HANDIGARH, India, Dec. 13, Reuter: The leader of India’s 14 million Sikhs was freed from 10 days’ house arrest on Sunday and immediately vowed fresh protests against the Indian government.
The authorities withdrew. the detention order against Darshan Singh Ragi, originally for one month, because “his detention is no longer necessary” the Patiala district magistrate said in a statement.
Singh, the ex-Acting Head of the Sikh religion, was arrested one day before he was due to lead an ‘antigovernment march to New Delhi to press for political concessions for the North Indian state of Punjab.
Police in the Indian capital arrested more than 200 Sikhs during the banned march.
Singh told reporters at his home near Chandigarh, capital of Punjab, that the government had taken away a fundamental right of the Sikhs by banning the protest while allowing a major demonstration by opposition leftist parties a few days later.
“However, we will not give up. We will soon reorganize a protest march to Delhi”, he said.
Sikhs are seeking a political settlement in Punjab where about 1,550 people have been killed in violence this year.
Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi sacked the State’s moderate Sikh ‘government last May for failing to ‘curb the violence and imposed direct rule from New Delhi.
Article extracted from this publication >> December 18, 1987
