Mr. Harbans Singh Ghumman, Vice-President of the Akali Dal (L) whose two sons are among 365 Sikh youths lodged in Jodhpur Jail has given the following breakdown of the detainees.
164 detainees are Morcha volunteers of the Dal (L) and pilgrims who had gone to the Golden Temple on account of Guru Arjun Dev Jis martyrdom day. About 50 detainees are rickshaw pullers and other poor persons who had taken shelter in the complex, 15 are professionals, 68 are those arrested inside the complex before the army operation, one is a manager of a bank branch located inside the Temple Complex, 45 are employees of the S.G.P.C, and 17 were arrested from their villages.
These youths have been charged with waging war against the State.
The Vice-President alleged that the Centre was keeping them in Jail as “hostages” to force the Sikhs to accept political, religious and economic “slavery”,
The inmates are kept in a cage about 10 feet away at the time of interviews from the visitors who have to shout to be audible to the detainees.
It was inhuman and gross violation of the jail rules which provide that the detainees should be allowed to speak to the visitors without the presence of the officials.
The fact remains that there are no “terrorists” among Jodhpur detainees.
Article extracted from this publication >> July 25, 1986
