LUDHIANA; Indian media almost completely blacked out reports of Sikh demonstrations in front of United Nations headquarters at New York and elsewhere in western countries to protest against violation of human rights by Indian security forces in Punjab. ;
These demonstrations were held at the call of Punjab Human Rights Organization and were organized at Washington and London, in addition to New York, by the respective chapters of P.H.R.O. India Abroad News Service covered the functions and send out detailed accounts but no major Indian newspaper carried the news.
Almost all India-controlled news agencies and newspapers played down the P.H.R.O Organized Punjab bandh on December 10 to protest against the deployment of a record number of soldiers in the state and to” draw the attention of world powers towards atrocities on Sikhs.
According to a P.H.R.O spokesman, the response to the Call was. Lukewarm in three major towns Jalandhar, Ludhiana and Patial was overwhelming in the rest of the state. Alt towns remained close that day, a fact the media chose to ignore. Private transport services off the roads while fewer passengers could be seen travelling in government buses. Rural pope suspended. Movement of their commodities on that day.
It was for the first time that the call was issued land enforced by P-H.R.O. without the support of important Akalt groups and even the B.K.U and was a resounding success in the state except for the three major towns.
Article extracted from this publication >> December 20, 1991
