NEW ORLEANS: In a communication to World Sikh News, Dr. Gurpartap Singh Birk and four other Sikh detainees in New Orleans jail have welcomed the excommunication of Barnala and Rachhpal Singh from the Sikh community by the Jathedar of Akal Takht.
“We five Sikhs welcome the courageous and appropriate decision taken by Prof. Darshan Singh Khalsa and other High Priests to excommunicate the traitors from the Sikh community. The timely efforts to unify the Sikh community in India are most welcome by all the Sikhs throughout the world”.
Dissolution of all the factions of Akali Dal means that the Sikh community is once again voicing their demands from a single platform. This necessary action has shaken the government. The murderers of the hundreds of innocent young Sikhs the great sinner Sujit Singh Barnala and his cohoart traitor Rachhpal Singh have refused to resign from their positions. They in fact have by implication refused to follow the great tradition established by Guru Hargobind Singh Ji so as to please the New Delhi regime. All the Sikhs are ashamed of these people.
The changes which the High Priests have brought in the constitution of Akali Dal, like debarring President and other High command members from accepting any other position at the same time, are the signs of great wisdom and intelligence. All these changes will help unite the divided power of Sikh community and bring them together on one platform.
Now we would like to bring to the attention of High Priests the Sikh politics in foreign countries which is also divided into so many different groups and organizations because of the selfish motives of some individuals. This disintegration of Sikh community into so many small organizations at this critical time is very damaging. This is the main reason why our voice and grievances are not being heard in the outside world.
Just like they did in Punjab, we ask the High Priest to order all the Sikhs residing in foreign countries to dissolve their organizations and form one umbrella organization. Sikh leaders of all factions in foreign countries should themselves understand and should resign from their present position and
should come under one organization for the sake of Sikhism just like the leaders did in India. They should forget their personal differences, selfish motives and should join hands to break the chain of slavery.
If this suggestion cannot be carried forward then we the Sikh youth of U.S.A. will be the first one to resign from our posts and dissolve our organization, we will operate under the umbrella of whatever the High Priests decide upon.
If we Sikhs strengthen and unify ourselves on one platform, then there will be no reason for United Nations Organization (UNO) to refuse our request for membership. This will also put pressure on the UNO to take some steps to sort out our differences with government of India.
We Sikhs living in foreign counties must stay within the law of the land yet peacefully project our rights which are being violated by government of India. We should adopt the ways of great Sikh mart yrs. like Darshan Singh Pheruman. With these legal and peaceful approach we can be successful in getting the innocent Sikhs released from the Indian prisons and also presenting our grievances to the world media.
If our present Sikh) leadership cannot adopt Pheruman’s way to fight for Sikh cause, then we must bring about new leadership that is ready to make sacrifices. By emulating Pheruman’s glorious tradition, we can highlight our demands at international level and also wash away the stigma of “terrorism” that has been cunningly cast at us by the scheming Indian government. This is the only way of getting attention and sympathy from the world.
Article extracted from this publication >> March 20, 1987
