LUDHIANA: Senior Akali leaders were arrested in an attempt to thwart an Anti-Repression rally scheduled for Aug.30, The rally, organized by Akali factions was to draw attention to the activities of the Beant Singh led Punjab govt. and to garner sympathy for the release of Bhai Harjinder Singh ) Jinda and Bhai Sukhdev Singh, accused assassins of Gen, Vaidya. The historic Manjit Sahib Gurdwara, 10 km from Ludhiana was the site chosen for the gathering. But the roads leading to the gurdwara were earlier cordoned off by police, More than 1000 people were turned away as police barricaded the entrances allowing only a few well screened devotees to proceed,
Simranjit Singh Mann, Parkash Badal and Sarjan Singh The kador were arrested before the rally; Manjit Singh and Harminder Gill were caught at the Engineering College on their way and Akali Dal (M) gen sect. Charanjit Singh Wallia was picked up at the main gates of the gurdwara. SGPC president Gurcharan Singh Tohra was speaking to the press when police stormed the stage and whisked him away. In a further show of suppression of discourse and disregard for religious conventions the white uniformed police entered the gurdwara, shoes and all adding insult to injury.
All of the Akali leaders, including SSF (Sikh Student Fed.) leaders were released after the rally.
The small but dedicated group of participants passed a resolution that said in part that, “Panthic Organizations warn the govt. against the execution of “Sukha and Jinda,” condemn state repression, especially deaths through faked encounters and further allege that the state repression in Punjab is creating a situation not unlike that of Afghanistan and the Soviet Union, and the responsibility lies with the central Govt.
C.M. Beant Singh said he would not allow Akali organizations to have such rallies as it added momentum and legitimacy to militant demands,
Article extracted from this publication >> September 11, 1992
