AMRITSAR: Human rights situation deteriorated markedly in Punjab in the recent past with the Indian agencies bent upon eliminating Sikh lawyers, political activists and human rights workers, a U.S. administration official was informed here last week.
The official, Robin Lynn Raphel, councilor for political affairs in the U.S. embassy, was here to discuss the rights situation with representatives of international human rights organization and chief of Akali Dal (Mann), Simranjit Singh Mann.
].H.R.O. representatives, D.S.Gill and Mohinder Singh Grewal, told the official that the Indian state arrested and kept in detention several human rights activists including former judge, Ajit Singh Bains, journalist Sukhdev Singh, advocates Gurcharan Singh Ghuman and Jagmohan Singh in the past for many months.
Gurdip Singh, editor of Aj Di Awaz, 100, was detained and harassed and was silenced, Journalist Ram Singh Billing was picked up by the police and is believed to Have been killed. Avtar Singh Mander, a journalist of Ajit, is untraced for months and is said to be in police custody. 1. H.R.O, Vice-president Dr.G.S.Mavi’s 18yrold son was picked up by the police and was killed in January 1992.
The campaign of murder reached the lowest depths when former Akal Takhat chief Gurdev Singh was liquidated in police custody. Another former Akal Takhat chief Jasbir Singh Rode has been in jail for months. The present Akal Takhat chief Ranjit Singh has been sentenced for life and in an unprecedented punishment his term will start all over again even while he has already completed on life term in jail.
Punjab chief minister Beant Singh misses no opportunity to threaten Sikh leaders like Gurcharan Singh Tohra and Mann. The chief minister wants them to keep quiet in the face of mounting human rights violations.
Only last week, the Indian state arrested in 1.H, R.O. general secretary Mohinder Singh Grewal and was harassed, humiliated and maltreated by Ludhiana S.P (Detective) B.S.Gill. He was given blows on his head. Gill teased Grewal on his investigation reports and threatened that this time he would have to make an autobiographical report. Gill further informed 1.H.R.O. activist that he would soon “see” D.S.Gill, too. Grewal was repeatedly interrogated by the Indian government’s intelligence outfit, the LB. He was asked about his telephonic talks with his maternal uncle’s son, Sukhminder Singh Sandhu, now lodged in a New York jail, Earlier, Grewal’s father, Rajinder Singh, was picked up and was released on the condition that he would present his son to the police in barter.
LH.R.O. said that it had no inkling as to why Grewal was being harassed. Earlier, 1L.H.R.O. office secretary Gurbhajan Singh Gill, 0, was kept in police custody and in jail for more than a week.
The LH.R.O. Asked the U.S. administration through its official to immediately intervene to stop India’s campaign of murder against Sikhs and lawyers and human rights activists. The official assured the group that she would convey their demand to the U.S, authorities. She also had detailed discussions on the rights situation with Simranjit Singh Mann.
Article extracted from this publication >> April 16, 1993
