Years of Hard work By Sikh Human Rights Group Has Brought Positive Results
MISSISSAUGA, ONT: According to information received from Balbir Singh Brar Chairman Sikh Human Rights Groups (N.A.) and International Coordinator, United Nations is launching investigations in number of cases of Human Rights Violations in Punjab. S.H.R.G. has worked with the United Nations for a number of years and tried to learn the system. During this period S.H.R.G has submitted cases of Human Rights violations under U.N. Resolution 1503, Torture, illegal detention and forced disappearances.
U.N. Torture Department and International Torture network stated investigating torture cases of many Sikhs from early 1988. These investigations proved useful in many cases. Details of these will be given at a later date in this newspaper.
United Nations System operates through various working groups. Subgroups and Committees. Whole world is divided in five blocks and each block is represented on the committee by one country from that block. These blocks are: African Countries, Latin American Countries, Eastern block countries, Africa and Asia.
Working group on enforced disappearances is formed in Ghana, Peru, Yugoslavia, Holland and Pakistan. 26th session of this group was held under the chairmanship of Mr. Foly of Ghana and deliberated on cases of enforced disappearances around the world. The session was held in Geneva at the United Nations building conference room number 9 from 30th of November 1988 at 3 pm.
This is the first time U.N. Sub Committee heard a testimony from a Sikh Organization giving facts and figures and ruled unanimously in favor to conduct further investigations, Details of this testimony and cross-examination will be published soon. There are a number of cases being investigated by United Nations now. Details of some of these are given below.
(a) Manjinder Singh Juj and Harjinder Singh Moda Residence Gopal Nagar Amritsar On May 1987 above two young. persons were walking on G.T. Road near Amritsar Bus stand. According to eye witnesses, who will not identify themselves due to fear of harassment, police picked! them up and shoved them in the car. They were then taken to Mal Mandi Interrogation Centre (This is same place where Canadian Citizen Balkar Singh was tortured.) After three days of physical and mental mistreatment here these young men were taken away by a police party on the night of May 1819.
Both these young men are missing since. It is further understood that Manjinder was accused of murdering son of Brahmdutt Sharma, Deputy Superintendent of Police.
(b) Parmjit Singh son of Lal Singh Parmjit Singh is a younger brother of Manjinder Singh and Parmjit was picked up by police a few days before Manjinder and is still missing. His whereabouts are not known. It is widely believed that he might have been eliminated by police,
(c) Jagdish Singh son of Lal Singh Jagdish has been missing from the day Manjinder was picked up. In this case our investigation shows two possibilities that either he was quietly removed by Indian authorities or he has gone underground for fear of meeting the same fate as Parmjit Singh, his younger brother.
(d) Ajmer Singh son of Lal Singh Ajmer Singh is another older brother of Manjinder Singh.
On 17 July 1987, Ajmer Singh was arrested at Ludhiana (Punjab) and charged with Ludhiana Bank Robbery.
On 14 August Amritsar police brought him to Amritsar on a police remand for investigation in certain incidents in Amritsar. When he was produced before the Magistrate he made passionate appeal, Court allowed further police remand and gave police the custody of Ajmer Singh.
On 19th August his mother went to visit him but Ajmer was missing. Police inspector told her that he has been taken to a certain place for recovery of fire arms and will be back soon. It was further confirmed that Deputy Superintend Bramh Dutt dragged Ajmer Singh out of the police station shouting that “I am going to finish all the sons of Lal Singh.”
Ajmer Singh has not been seen since. His mother was given his turban and pair of shoes by the police.
(e) Lal Singh and Son Iqbal Singh Youngest brothers of Manjinder Singh are in jail without trial. They are held on charges of conspiracy in the murder of Brahmdutt’s son and are languishing in Amritsar jail. It appears that Deputy Superintend Brahmdutt has carried out his threat of finishing this family. Immediate intervention by the world body may save whatever is left of this family.
Avtar Singh Pehlwan Avtar Singh was detained in Indore jail outside Punjab under National Security Act (N.S.A.) on 18th May 1987. After about six months of detention he was transferred to Amritsar Punjab by air. On 21 June, 1987, he was produced in the court for further police remand, Defense lawyer Amarpal Singh Randhawa appealed to the court that Mr. PehIwan be provided with Judicial protection because police had threatened to kill him. Pehlwan himself requested that he be kept hand cuffed and leg irons and shackles should be installed on him. This request was made so that police should not have a chance to produce a familiar theory of escape and shoot.
These appeals were not heard. A few days later police took him out from the custody on the pretext of recovering arms.
A few days later newspapers reported the death of Mr. Pehlwan in an escape and encounter, However no further proof was given of his whereabouts.
Questions arise; is Pehlwan killed in a fake encounter or is he still rotting in some dark hole?
Mr. Brar further explained that to reach this far in the United Nations systems was a Herculean task due to double edge attack by Indian Government. On one side Indian Government authorities directly oppose us by labeling us “extremists” on the other hand they spread false rumours in the community through their agents who are planted very strategically. These agents play on the religious sentiments of innocent Sikh community and use emotionalism of the community to advance Indian Government cause.
Mr. Brar further appealed to the Sikh nation to join forces and keep the International Community informed of our predicament by using proper methods and right channels. We find a lot of sympathy for Sikhs in the international community when approached properly. Remember this is the age of specialization and working for a cause as a hobby or pastime will not get us anywhere.
Article extracted from this publication >> January 20, 1989
