BRIMINGHAM,UK: Balbir Singh Babbar, Jathedar of Babbar Khalsa International in the U.K. has dismissed the conviction of, and death sentence on, Bhai Harjinder Singh Jinda and Sukhdev Singh Sukha as “a piece of legal chicanery to legalize their murder,” The two, both prominent among the Sikh freedom-fighters, were sentenced to death in 1989, for killing (Retired) General A.S. Vaidya, who had Commanded Operation Blue Star in 1984—.in which the holiest of Sikh shrines was desecrated and thousands of pilgrims killed.

Bhai Jinda and Sukha denied killing the General, nor presented any evidence of mitigating factors, during the trial— nor have they appealed against the sentence,

Both have maintained all along that they had done their duty towards God and the Sikh faith by executing the perpetrator of the most heinous crime; murdering thousands and desecrating the holy shrine of Akal Takht.

On July 15,the Supreme Court of India set the final seal on the death sentence, thus exhausting all judicial procedures and clearing the way for the implementation of the sentence,

Jathedar Balbir Singh said: “Court records clearly show that the two had no personal motives to kill the general, and” were merely acting as “executioners” to punish a criminal — whose crimes had been absolved, for obvious reasons, by the powers-that-be in India.

But mere wearing of a uniform or holding a high office in the defence forces could not sanctify his criminal acts,” he said.

Nor could they take away from the injured party (the Sikh nation) the right to punish him if the powers-that-be don’t. The connivance and support to him by the Indian rulers even made it obligatory for self-respecting Sikhs to exercise this right. Taking this night away is the hall-mark of Fascism,” the Jathedar added.

He warned the Indian Government that, by carrying out the sentence on Jinda and Sukha, it will be further exacerbating the” response the crimes of General: Vaidya provoked in 1984…

It is in their own interested set the sentence aside and frees the, two heroes of the Sikh nation instead of further exacerbating the situation created by General. Vaidya and continuing since 1984,” he further said.

Article extracted from this publication >> Aug 7, 1992