LUDHIANA: A Sikh Coordination Committee (SCC) was formed from amongst representatives of Sikh political groups, socioreligious organizations and institutions to mobilize support for Sikh rights and to internationalize the Sikh cause. The SCC will be a nonparty group representing the Sikh nation at national and international levels.

This was done at the conclusion of a seminar organized by International Human Rights Organization (THRO) at G.G.N. Khalsa College, Civil Lines, Ludhiana, on Dec. 4, 1994, where a Chandigarh based Hindu lawyer activist, Ranjan Lakhanpal was also honored with the Nawab Malerkotla Award for Contribution in protecting human rights in law courts this region.

The subject matter of the seminar, attended by more than 200 “delegates from all over India and abroad, was: “*The Amritsar Declaration and Right of Self-determination.” The Amritsar Declaration is a political document of the Sikh political party the Shiromani Akali Dal (Amritsar). This declaration was made by various faction leaders at Akal Takht on May 1, 1994; when they joined hands under the patronage of Sikh temporal head, Prof Manjit Singh.

The Seminar Compere Mohinder Singh Grewal (General Secretary, THRO) gave an account of the activities of the IHRO head office and its international network and read out the declaration, reproduced below:

“The Shiromani Akali Dal reiterates its commitment to work within democratic parameters and renew its struggle for the creation of a separate region for the Sikhs where they as the avant-garde of Punjabi national culture, based on the holy Guru Granth Sahib, can enjoy the glow of freedom. The envisaged region, promised by the Indian National Congress before partition (of India in 1947) but never created, will fulfill not only the aspirations of the Sikh nation and Punjabis, but also help the minorities in it to realize their potential. “At this juncture of history, when the entire South East Asia is in turmoil and Western nations are also looking for a stable value system and a new model for reorganizing their cultures, a region based on Sri Guru Granth Sahib’s ideas of cosmic harmony, dialogue, poetry and no exploitative politics free from negative hegemonic power to subordinate, will serve as a center of light to other cultures.

“The Sikh ethos, translated into distinct religious, economic, political and social institutions of this region, apart from incarnating the original consciousness of people, will give them an opportunity, denied in recent past, to reveal their best and made a vital contribution to world culture.

“The Shiromani Akali Dal is of the view that Hindustan (India) is a sub-continent of diverse national cultures, each with its own heritage and mainstream. The subcontinent needs’ to be reorganized with a Confederal structure so that each culture could flower up according to its genius and add a unique fragrance to the garden of world cultures. If, such a leatisty, aspirations not only of the ‘Sikhs but also of the other nations in this part of South Asia,” he landed. __Dr. Balkar Singh, Head, Guru Granth Sahib Studies, Punjabi University, Patiala, explained the ‘importance of the declaration in its historical context, Saying that “I am of the opinion that the UN concept of the right to self-determination does not apply to the Sikhs because historically their political decisions are taken at Akal Takht and the nation is bound to respect the decisions,”” Regarding the query of Dr. Dosanjh that Amritsar declaration is silent about the weapon of struggle to achieve its end, Dr. Balkar Singh quoted Guru Gobind Singh as saying:

“When all other means of resistance against tyranny and oppression fail, it is legitimate, as a last resort, to tum to the sword (arms).” And the Preamble to the UN Declaration of Human Rights, 1948 that it is essential, if a man is Not to be’ compelled to have a Recourse as a last resort to rebellion against state tyranny and Oppression, that human rights should be protected by rule of law’ also ratifies the commandment of the Tenth Sikh Master, he said.

Dr, Singh added that the main thrust of the declaration is on accommodation for all and there should not be any fear of discrimination against minorities in Punjab as the model envisaged in the declaration is based on Guru Granth Sahib, which preaches tolerance and wellbeing of the whole humanity and not of the Sikhs alone.

A Chandigarh based lawyer activist, who represents in-law courts Bhai Kanwar Singh and his wife Bibi Kulbir Kaur, Nav Karan Singh read out the messages of his clients, now lodged in Burail Jail. The Sikh inmates, who were kept in a prolonged illegal custody before the police stage-managed a drama of their surrender and who ‘besides themselves being victims of state repression are also eyewitnesses to the torture and Custodial deaths of dozens of Sikhs, described the declaration as a good document for the freedom of Sikhs and other nations in India. Bibi Kulbir Kaur, who was hanged upside down and tortured to abortion in custody, mentioned in particular the case of one Principal, Surinder Kaur, who was violated, tortured to death and thrown into a nearby canal by the police.

The legal activist expressed the need to collectively continue the ongoing Sikh struggle under the auspices of Akal Takht and to float an organization to provide aid to the affected families.

Human rights and political activist Jaswant Singh Khalra spoke of the declaration as a compromise document between Khalistan protagonists and traditional Akalis, The current setback to Khalistan Political movement due to wrong policies of the armed Sikh groups landed the protagonists to make this compromise. The declaration should have made it clear that the main contradiction is between the Hindu theology and the Sikh faith, which stands for Sarbat Da Bhla (wellbeing of all) and whereas Hindus in rest of India are a feudal society, “So Hindu nation, the believers of Ram, would not like to have confederation with Sikhs or Others. Sikhs therefore should fight for their basic right of sovereignty,” the Akali activist added.

On behalf of the Presidium, Dr. Kehar Singh said the declaration is a history document, anew model and approach to minimize the Present political conflicts across the continents and to establish peace. It very clearly spells out the wellbeing of all (minorities) as its proposed polity will be based upon Sri Guru Granth Sahib, the source of tolerance, coexistence and Peace in the world. “The Granth envisages the new political thought (model) of *Halemi Raj’ the Khalsa (peoples) democracy,” concluded Dr. Singh.

THRO Chairman DS. Gill, releasing a 55page booklet “The Sikh Case,” demanded that under the international law ‘The Sikhs seek and must be accorded the right of a full, free and true plebiscite in Punjab to ascertain the wishes of the majority, A United Nations supervised referendum is the only answer.”

Explaining his view point on the declaration and stressing the need to give a time bound framework to the Center for its implementation, the human rights activist added that in case of confederation the sovereignty lies in the confederating units, and not in their proposed union. “So, the union gels powers from the states by their mutual consent or treaty as opposed to federal political setup,” he said.

The seminar appointed a 20member Sikh Coordination Committee of different Sikh groups, organizations, institutions and scholars to further promote the Sikh cause. The committee, besides lobbying for Sikh rights worldwide, will urge the Government of India, the UN and the international public opinion to provide a lasting political solution to the Punjab conflict.

The committee will also take up day to day matters concerning the Panth and would try to establish a subcommittee for providing succor to. The victims of violence the members of the SCC are: 1. Simranjit Singh Mann

(Shiromani Akali Dal)

2, Gurcharan Singh Tohra (President, SGPC)

  1. Kuldip Singh Wadala (Shiromani Akali Dal)
  2. Kartar Singh Narang (ShiromaniAkali Dal)
  3. Kalyan Singh (Takht Sri Patna Sahib Parbandhak Committee)
  4. Dr. Kamail Singh (Chandigarh)
  5. Justice A S Bains (Chairman, PHRO)
  6. Major General Narinder Singh

(Retired)

  1. Prof Jagmohan Singh (Political activist)
  2. Jaswant Singh Khalra (Political activist)
  3. Jaspal Singh Dhillon (Human rights activist)
  4. Swaran Singh Sandhu (Punjab Sikh Lawyers Council)

13, Gurdip Singh (Aj Di Awaj)

  1. Mohinder Singh Lawanda (Founder, Kisan Union)

15, Dr. Jaswant Singh Neki (Ex Director, PGI, Chandigarh)

  1. Dr. Gurbhagat Singh
  2. Dr. Kehar Singh i.
  3. Kulbir Kaur (Wife of Bhai Kanwar Singh, now both in jail)

19, Dr. Gurcharan Singh (USA)

  1. Barrister Harjit Singh (UK) the THRO in a resolution was asked to convene meeting of the proposed committee in the near future and give it a final shape by adding some representatives from unrepresented groups of the Sikh Panth.

Advocate Ranjan Lakhanpal of the Punjab and Haryana High Court at Chandigarh was honored with Nawab Malerkotla Award at this occasion by Professor Manjit Singh, on behalf of the Sikh nation, for his legal fight against repression let loose on Sikhs by the Center and its agencies in the state. ‘The lawyer activist’s father Shri CL Lakhanpal, who was also a lawyer and president of; the Punjab and Haryana Bar Association, died in detention under MISA (Maintenance of Internal Security Act, now replaced by National Security Act (NSA), at Burail Jail, Chandigarh, for raising his voice against the infamous Emergency clamped by Indira Gandhi in 1975, explained Miss Kamaljeet Kaur Sooch while describing the importance of the Malerkotla Award to the audience. “Shri Lakhanpalis being awarded in the name of Nawab of Malerkotla, Nawab Sher Mohammed Khan, who had protested against the martyring of two young sons of the Tenth Sikh Master, Guru Gobind Singh, Baba Zorawar Singh and Baba Faith Singh, who were bricked alive by Wazir Khan, Nawab of Sarhind, in 1761, The Sikh Nation, therefore, has been grateful in history to the Malerkotla Nawab arid owe a lot of Beatitude for raising his sane voice against the Mughal tyranny,” added Miss Sooch. In his short speech Ranjan Lakhanpal called upon the Public to collectively join hands to protest against torture, custodial deaths and disappearances as hundreds of parents in Punjab are wondering to know the whereabouts of their sons and daughters.

The Muslim guest, Atikur Rehman in his speech said that the Sikh nation is under suppression at the hands of the Hindu majority. Rather they are not the only victims of Hindu bigotry, others in the line are Muslims, Kashmiris, Tamils and Dalits etc., The atom “attack on\the Golden temple ‘in 1984 and the demolition of Babri Masjid in 1992 at the hands of Hindu activists are clear and loud signals that minorities have no place in Hindu India.

While urging the Sikh leadership to effectively fight for Sikh rights, the Islamic leader recalled the historic Muslim gesture to Sikh Gurus in their mission of liberating the oppressed, “They (Sikhs) should therefore provide leadership to minorities at this critical juncture,” he said. Other political, human rights, journalist and lawyer activists who attended or sent their papers for the seminar included Sukhdev Singh (former President, THRO), Karamjit Singh (News Editor, Punjabi Tribune), Mohinderjit Singh, Prof Onkar Singh, Gurdarshan Singh Whyia, Manjit Singh (Euro Coordinator, IHRO), Ajmer Singh Lakhowal (BKU), Gurbhajan Singh Gill (President, Sikh Vichar Manch), Gurdit Singh Grewal (PSLC), Harjinder Singh Dhami, Manjit Singh Kadian(BKU), Dr. Balwant Singh, Dr. Labh Singh Gill, Dr.G.S. Saini, Gurmit Singh, Parminder Singh Waryawal, Gurbachan Singh, Dr. GS. Dhillon, Dr. Kuldip Singh, Principal Dharam Singh Sihota, Dr. Gurtaran Singh, Gurdev Singh Batalvi, Harpal Singh Dugari, Rajiv Singh, Harchand Singh Gill, Kuldip Singh Mangat, Jatinder Singh Sandhu etc. Akali leaders who gave patient audience to the seminar included Thekedar Surjan Singh, Basant Singh Khalsa, Hira Singh Gabria, Apinder Singh Grewal, Balwinder Singh Bains, Jagdish KaurSwaddi and Jaswinder Singh Walyawal. This summary is based on reports by: Balbir Singh Sooch ; Seminareee KS Chawla: The Tribune, Chandigarh Kulwinder Kular ; Indian Express, New Delhi Gurinder Singh; Daily Ajit, Jalandhar Satbir Singh : Punjabi Tribune, Chandigarh DS Chhina: Aj Di Awaz, Jalandhar.

Article extracted from this publication >>  January 6, 1995