Of 119 Sikhs languishing in jails, 96 are in Punjab: SGPC list

Neeraj Bagga

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, January 3

The politics over freeing of Sikh prisoners who have completed their jail term is set to intensify following the SGPC today releasing a list that says most such inmates are lodged in Punjab jails.

Accoring to the SGPC list, there are 119 Sikhs languishing in various jails of the country despite having completed their prison term. Of these, 96 Sikhs are lodged in jails of Punjab.

The SGPC has already written to Governors and CMs seeking their intervention.

State governments cannot act on their own to release such prisoners and have to take up the matter with the Union Government.

Sikh activist Gurbaksh Singh Khalsa has been fasting for over 50 days trying to draw the attention of governments to free such prisoners. Sympathetic to his cause are politicians cutting across party lines. In an attempt to edge out the radicals, the Punjab CM as well as Deputy CM have repeatedly been pleading with the Centre to hasten the process of releasing such prisoners.

Given the continuing tension between the ruling SAD and its alliance partner the BJP, the SGPC move appears to indicate hardening of the Akali stance as its leadership negotiates with the resurgent BJP and its fledgling government at the Centre.

While Nabha jails have 63 such prisoners, 13 are lodged in Amritsar, 11 in Kaputhala, six in Patiala, two in Ludhiana and one in Hoshiarpur.

Only 23 such Sikh prisoners are lodged in jails outside Punjab — seven in Sirsa, six in Tihar, 4 in Jammu, 3 at Burail and one each at Pilibhit, Gulbarg and Bikaner. Among Sikh prisoners lodged in various jails of Punjab are Balwant Singh Rajoana in Patiala, Lal Singh, Dilbagh Singh and Sarwan Singh, all in Nabha, Subeg Singh in Ludhiana and others.

The Punjab CM during his recent visit to Amritsar had said it was the responsibility of the Union Government to ensure early release of Sikhs languishing in jails. SGPC additional secretary Daljeet Singh Bedi said a delegation led by SGPC chief Avtar Singh Makkar would meet UP Governor Ram Naik on January 9 to ensure the release of 90-year old Waryam Singh, who has completed his prison term.