VANCOUVER – Last weekend, thousands of Sikhs across Canada stood in solidarity with Bhai Daljit Singh Bittu and Bhai Kulbir Singh Barapind in Punjab.
A petition writing campaign to “Free the Singh” was launched across the country in Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, Toronto, and Montreal, and will continue on till next week. Canadian politicians will be receiving petitions from their constituents who are concerned of the well-being of these political prisoners in Punjab.
Canadian Sikh Coalition spokesperson Moninder Singh stated, “It was amazing to see our community come together and advocate for the protection of these men who are being subjected to cruel torture by the Indian police. Today was just the beginning. and we as a community know that in dealing with such an oppressive regime, it can be a long drawn out struggle. As we voice our discontent against systematic oppression within Punjab we will encounter many challenges, but these challenges are nothing we have not faced before and will not hold us back from campaigning for a free Punjab where the freedoms of all communities is guaranteed and not just scribbled on a piece of paper with no accountability. We have initiated dialogue with organizations such as Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, and we will continue to contact human rights organizations, and other international bodies that are related to this case. The Sikh diaspora will use all legal means to place pressure on the Indian government to ensure those who have committed these human rights violations are held to account.”
Petition signing will continue this weekend in Gurudwara’s across the country.
