CHANDIGARH Despite restrictions of the Indian government, pro-freedom Sikh activists on Saturday succeeded in taking out protest marches in Punjab on the eve of Indian Republic Day (Jan 26) and reiterated demand for Punjab’s sovereignty. 

Punjab Police imposed restrictions on taking out march at Gurdaspur by detaining the Sikh leaders under preventive custody and putting some leaders under house arrest.

The protest march was scheduled to be taken out in Gurdaspur town on the eve of Republic Day. Shiromani Akali Dal (Amritsar) leader Imaan Singh Mann and Dal Khalsa leader Paramjit Singh Tanda along with hundreds of other activists gathered at a gurdwara in the town. They delivered speeches in the gurdwara. When they started the march, the Police detained them and took them to Police station. 

On the other hand, Dal Khalsa leader Kanwarpal Singh and Sikh Youth Federation Bhindranwale leader Ranjit Singh were put under house by the Police at Amritsar to prevent them from heading toward Gurdaspur to join the march. 

Similarly, the Police detained Sikh activists in Mansa. Yet many Sikh activists succeeded in taking out the procession.

However, the Sikhs successfully took out the march in Jalandhar. 

Regretting that the present constitution of India denies minorities their democratic rights including right to self-determination as recognized under International law, the Sikh leaders including Harpal Singh Cheema, Paramjit Singh Mand and Harcharan Singh Dhami said, “The history of this region with the Republic of India was a book stained with much blood and tears of Sikhs”. 

Slamming the present dispensation, the Sikh organisations reasserted that there was no let up in states “indifferent” and “repressive” approach towards struggling people’s rather it had become more intolerant towards minorities. 

On the eve of India’s 76th republic day, the activists of both the pro-freedom groups marched carrying placards and saffron flags demonstrating against “wrongs and denials” of the Indian Constitution. The march started from Gurdwara Patshahi Nauvi and culminated at Dr Ambedkar chowk. The activists raised pro-Khalistan and pro-Azadi slogans. 

To drive their point home, they slammed Punjab govt for detaining scores of their activists including Kanwar Pal Singh, Hardeep Singh Mehraj preventing them from participating in marches in their respective region. “We have been shouting from rooftops that Indian state is crushing dissent by using their police forces and today the state administration has proven that”, said Mand and added that Gurdaspur administration has arrested their activists including Emaan Singh Mann, Paramjit Singh Tanda’s while they came out of gurdwara to start the march. 

Denouncing tricolour and constitution, the Dal Khalsa leaders termed Jan 26 as day of Constitutional slavery and reiterated their commitment for free Punjab from Indian by exercising right to self-determination under UN. 

Both the radical bodies demanded referendum in Punjab under the United Nations (UN).

They alleged that India claims to be the largest democracy but was subverting the spirit of the Constitution and riparian principles.

“We urge the UN to impress upon the Indian parliamentarians to amend the Constitution to grant the states the right to self-determination”, they said.

Explaining as to why their groups were protesting  against Jan 26, Mand said present day government in Delhi has devised new strategy to target Khalistani activists extrajudicially on foreign shores, stringent laws like UAPA were being misused to keep Sikh dissidents under detention, Panjab river waters were being looted by subverting the Constitution, denial of justice to those Sikhs who fell into the bullets of security forces and for unequal laws and rules for Sikh prisoners.