AMRITSAR: The militant sponsored over ground movement headed by Simranjit Singh Mann has failed to react effectively against the renewed massacre of Sikhs at the hands of Indian security forces.
The Akali Dal chief has been content to issue routine statements on fake encounters and has not given any calls for protests. In fact he has been busy holding secret talks with the Govt notwithstanding his public postures that no talks without the militants would be held after the first round on December 28. On Feb 23 as many as 23 Sikhs were shot in cold blood
In Chandigarh a curfew was clamped in Sectors 35,43,44,45,46 and Mohali on Feb 24 to conduct house to house searches. Curfew passes were said to be issued in Sector 45 but no one could get there as it was under curfew itself.
Meanwhile Gurprit Singh president of Smajwadi Yuva Janata Dal Punjab has asked the Governor to release the youths arrested for interrogation during the curfew. He alleged that the people were being harassed by the police.
While the police was silent sources say about 80 youths have been picked up for questioning Some local Akali leaders are also said to have been arrested by the police some residents complain their guests were also picked up There was a big rush outside all the local police stations.
Article extracted from this publication >> March 1, 1991
