CHANDIGARH, India: March 27, Reuter: The Indian government has released seven more Sikh leaders from detention without trial in a renewed bid to make the freedom fighters in the North Indian State of Punjab give up their separatist demand for Khalistan
Police in the State capital Chandigarh said on Sunday three leaders were released on Sunday and two each on Saturday and Friday from jails in Punjab.
Indian authorities detained hundreds of Sikhs after the Indian army stormed the Golden Temple in Amritsar, Sikhdom’s holiest shrine, in June, 1984.
Gandhi earlier this month freed five Sikh high priests and more than 40 detainees.
The seven freed this week included Mohkam Singh, a freedom fighter leader influential with the five member Panthic Committee, the policy making body of proseparatist groups, and Narinder Singh, a retired army Major General who had been jailed for making antigovernment speeches, police said.
Government officials said the releases this month were intended to cut support for the separatist campaign which has claimed more than 400 lives so far this year, compared to 1,200 for the whole of 1987.
Article extracted from this publication >> April 1, 1988
