India has launched a brutal campaign against Sikh Lawyers, human rights workers and political activists in the state of Punjab. Main targets are those who, in the past, have been opposing tooth and nail the state repression let loose on the Sikh activists engaged on an ongoing Sikh struggle for an Independent and sovereign state, and rendering legal aid to them in judicial courts. At least three Sikh lawyers, one human night’s activist’s son and a journalist have been liquidated at the hands of the Indian Security Forces as a result of this campaign. Many others have been arrested, harassed and detained in jails only because of their activities as lawyers, joumalists, leaders of political groups or religious organizations.
According to The International Human Rights Organization (THRO), at least 13 lawyers and about20human rights and political activists are said to be on the Police’s “Hit List,” and the Punjab and Haryana High Court Bar Association president Giani Chand Dhuriwala has advised some of the “marked” lawyers to shift elsewhere for saving their lives. In the recent past, three Sikh lawyers Kulwant Singh of Rupar along with his wife and 18monthold son, Jagwinder Singh of Kapurthala and Ranbir Singh of Bathinda have been done to death by the police after clandestinely taking them into custody. Advocate Kulwant Singh represented Akali Dal (Mann) in Ropar district .Earlier, Justice Ajit Singh Bains, a 70yearold Former High Court Judge and human rights activist, Journalist Sukdev Singh and advocates Gurcharan Singh Ghuman and Jagmohan Singh were arrested and detained in jails for months for their professional and human rights activities. Gurdeep Singh, managing editor, Aj Di Awaj, has been terrorized into hiding. Journalist Ram Singh Billing was picked up by the Police, and he feared to have been killed in Police custody. Avtar Singh Mandher, a journalist of Ajit still remains disappeared at the hands of the Police an IHRO Vice Chairman, Dr.G.S.Mavi’s son Alamjit Singh, a 18yrold BSc student was picked up by the police and shot dead in cold blood in January 1992.
The murderous campaign reached its zenith when the police Clandestinely liquidated the former Akal Takht (the highest temporal and spiritual seat of the Sikhs) Chief Gurdev Singh Kaonkke in custody. Another former Takht Chief Jasbir Singh Rode is languishing in jail under TADA without trial, the president incumbent (Akal Takht Chief) Ranjit Singh has recently been sentenced to life imprisonment. The case, which was held in camera, dragged on for 10 years. Moveover, the time spent during the trial will not be considered a part of the punish ment, the life term will begin afresh.
Punjab Chief Minister Beant Singh is publicly issuing “threats” to Sharomani Gurdwara Parbanthak Committee (SGPC) chief Gurcharan Singh Tohra and Akali Dal President Simranjit Singh Mann to mend their ways, otherwise, “They will be arrested under“TADA,” says Beant Singh, ‘The chief minister wants them to shut their mouth so that his administration could go on unchecked particularly on the law and order front.
The energies of the JHRO have. Been directed during the last decade against the manner in which New Delhi tried to suppress and crush democracy in India especially in the Punjab and Kashmir, deny the Sikhs and Muslims their human rights by killing thousands of them in custody. Against this background, the Ihrams become the target of the Indian State.
THRO General Secretary Mohinder Singh Grewal’s residence was raided on March 21,1993 by the Ludhiana Police, They picked up his 74yearold father Rajinder Singh and took him to the Crime Investigation Agency (CIA) STAFF. He was set free in the evening on the condition he produce Grewal the next morning. Grewal went to the CIA police station along with his brother Apinder Singh, a councilor of the Ludhiana Municipal Corporation, on March 22. The councillor was asked to leave, and Grewal was interrogated by a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) or Delhi Police tcam the whole day. The team did not disclose their identity.
The police team questioned about Grewal’s telephonic conversation with his. Maternal uncle’s son Sukhminder Singh Sandhu now lodged in a New York jail. He was made to sit in the Police station till 9 p.m. Then he was released with an instruction to present himself the next day for further interrogation.
On March 23 the Delhi team was assisted by Superintendent of Police (Detective), Ludhiana, “B.S.Gill. During interrogation, Grewal was manhandled and threatened for the consequences. Grewal informed Sukhminder’s defense lawyer Mary Pike in the USA about the incident vide his letter of March 25, saying “B.S.Gill manhandled me and gave blows on my head. He asked me, “Have you stopped us by doing investigation reports against us? Could you do anything in the case of KulwantSingh Sani advocate?” He also threatened that he would subject me to all methods of torture. He further threatened that he will also see D.S.Gill (Chairman, 1HRO) the same way in the near future.”
After this, Grewal’s residence was raided taking him along and confiscated his personal telephone.
Directory, they had probably noted down the telephone numbers of his friends and relations. He was released in the evening and again asked to come the next morning. On March 24, he was interrogated by an Intelligence Bureau (1B) team for more than four hours. They asked him about the IHRO. Network in India and abroad, the police party allowed him to go home, asking him once again to come to the CIA staff, the next afternoon. When Grewal went there on March 25, the investigation team had left for Delhi.
The CBI team again visited Ludhiana a few days ago. They tried to contact Grewal. He was not there at the time. The team, before leaving for Delhi, told Grewal’s brother that they will contact Grewal in the very near future for further interrogation. The investigating teams did not tell why there were after Grewal. It is Sukhminder Singh Grewal along with D.S.Gill is a co defender from India in the extradition proceedings pending against Sandhu and Ranjit Singh Gill in a US court. Being the General Secretary of the organization, Grewal is first among the investigators of police crimes and is, therefore, targeted for exposing the police actions. Earlier, the THRO administration secretary Gurbachan Singh Gill was kept in illegal custody for a week.
D.S.Gill Chairman, JHRO.
Article extracted from this publication >> April 16, 1993
