NEW DELHI: India over a week ago hung two leading Sikh political activists Bhai Harjinder Singh Jinda and Bhai Sukhdev Singh Sukha in Yervada Central Jail, Maharashtra, for killing the country’s chief of army staff, General A.S. Vaidya, in 1986.
Carried out in tight security, the hangings left a wail of world-wide bitterness among the Sikhs against the Indian state with public demonstrations and strikes by the community, In Punjab, the public at large observed a three-day long mourning and strike,
Accounts of the last hours of the two Sikh youths are still sketchy as they emanate from Hindu administration of the jail at Poone where they were held for five years. However, what-ever details are available make it clear that the youths faced the gallows courageously as they raised slogans of “Khalistan Zindabad.” “Sant Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale, Zindabad” and “Bole, So Nihal, Sat Sri Akal.”
Bhai Sukhdev Singh and Bhai Harjinder Singh remained awake the whole night on October 8-9 as the administration announced their plans to hang them at 4 a .m, on October 9. They took their bath at midnight and recited “Gurbani.” While going to the gallows they were ordinary clothes. Bhai Harjinder Singh shook hands with the jail authorities and thanked them for the treatment meted out to them while they were in custody.
They also had a brief talk with Bhai Nirmal Singh Nimma who is lodged behind the barracks meant for condemned prisoners and was also involved in the Vaidya murder case but had been sentenced to imprisonment,
According to the authorities, the two not only put up no resistance but actually offered to tie their necks with ropes on their own. Usually, this process is carried out by professional hangman, Indian authorities had arranged for three professional hangmen for the purpose. ,
The previous evening the two were allowed to meet and talk to their close relations. As many as 30 of them had been informed by the advocate of the Sikh youths a few days prior to the scheduled hanging. They had been staying in a local gurdwara, Both cracked Jokes with their brother and sisters end asked all relations not to taint their memory by accepting public offices or by contesting elections,
India authorities did not hand over the dead bodies of the Sikh youths to their parents as the two had expressed their last wish, Instead, the bodies were taken to one of three places the authorities had selected for cremation. The site is located close to Moola river where the fathers of the two lit the pyres. No one cried as the flames consumed the Sikh youths bodies. A Sikh priest said the prayers.
The security forces closed all roads leading to the jail on the eve of the hanging. All city hotels were searched by the police. The police patrolling was stepped up and the army was kept in a state of readiness in the event of any Sikh attack on the jail to free the two youths,
In Delhi, India reinforced the security arrangements for all Supreme Court judges, According to Delhi police commissioner M.B. Kaushak, security for those judges who dismissed the last minute petitions have been strengthened,
Bhai Sukhdev Singh and Bhai Harjinder Singh had admitted in the course of their statements made to the special court set up under the terrorist law that they alone had been responsible for the assassination of General Vaidya because he deserved to be punished for the Indian army’s aggression on the Golden Temple at Amritsar killing thousands of pilgrims and other inmates in what is known as operation “Blue Star.”
The two Sikh youths put up no defence and accepted the punishment. Later, they wrote a joint letter to the Indian President spelling out the Sikh history and Politics and highlighted the issue of Khalistan.
They made no appeal to any higher court for Setting aside their Punishment or reducing it. Instead, they had asked Akali leaders not to make an issue of their death Sentence. Instead, they should cooperate with Bhai Daljit Singh to reorganize the Sikh movement for freedom.
Article extracted from this publication >> October 23, 1992
