Create movement to ensure release of Sikh prisoners: Sukhbir
Darpan News Desk IANS, 04 May, 2022 09:56 AM
Chandigarh, May 4 (IANS) Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) President Sukhbir Singh Badal on Wednesday appealed to all Panthic organisations to unite on a common platform to create a movement to ensure the release of 'bandi-Sikhs' (Sikh prisoners), who have been languishing in jail even after expiry of their life sentences.
Addressing the media here, Badal appealed to the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) President to take the lead and call a meeting of Panthic organisations to devise a joint strategy to fulfill the demand of Punjabis worldwide to free the Sikh prisoners on humanitarian grounds.
"We may have individual and political differences, but let us shed them aside for the cause of the bandi Sikhs," he said.
He asserted that the coordinated approach would be adopted in consultation with all Panthic organisations and parties as well as Singh Sabhas and the Sant Samaj. This could include leading a delegation to the Prime Minister to ensure the speedy release of the Sikh prisoners, Badal said.
He thanked Akal Takth jathedar, Giani Harpreet Singh, for taking the lead in this direction by setting the tone for Panthic unity on this crucial issue which concerned the sentiments of Sikhs worldwide.
Asserting that the release of the 'bandi Sikhs' was a long pending issue and that the entire Khalsa panth as well as Punjabis in general were pained at the delay being shown in releasing them, Badal said it was most unfortunate that the release was not taking place despite a national commitment made by the Union government in this regard by approving the release of Sikh prisoners on the occasion of the 550th Parkash Purb of Guru Nanak Dev in October 2019.
He said around 50 Sikh prisoners were incarcerated in various jails across the country and they should all be released immediately.
Badal said the way had also been cleared for the release of Balwant Singh Rajoana whose death sentence was commuted to life imprisonment by the Union government in 2019 even as the Supreme Court had commuted Bhullar's death sentence to life on the grounds of inordinate delay in deciding his mercy petition.
He said it was unfortunate that Rajoana was not being released even while the Supreme Court had directed the Central government to take a decision on his mercy petition.
"Similarly the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government of Delhi is blocking the release of Bhullar with the government's sentence review board not taking a decision in the matter. AAP convener Arvind Kejriwal and Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann owe an explanation on this count to the Sikh community," he added.
The demands included an FIR and strict action against SDM Ayush Sinha, who on August 28 instructed the police to beat the protesting farmers. A video-clip of Sinha ordering the force to smash the farmers' heads had stirred a row after it went viral on social media.
Amid farmers protest in Karnal, former Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda said on Wednesday that the government should avoid confrontation with the farmers and find amicable solution. He said confrontation is not good as farmers have every right to protest peacefully for their demands.
This agreement would set an institutional mechanism for partnership and cooperation between India and Portugal on sending and accepting Indian workers and a Joint Committee will be set up to follow up the implementation of the same.
These internal differences notwithstanding, the Taliban are reaching out to regional/global powers underlining their desire to build "good relations" with the neighbouring countries, especially China which has "always contributed" to the Afghan economy, as well as with Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Iran, India and Uzbekistan.
Jorhat district police chief Ankur Jain said that the police and the disaster management personnel located the capsized boat about 350 metres from the riverbank.
Demanding the MSP of wheat to be fixed at Rs 2,830 per quintal (as against present Rs 2,015 per quintal), Amarinder Singh said the farmers should not be forced to subsidise the consumers, which they have been doing since long.
