Author Hardeep Singh

AMRITSAR Upset over the apathetic attitude of Government of India in case of death sentence of Sikh political prisoner Balwant Singh Rajoana, the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) has decided to make request to Akal Takht Sahib, highest Sikh temporal seat, to give final call on the petition filed by the gurdwara body 12 years seeking commutation of the death sentence. 

The Government of India is not taking any decision on this petition and release of other Sikh prisoners despite repeated requests of the SGPC and issuing notification in 2019 in wake of 550^thbirth anniversary of Guru Nanak Sahib. 

Talking to the media after the SGPC executive meeting held on Friday, the SGPC President Harjinder Singh Dhami said that the Government of India is deliberately oppressing and doing injustice to the Sikhs. A big example of this is the discrimination adopted in the matter of releasing Sikh prisoners. 

He said that this matter was seriously discussed in the executive meeting and it was agreed that a detailed report should be sent to Akal Takht Sahib in this regard so that the Jathedars would provide lead according to the community’s sentiments.

He said that although the SGPC has been raising its voice for the release of Sikh prisoners for a long time and is taking up the matter at all levels, the sad aspect is that the five-member committee formed by Akal Takht Sahib to take up the cases of Rajoana and other Sikh prisoners with the Centre government, has not been given any positive response by the government despite continuous efforts made by the panel.

He said that in response to the letter sent to the Prime Minister for an appointment, his office asked the SGPC to contact the Home Minister’s office. After correspondence with the Ministry of Home Affairs, at the beginning of February of this year, the five-member panel was given a schedule for a meeting. However, this meeting was cancelled a day before the scheduled time and the SGPC had to cancel the booked flights. 

“Even after this, no response is given on continuous efforts to meet with the Home Minister. He said this negative attitude is not good. The SGPC executive strongly condemns this attitude and now it has been decided to send one final representation to the President of India, requesting to decide on the petition filed in the case of Bhai Rajoana in 2012”, said Dhami. 

The SGPC executive has increased the monthly honorarium of Rs 20,000 given to Sikh prisoners to Rs 40,000 per month.

The SGPC president also strongly criticized the Haryana government’s arbitrary re-nomination of members of the ad-hoc committee of the Haryana Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee. He said that the apprehension expressed by the SGPC earlier that the government would manage the Gurdwaras in Haryana in its way is proving to be true. He said the Haryana Gurdwara Committee formed by splitting the SGPC has become a government committee instead of being a Panthic body. The community should strongly oppose it so that the management of the Gurdwaras in Haryana can be done according to the Panthic sentiments.