JALANDHAR – The North American Punjabi Association (NAPA) has written to the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights to intervene into the illegal detainment of Sikh prisoners who are still being held captive by the Indian government even after completion of their jail term.
Referring to the case of 80-year-old Sikh activist and US-based NRI Bapu Surat Singh Khalsa, who is on hunger strike since January 16 at Ludhiana, NAPA has demanded the commission to immediately provide redressal to his concern of Sikh detainees.
In a letter written to Ivan Šimonovic, Assistant Secretary-General for Human Rights, the United Nations, NAPA executive director Satnam Singh Chahal has demanded that all Sikh prisoners, who are either undertrial or are serving the sentence pertaining to Sikh struggle, should be given the status of political prisoners in India.
“Most of these prisoners are above the age of 65 years and are physical weak. If the Centre can take the ordinance route on key issues such as land law, what prevents state governments to initiate simple measures to release political prisoners on humanitarian grounds?” asked Chahal.
