SGPC chief backs Qaumi Insaaf Morcha’s August 15 protest march seeking release of Sikh prisoners
Harjinder Singh Dhami says the issue of Sikh prisoners who had completed their prescribed sentences but continued to remain incarcerated raised serious questions about the government’s approach towards them
Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) president Advocate Harjinder Singh Dhami on Friday extended support to the protest march being organised by the Qaumi Insaaf Morcha on August 15 from the protest site to the Governor House, seeking the release of Sikh prisoners who have spent prolonged periods in jail.
Dhami said the issue of Sikh prisoners who had completed their prescribed sentences but continued to remain incarcerated raised serious questions about the government’s approach towards them.
He said several Sikh prisoners, including Balwant Singh Rajoana, Jagtar Singh Hawara, Jagtar Singh Tara, Paramjit Singh Bheora, Prof Davinderpal Singh Bhullar and Gurdip Singh Khehra, had spent long periods behind bars.
Referring to Rajoana’s case, he said that despite observations by the Supreme Court, no decision had been taken by the government regarding the commutation of his death sentence.
Dhami also raised the issue of parole for Jagtar Singh Hawara, whose elderly mother is reportedly in critical health.
He said the relationship between a mother and son was sacred and it was not appropriate to restrict their meeting to just one day by imposing conditions when the mother was in the last phase of her life.
He urged the government to take a humanitarian decision and allow Hawara to meet his mother after a prolonged separation.
The SGPC president said the committee had consistently taken up the issue of Sikh prisoners and would continue its efforts for their release. He said SGPC representatives and officials had also attended an earlier meeting with the Qaumi Insaaf Morcha and assured it of support.
He said the cases of Sikh prisoners should not be viewed merely through the prism of legal procedures, but their humanitarian and constitutional aspects should also be given due consideration.
Dhami appealed to the Sikh community to support the peaceful and constitutional struggle being undertaken for the release of Sikh prisoners. He reiterated that the SGPC would continue to pursue the matter at its own level.
