Shadow Correspondent
RAJOURI May 12
While addressing a press conference of various Sikh organizations J&K , S. Sudershan Singh Wazir Chairman Sikh United Front J&K called upon the Government of India to immediately setup a Truth and Reconciliation Commission to probe in detail the killings in fake encounters in all the states of the country and the acts of genocide committed by the state and non state actors since 1980 till date and to locate and punish those who are found responsible for these heinous crimes. While quoting the recent submissions made by CBI to Punjab and Haryana High court in which investigating agency has said that it cannot investigate 6733 fake encounters committed by Punjab police since 1984 to 1995 as the time-lapse and fading of the memory of the witnesses are not allowing us to investigate the fake encounters properly. The investigating agency seems to be either incompetent or busy in other matters which are perhaps more important than looking into these heinous crimes. This is quite baffling that a premier investigating agency has filed such an affidavit before the Honorable High court and speaks volumes about the intentions and motive behind them While addressing the press conference Mr Wazir said that India is the largest democracy in the world which is going through a massive exercise of electoral process the biggest ever in the history of the world but Mr Wazir expressed his dismay on the political leaders of all political parties as none of them has made reference to this menace of killing youth and other people who, perhaps, raised their voices in a democratic system against the misdoings of the state and have been punished for speaking the truth and their families are made to suffer because all these encounters have led to deaths of thousands and thousands of people in various states whether it is Maharashtra ,Chhattisgarh West Bengal, Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and many others states and union territories of the country from time to time especially since 1980. Mr Wazir referred to the genocide during all the communal riots which have happened in various parts of the country during past decades since 1980 and said that the failure of the premier investigating agency to probe the Punjab fake encounters speaks volumes about the conditions prevailing in the nation. Mr Wazir further said that India is a country where the secularism is the ethos of every breath of Indians and they believe in the in Maryada of Shri Ramchandra ji, and sacrifices of the Sikhs guru, and the selfless services provided to the downtrodden and needy by their gurus in defending the culture and ethos of Bharat. He further referred to the role Christian missionaries in various far flung areas of the country where they are providing medical help and the education to downtrodden and the needy. The Islamic tradition of non violent Islam has also been providing selfless services to the civil society in India. Mr Wazir called upon all the right thinking people of the country to come forward and raise their voice against this menace of fake encounters and genocides happening anywhere in the great nation of India which is an embodiment of democracy and secularism. Wazir reminded the government about the long drawn agitation of mothers and daughters in Kashmir who have been agitating to look for their missing young children and nothing has come out about the disappearance of all those youth, Same as the case in the Punjab and many other regions of the country.
The Leaders of various Sikh organization said in one voice that Sikhs have been the defenders of the borders of the country and the rich culture and heritage of India even during Mughal era and British raj, the sacrifices of other martyrs belonging to all communities and religion of the country are commendable and should not be forgotten.
The leaders of these organization called upon the political establishments to immediately set up a Truth and Reconciliation Commission to be headed by a Supreme court judge who should look into all such pending disappearances, fake encounters, genocide, and all those innocent killings which have taken places in various parts of the country ever since 1980. The people and the agencies responsible for these acts should be identified and punished after the probe by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission Since the electoral process is on and the new Government will come into being in India after 4thof June, so we call upon all political parties to take a pledge that after the formation of new Government such a Commission would be announced as a top most priority. The other sikh organisations and leaders who participated in the press conference are S. Darbinder Singh President Shiromani Akali Dal J&K, S. Mohinder Singh Chief Organizer Bhai Kanhiaya Nishkam Sewa Society J&K and Ex-Member DGPC Jammu, S. Rajinder Singh General Secretary Shiromani Akali Dal J&K, S. Karan Singh Bali Member DGPC Jammu, S. Ravinder Singh Sarpanch and General Secretary Shiromani Akali Dal J&K, S. Sewak Singh Retired S.P, S. Rattan Singh, Prof. Yudhvir Singh Corporator, S. Charan Singh Bali, Convenor, Kashmir Province Shiromani Akali Dal J&K, S. Harpreet Singh Chhotu President Youth Akali Dal J&K, S. Surjeet Singh Kukoo Ex-President Sikh Naujawan Sabha, S. Manmohan Singh Chairman Gurdwara Singh Sabha Gole Gujral Jammu, S. Jagmohan Singh, President Gurdwara Sec-14 Nanak Nagar Jammu, S. Surinder Singh Dutt General Secretary Gurdwara Mata Gujar Kour Trikuta Nagar Jammu, S. Kulwant Singh, S. Rasbir Singh, Satinder Singh Sethi, S. Kultar Singh.
