ANANDPUR SAHEB: Representatives of Akali Dals and other Sikh organizations unanimously decided to boycott the elections as long as repression on Sikhs continued Sikh detenus were not released and fake encounters did not end and security forces were not withdrawn from Punjab.
The meeting was a follow up or a wider convention held were on August 11 which had recognised militants as the leading political force in Punjab It had called for Center-militant talks to resolve the Punjab crisis. The convention was called by S.G.P.C. chief Baldev Singh Sibia backed by the former S.G.P.C. chief Gurcharam Singh Tohra.
The meeting of the representatives of the Sikh organisations on Sunday endorsed the decisions taken on August 11. It was attended among others by Parkash Singh Badal Captain Amarinder Singh Sucha Singh Chhotepur Charanjit Singh Walia and others but neither Simranjit Singh Mann nor Bhai Manjit Singh participated in it.
The meeting called upon the Center to hold an enquiry by the CBI to punish the guilty police officers responsible for the killing of Sikhs in a fake encounter at Pilibhit U.P
The meeting called for a Punjab-wide all strikes on Sept 7 to protest against police repression the latest instance of which were the killings of four members of the family of Bhai Balwinder Singh Jattana and the killing of Bhai Gurjant Singh Rajasthani.
In this connection a bhog ceremony would be held on September 9 at Fatehgarh Saheb It called for the immediate release of the widow of Bhai Rajasthani and members of the family of Bhai Jattana.
Badal and Amarinder Singh reportedly had reservations about the poll boycott issue The meeting called upon the various constituents to have the decisions endorsed by their respective working committees.
Article extracted from this publication >> September 6, 1991
