) who are engaged in Struggles to settle their political status as in case of Punjab and Kashmir is the PHRO stand. And the PHRO understands that Plebiscite by the UN is the only ‘way to determine the will of the people.

D.S.GILL

Chairman, PHRO

Article extracted from this publication >> January 31, 1992