SSP Suspended in Gurdaspur due to Sikh Sangat Pressure and Other Updates

News has started to trickle on this day that Bhai Balwant Singh Rajoana was initially scheduled to be hung.  Due to the stay ordered by President Patil of India, there is an indefinite delay.

On Gurdaspur

News media are reporting the Punjab Police has suspended SSP (Senior Superintendent of Police) of Gurdaspur, Varinder Singh, for the shooting and has registered a case against the DSP (Deputy Superintendent of Police).  This has only occurred due to the pressure of the sangat, especially that of Jaspal Singh’s family, who have refused to perform the cremation until the arrest of the Shiv Sainiks and police officials.  According to some reports via Facebook (so read with caution) heads of the Sant Samaj coalition along with Jathedar Gurbachan Singh had started a dharna along with Jaspal Singh’s family calling for the police officers that ordered the firing to be punished.  Badal was against this action by Gurbachan Singh, but Gurbachan Singh and heads of the Sant Samaj threatened to call for a bandh in Gurdaspur, if action was not taken.  Badal then conceded to the request and brought about the orders against some police officers, though I have not heard anything about charges or FIRs against the Shiv Sainiks.  If this is true, expect Prakash Badal to REIGN in his appointee – Gurbachan Singh – and for him to better play the role of a puppet.  Gurbachan Singh knows who pulls his strings and this act of independence will be punished.  Expect more pro-Badal quotes and a calling for an end to all events.  We would do well to begin ignoring him.

Other news in Punjab

Members of the Sikh Channel were detained by Punjab Police for four hours.  This is a serious blow against freedom of the press.  While we are excited that they have been released, we hope that UK Sikhs put full pressure on the UK Foreign Office to reprimand the Indian Government on such matters.  When UK journalists were captured in Iraq, Libya, and other war-zones, the Foreign Office helped put pressure for their release.  We would expect them to lodge a complaint against Indian officials in this matter as well.  If someone from the UK is drafting a letter and would like to share, please send us the link.

In the Diaspora

Pictures of events continue to come in and spread on social media.  We congratulate our brothers and sisters in UK and Canada for their various youth events yesterday.

Some On-Going Discussions and On Education

Currently a number of petitions are circulating about calling for Bhai Balwant Singh Rajoana to be named Akal Takht Jathedar.  See one such petition here.  The Singh Sabha Gurdwara of Southall recently passed a mata in this direction.  I will address some of these notes in a future post, as well as the problem of multiple messaging.

One of the most important things for us to do is educate our community.  Having attended various rallies, you see the spirit of the Sikhs regenerated.  Such is the Wonder (Gazab) of the Shaheed.  However, there is a thirst for knowledge.  Now is the time to educate a new generation of Sikhs.  Friends at the Jakara Movement have organized such functions in four cities this week in California.  They have sent me their powerpoint and are sharing it with others.  They have stated that others are welcome to use or edit it for their own purposes.  Let us know what you are doing in your own community.

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