A former Sikh separatist leader Satwinder Singh Bhola, 52 was stabbed to death by unidentified assailants outside his apartment in the US city of Illinois. Local police has launched a massive manhunt to nab the assailants. The police have not been able to determine the cause of his murder. However, my instinct says that there can be various reasons behind his murder as he was nominated as the spokesperson of All India Sikh Student Federation at the peak of militancy in Punjab. Post operation Blue Star in Amritsar, he served a two-year jail sentence. After being released from the jail, Bhola moved to California and from there he moved to Chicago where he was in the hotel business. He was a son-in-law of Bapu Surat Singh Khalsa, who is on hunger strike in Punjab demanding the release of 82 Sikhs lodged in various jails of the country. On 16 January 2015, Khalsa began a hunger strike which is still continues. This might be another pressure tactics to create stress to the fasting activist.
Surat Singh Khalsa has refused food and water for more than 8 months to seek the release of Sikh political prisoners who have completed their court sentences. He has also called for unconditional release of prisoners of all religions who have completed their terms. On 11 February 2015, Khalsa wrote an open letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi explaining the motive of his hunger strike. In his letter, Khalsa summed up his demands in two points.
A number of Sikh Political Prisoners are languishing in jails despite having completed their sentences. Many of these prisoners are released on parole on yearly basis. These prisoners can be granted permanent parole or be released on bail as there are no pending charges against them. In addition, Surat Singh Khalsa is seeking release of senior citizens based on humanitarian grounds. There are at least 8 such prisoners who have been sentenced under the Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act for their involvement in a bank robbery case that took place in Ludhiana. This law has already lapsed and has been deemed as controversial by human rights organizations, as well as the United Nations.
Soon after writing letter to Modi, the local authorities used torture tactics on Surat Singh Khalsa at the Civil Hospital in Ludhiana. He was forcibly fed glucose and his hands and legs have been tied to the hospital bed. Surat Singh Khalsa whom people call as Bapuji was almost unconscious when he was tied up, but with whatever energy he had left, he resisted glucose tubes. His followers and supporters expressed their desire to meet the ailing Bapu but the senior police officer present in the hospital refused them bluntly. The attitude and behaviour of the state government and the police towards Babu and his supporters was venomous and malicious. The manner in which the police has cracked down, conducted midnight raids on political activists shows that there was no room for disagreement. No mainstream media has ever highlighted the struggle of Khalsa, there was no outrage and absolutely no noise when the old man suffered various atrocities by government authorities. I am yet to understand why media is too much biased when it comes to Punjab. Hardly there is any news about this incidence.
Surat Singh Khalsa has been involved with human rights activism since early 1970s. Ever since being initiated as a Khalsa in 1972, Surat Singh Khalsa has advocated human rights, and spoke out against injustices to Sikhs and other minorities living in India.
He resigned his post as government teacher on June 5, 1984 in the aftermath of Operation Bluestar in June 1984, and continued his advocacy for human rights. He remained active in the UAD until late 1987. During a protest rally at Punjab Legislative Assembly in February 1986, an unprovoked police firing resulted in Surat Singh Khalsa being hit by a bullet on his legs. He continued to remain politically active and has been detained in various jails, including Chandigarh, Nabha, Patiala and Amritsar in Punjab, as well as Kurukshetra, Rohtak and Ambala in Haryana during 1980s. He immigrated to the USA and became a Green Card holder in 1988. His five daughters and only son, are US nationals. He continued to remain active towards Sikh political issues and is frequently travelling to Punjab from the USA.
After Amb Sahib Morcha of November 2013 and Lakhnaur Sahib campaign in November 2014, Surat Singh Khalsa decided to stand up for those detained unconstitutionally. During the first campaign for the release of Sikh political prisoners, Mr. Khalsa had announced that if anything will happen to Bhai Gurbaksh Singh Khalsa, he would personally go on indefinite fast-onto-death until Sikh political prisoners are released. He is fasting since then and no matter whatsoever pressures he has to go through he never surrendered to the forces. I hope this government and media will pay attention to his suppressed voice and help him seek justice.
