CHANDIGARH: A meeting of Sikh intellectuals with the former education minister Mr. Sukhjinder Singh on Saturday appealed to all right thinking people including believers in justice and human rights to join the Sikh struggle for “survival.”

A statement issued after the meeting said that after the recent election of Congress (I) government had been foisted on the 80 percent non-participating Sikhs which amounted to denial of democracy to them. “This election has to be annulled and a free and just order brought back to save the situation from reaching a point of no return” it demanded

The meeting also demanded immediate release of all Akali leaders’ Sikh youths and alleged militant’s by withdrawing “false” cases against them and withdrawal of “draconian laws”. The statement pointed out that the report of the Amnesty International had indicated large scale killings of Sikh youths. The human rights activists including Mr. Justice Ajit Singh Bains were subjected to “inhuman torture.” The statement traced in detail the history of the Sikh struggle against injustice and said that the “wave of extinction” had taken over the psyche of the Sikhs and they had now resorted to arms and fighting “with their back to the wall”. This had resulted in the demand for a “sovereign Sikh State.” The statement said the recent elections had strengthened the demand for a Sikh state The Sikh leadership hitherto moderate and “adherent to constitutional limitations” was not being allowed political dissidence There was a need for foresight and statesmanship of the highest caliber to undo injustices to the Sikhs and restoration to them of their share in “power polity”.

Others who attended the meeting included Mr. Ajit Singh Sarhadi former Minister Mr. G.S. Grewal former advocate general Punjab Mr R.S. Bindra former judge Mr S.S. Bajwa retired IG police Brig Joginder Singh Dhillon Mr. Surjit Singh Sood Mr. Nirmal Singh and Mr. Gur Rattan Pal Singh Mr. Hari Singh Nagra Mr Harinder Singh Gill Mr Baldev Singh and Mr S.R.S. Randhawa all advocates.

Article extracted from this publication >> April 24, 1992