LONDON: In an open letter to His Excellency the President of India Bhai Seva Singh Lalli President of the Government-in exile Republic of Khalistan has pleaded the cause of Bhai Harjinder Singh Jinda and Bhai Sukhdev Singh Sukha.

His letter said “On July 151992 the Supreme Court of India upheld the death sentences against Harjinder Singh Jinda and Sukhdev Singh Sukha passed by the Poona sessions court on October 211989 for the killing of (Retired) General A.S. Vaidya in August 1986.

Even if pettifogs may view the sentence “legally correct” nobody viewing it in the context of the case will call it “just.”

It is on record of the proceedings that the two considered the killing as a justifiable execution for the crime Vaidya committed against the Sikhs by launching and Orchestrating Operation Blue Star in which thousands of pilgrims were murdered and the holy Sikh shrine of Akal Takht desecrated

So convinced are they of having done their duty towards God and their faith by executing the Commander of Operation Blue Star and perpetrator of the most heinous crime in the history of the subcontinent that they declined to present any evidence for mitigation during the trial or appeal against the sentence when it was passed

Their attitude throughout the trial and the subsequent lengthy process of sentencing by the Sessions Court Confirmation by the High Court of Bombay and further confirmation by the Supreme Court of India clearly shows that they did whatever they did with a clear conscience and without any guilt.

Their case can surely be considered identical to that of a soldier killing the enemy in the battle field. Like a valiant soldier they should have been decorated for executing a person who was guilty of the worst crime any Sikh worth his salt can imagine

Justice demands that one should rise above the level of a pettifog and view the case against the background of the provocation and the clear consciences of Sukha and Jinda.

Viewed thusly one will no doubt concede that the sentence against them is unjust and provocatively excessive.

Worth considering is the fact that “an eye for an eye” justice will only inflame the feelings of the Sikhs and elevate the two boys who are already heroes to Sikhs to the levels of Sainthood.

By murdering yet two more saints the Indian Government will be adding fuel to the fire kindled by the murder of saint Bhindranwale during the Operation Blue Star.”

He urged the president to do a statesman-like act by exercising his powers of discretion and settling the boys free whose only “offence” is that they did what their conscience told them to do.

Article extracted from this publication >> July 31, 1992