FATEHGARH SAHIB In the memory of innocent Sikh victims of ‘politics of genocide’, a seminar was organized by pro-freedom Sikh organization Dal Khalsa on the subject of ‘The 40-years saga of extrajudicial killings and the changing facets of Sikh resistance’, in which the speakers expressed deep concern over the alarming situation arisen in the wake of extrajudicial killings of pro-freedom Sikh activists world over.  

Describing Canada’s accusation of Amit Shah’s alleged involvement in the extrajudicial killings of Sikhs as something very serious, the Dal Khalsa leaders requested the international community, especially the ‘Five Eyes’ alliance to investigate the accusation levelled by Canada and seek a response from the Government of India. Even the Prime Minister Narendra Modi owes the truthful answer to the Sikhs of Punjab, said Dal Khalsa president Harpal Singh Cheema.

The leaders of the organization clearly believed that the only solution to prevent the re-occurrence of massacres like November 1984 is the independence of Punjab from Indian hegemony. The organization had also put up big banners inside the Gurdwara complex to convey its message in this regard. A banner with a picture of India’s Home Minister Amit Shah and National Security Advisor Ajit Doval was put up on which it was written that “they are the brains behind India’s policy of transnational repression. Will the UN, UK and US hold them accountable?”

The organizers of the seminar said that due to the tireless efforts of the Sikh Diaspora, Nov 1984 Sikh massacre has been duly recognized as genocide by the Assemblies of California and Connecticut in America and Ontario Province in Canada. Thanking these states, Dal Khalsa appealed to the federal governments of Western and European countries to pass similar resolutions in their respective parliaments recognizing Sikh killings as “genocide”.

On Canada listing India in its adversary list after China, Iran, North Korea, the Dal Khalsa leaders squarely blamed India’s foreign minister for such mess, who not only rejected but also downplayed Justin Trudeau’s repeated appeals to Indian leadership to cooperate in the investigation of Hardeep Singh Nijjar murder case.

Organization leader Kanwarpal Singh hits out at the successive governments formed in New Delhi. “First, they called us terrorist. Now they added a new name “Gangster” with us. First, they put a Pakistani tag on us. Now they had placed a Canadian tag on us. And all this was being done to malign our image world-over to portray Sikh struggle for independence with communal & violent brush”.

Party President Harpal Singh Cheema emphasized on the need to challenge and counter the narrative created by the state to defame Sikh cause.

“Our Quam has an agenda, and we have our rightful aspirations and desires. There should be a political solution to the Punjab problem, and this should be done under the aegis of the UN through the right to self-determination law”, working President Paramjit Singh Mand said while addressing.

Human rights defender Professor Jagmohan Singh, Amrit Kaur daughter of Shaheed Beant Singh, SGPC member Karnail Singh Panjoli, Ravinderpal Singh Khalsa,  and district court lawyers participated in the event. A large number of youths associated with United Sikh Students Federation (USSF) led by Gurlal Singh and members of student organization SATH led by Jujhar Singh participated in the seminar. 

After the seminar, a prayer was held at the historical Gurdwara Sahib, to pay homage to thousands of innocent Sikh men, women and children who were butchered by frenzied mobs under the full patronage of the state.