हिंदी
(Decision taken by core committee to write to Ms Murmu to apprise her about sentiments of the Sikh community)
Chandigarh, July 13 – The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) today appealed to National Democratic Alliance (NDA) presidential candidate Draupadi Murmu to take a personal interest in securing the release of all Sikh detenues languishing in prisons even after completion of their life sentences as well as consider the clemency appeal of Bhai Balwant Singh Rajoana pending in the office of the President once she is elected as the high office.
The appeal was made following a decision in this regard at a meeting of the party’s core committee headed by president Sukhbir Singh Badal.
In a letter to the presidential candidate, the SAD expressed confidence that Ms Murmu, who represented the cause of the minorities, exploited and backward classes, would help in resolving pending issues of the Sikh community, particularly the release of Sikh detenues.
The appeal asserts that the continued incarceration of Sikh detenues even after completion of their life sentences was a cause of grave concern to Sikhs worldwide and they were hopeful she would resolve this issue to the satisfaction of the community.
Giving details, the letter said foremost was the case of Bhai Balwant Singh Rajoana who was languishing in jail for the last 28 years. It said Bhai Rajoana’s death sentence was commuted to life by the union government in 2019 on the occasion of 550th birth anniversary of Sri Guru Nanak Dev ji. It said besides this a clemency petition with regard to Bhai Rajoana was also pending with the office of the President since 2012.
It also detailed how the union government had also decided to release eight other Sikh detenues serving life sentences on the occasion of the 550th birth anniversary of Guru Sahib but this was also pending. The communication said those due for release included Prof Devinderpal Singh Bhullar who’s file for release was pending with the Delhi government since the last eight months awaiting the signature of chief minister Arvind Kejriwal. It said other detenues awaiting release included Jagtar Singh Hawara, Paramjit Singh Bheora, Jagtar Singh Tara, Lakhwinder Singh Lakha, Gurmeet Singh and Shamsher Singh, all of whom are languishing in prison since 1995. Another detenue – Gurdeep Singh Khaira is incarcerated in the Amritsar Central Jail since 1990 (32 years).
Expressing faith that as a representative of the weak and oppressed sections of society Ms Murmu would understand the pain of the Sikh community and take appropriate action, the letter said the SAD had always been guided by the principles placed before humanity by the great Guru Sahiban and that it were these ideals which had inspired the party to support her candidature. It also informed Ms Murmu that the party had a hundred year old glorious past during the course of which it had participated in various pro-people movements. “SAD has acted as a bulwark against attempts to throttle democracy by former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi through the draconian Emergency. The SAD has also always protected the regional aspirations of the people of Punjab be it those linked with their language or its River waters. It also represents the Sikh community and its aspirations worldwide”, the latter added. EOM
