PATIALA: Oct. 3 has the passport of Prof. Manjit Singh, Jathedar of Akal Takhit been withheld by the passport office at Jalandhar following instructions from Delhi. Prof. Manjit Singh says he had submitted an application on a prescribed form for reissuing of the passport through an agent on September 4. His previous passport had recently expired 10 years after it was issued to him. The Jathedar claims that he had made a request for issuance of the passport urgently as he was to participate in a series of meetings of a global forum headed by former USSR President M. Gorbachev, from September 21 to October 6, in USA. The Jathedar is a member of the forum’s committee for preparing a charter on assessing human responsibility in protecting the environment. He has already missed the meetings due to lack of a passport.
Prof. Manjit Singh says he was assured by the authorities of a passport within a week, but to no avail. The Jathedar claims that members of the forum had started approaching Indian embassy in the USA which contacted the authorities concerned in Delhi. A few days ago the Jathedar was informed by Mr, K.G. Singh, and Chief Passport Officer at Delhi that the Union Government has given a green signal for issuing of a passport to him. But’ so far, he has not got any passport. He expressed ignorance about what could be the reason for withholding a passport to him. However, he said that now, the Officials concerned’ were saying that they were waiting for the Punjab intelligence department’s (CID) report on him.
It may be mentioned here that Prof, Manjit Singh has, in the past, gone abroad several times and
Participated in many seminar Meetings etc. organized by non-governmental organizations. Not a single time has an objection been raised by the Union Government regarding any of his visits. Why such a delay in issuing him a passport now could be explained only by the Union Government.
Article extracted from this publication >> October 9, 1996
