SAS Nagar, Punjab (December 04, 2013): As per recent information the “Bandi Singhs Rihai March” carried jointly by various Sikh bodies reached Amb Sahib Mohali at around 6:15 pm today. The march was initially stopped by the police at Amritsar but allowed to proceed afterwards. The scuffle between police and Sikhs at Amritsar turned had serious when Dastar of a Singh hold Nishan Sahib went off.
After negotiations the police officials regretted the incident and said that a departmental action shall be taken against guilty police personnel after holding an inquiry.
A police party led by a SP from Amritsar escorted the march to Mohali to avoid any ‘untoward incident’.
The march was aimed at highlighting the cause of Sikh political prisoners languishing in Indian jails since early-mid-1990s. Bhai Gurbakash Singh is observing fast unto death since November 14 seeking release of Sikh prisoners, who have served their prison sentence but still not released by respective State Governments. Forty-seven-year-old Gurbakash Singh, who belongs to Haryana, has sought the release of Lakhvinder Singh, Gurmeet Singh and Shamsher Singh, who have spent 18 years in prison in the case of assassination of former Chief Minister, Beant Singh. Similarly, he seeks the release of Lal Singh from Nabha Jail in Punjab and Gurdeep Singh from Karnataka, as they too had completed 20 years and 23 years in jail, respectively, after being convicted by different courts under the provisions of TADA.
The march that passed through Jandiala, Rayya, Beas, Kartarpur Sahib, Jalandhar, Phagwara, Gorayya, Phillaur, Ludhaina, Samrala and Kharrar, received tremendous response from the Sikh sangats. Many Sikhs joined the march mid-way.
As per information the march concluded at Gurdwara Amb Sahib, Mohali after performing ardas for the release of bandi Singhs.
Various Sikh leaders including Dal Khasla President Harcharan Jit Singh Dhammi, Akali Dal Panch Pardhani leader Bhai Harpal Singh Cheema, Baba Ram Singh of Damdami Taksal and Sikh preacher Baba Baljeet Singh Daduwal extended thanks to the Sikh sangat for their support. They also appealed to the Sikh sangat to continue to lend their support to Bhai Gurbaksh Singh in his struggle for the release Sikh political prisoners.