Photo Source: Babushahi Bureau
Release all political prisoners if India wants to improve its estranged ties with religious & ethnic minorities-Dal Khalsa
Babushahi Bureau
Chandigarh, December 10, 2022: : Dedicating this year's Human Rights day to Political prisoners languishing in jails across India, Dal Khalsa organized an assembly of delegates of struggling nationalities, minorities and peoples today at Kendri Singh Sabha.
In a significant development, Representatives from Nagaland, Tamil Nadu, Kashmir, Delhi and Punjab urged the present Indian dispensation to release all political prisoners, who went to jails while fighting for a political cause and ideology, in case India wants to improve its estranged ties with the nationalities and religious and ethnic minorities.
Human rights defenders, lawyers, students, political and religious activists all were unanimous in demanding the release of political prisoners blaming the Union govt for doing grave injustice to them.
The gathering of struggling minority communities – Kashmiris, Sikhs, Tamils, Nagas and others – today, deliberated upon the deteriorating human rights situation in India and urged the United Nations to intervene to restore and uphold the UN charter on human rights in this region.
The conclave took strong note of rights abuses, police excesses, misuse of NIA and draconian laws like UAPS, growing intolerance and centralization process of the Indian state and expressing solidarity with struggling nationalities, peoples and regional identities.
The speakers at the conclave alleged that Indian security establishment continues to mock UN Human Rights Charter.
Dal Khalsa president Harpal Singh Cheema said rights of struggling peoples, nationalities & minorities were being trampled and voices curbed. Taking a dig at rulers, he said in India, no rights for minorities, rights were only the privilege of the majority.
SGPC former general secretary Karnail Singh Pancholi, Advocate Bhagwant Singh Sialka, Advocate Amar Singh Chahal, Advocate Navkiran Singh, Advocate Mandeep Sidhu, Advocate Simerjit Singh, Kendri Singh Sabha secretary Kaushal Singh, Rajinder Singh, Jaspal Singh Dhillon, Angad Singh Khalsa and Shahid Salim from Kashmir, Navneet Singh from Delhi spoke on the occasion. SGPC put up a desk outside hall to get signatures from guests and participants in favour of release of Bandi Singh’s.
The participants said today’s India is fast degenerating into a totalitarian and majoritarian state where freedom of expression, right to dissent and right to privacy is severely undermined and harassment, torture and arrests are widespread.
They said the repeal of Articles 370 and 35A followed by curbing of civil liberties and fake encounters is a testament to how totalitarianism and majoritarian regimes distort civil liberties.
The speakers said the apathy of the Indian government towards the anti-CAA movement continues, political prisoners continue to languish in jails across the country, Muslims and Dalits continue to live in a climate of fear due to a sustained hate narrative against them. Asif Iqbal a Jamia student, who was imprisoned last year for protesting against CAA, attended the conclave.
Students from Sath and SFS also participated and spoke. Jeeva Dawning from Tamil party named Naam Tamilar Party addressed the occasion.
Neingulo Krome, Secretary of the Nagaland organisation NPMHR, said though the New Delhi had termed the Nagaland civilian killings last year by Indian Army as a case of mistaken identity, it was a totally fabricated operation that claimed innocent lives.
The former secretary general of the organization, Dr Veenuh said after the abolition of Article 370 and 35A in Jammu and Kashmir, the Indian government had turned a blind eye towards the Indo-Naga framework agreement signed between Government of India led by PM Narendra Modi and the National Socialist Council of Nagaland in 2015.
From Tamil Nadu Kalanchiyam M (Tamil Film Director and President of Tamil Welfare Association ) and Muthupandi M ( President of Maruthu People Movement) also attended.