Sikh Folk Hero Fired

jarnailsinghcloseup.jpgIn a previous blog, I wrote about Jarnail Singh Journalist – Sikh Folk Hero.  I also mentioned about his action as an act of rebellion that needs the support and institutions to become a revolution.  In this post, he, himself, needs support.

Unfortunately this week, as he flung his shoe demanding justice, he, himself, was victimized as he was terminated from the Hindi news daily Dainak Jagran, after more than a decade of service.

“As a journalist, I regret what I have done. It was not proper for a journalist to act in that manner. I was emotionally overtaken and exasperated, just like so many Sikhs are,” he said today.

“But I thought the chapter was closed because of the way the home minister had reacted and had accepted that not enough people (who were behind the killing of Sikhs in 1984) had been punished,” Jarnail said.

“Now I feel that I am being victimised, punished for raising my voice against the injustice of 1984 and the CBI’s and the government’s unwillingness to prosecute those who were responsible for it”, Jarnail said. He said he was even more resolute now.[link]

While maybe not unexpected, now is the time for members of the community to stand up.  Jarnail Singh Journalist is not looking for monetary rewards or even cheap fame – he rejected an offer by some of the Akali Dal factions to become a party member.  However, he does need a Sikh-conscious newspaper editor/proprietor to hire him for his merit and a Sikh public to clamor for his hire.

It is rare that we have such a genuine Sikh Folk Hero.  It is time the community begins to honor him with more than mere words.  His family will depend on it.


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14 Responses to “Sikh Folk Hero Fired”

  1. As then, I thought about Journalist Jarnail Singh, please refer my all comments at INDIA TODAY:

    Who is Jarnail Singh?

    INDIA

    TODAY
    http://indiatoday.intoday.in/election2009/index.p

    http://www.hotklix.com/?ref=link/493494

    The Non-Party Journalist-Jarnail Singh

    My articles including, ‘No Punishment for ‘The Sikh Carnage1984’ To the Culprits, the Reason behind the Psyche of State Terrorism’ since long, reminding to all governments of India to address the grievances and the demands of Sikhs as were promised before independence of India and provide justice for the, intentionally and deliberately, committed unbearable excesses against Sikhs in so named independent India but all in vain.

    The non-party journalist like me was perturbed to notice no action being taken by the government (s) even after the Sikh riot victims had been waiting for justice for 25 years and send a strong signal and reminder as Jarnail Singh rightly said: ” My method (of throwing a shoe) could be wrong, but not my cause. Balbir Singh Sooch, Advocate, Ludhiana

    (2)

    No body should across the lines being set in Jarnail Singh’s statement(s) to take advantage of dramatic shoe attack on Home Minister P. Chidambaram painfully in violation of the ethics of his profession for a justifiable cause by him.

    To maintain the balance between the ethics and a justifiable cause not so easy and is always painful.

    Let only Jarnail Singh explain the pain and he rightly asked political parties to come out with a law against communal violence.

    I am happy that Jarnail Singh is neither belonging to any party nor echoing any political line as a journalist but he did it for the right cause in face of injustice to Sikhs affected by the planned 1984 violence continuously for three days after the assassination of then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.

    Balbir Singh Sooch-Sikh Vichar Manch, Ludhiana, April 8, 2009: 23:26 IST

    And for more similar comments………

  2. As then, I thought about Journalist Jarnail Singh, please refer my all comments at INDIA TODAY:
    Who is Jarnail Singh?
    INDIA
    TODAY
    http://indiatoday.intoday.in/election2009/index.php?option=com_registration&task=isay_comments&id=35738&issueid=100

    http://www.hotklix.com/?ref=link/493494

    The Non-Party Journalist-Jarnail Singh

    My articles including, ‘No Punishment for ‘The Sikh Carnage1984’ To the Culprits, the Reason behind the Psyche of State Terrorism’ since long, reminding to all governments of India to address the grievances and the demands of Sikhs as were promised before independence of India and provide justice for the, intentionally and deliberately, committed unbearable excesses against Sikhs in so named independent India but all in vain.

    The non-party journalist like me was perturbed to notice no action being taken by the government (s) even after the Sikh riot victims had been waiting for justice for 25 years and send a strong signal and reminder as Jarnail Singh rightly said: ” My method (of throwing a shoe) could be wrong, but not my cause. Balbir Singh Sooch, Advocate, Ludhiana
    (2)
    No body should across the lines being set in Jarnail Singh’s statement(s) to take advantage of dramatic shoe attack on Home Minister P. Chidambaram painfully in violation of the ethics of his profession for a justifiable cause by him.
    To maintain the balance between the ethics and a justifiable cause not so easy and is always painful.
    Let only Jarnail Singh explain the pain and he rightly asked political parties to come out with a law against communal violence.
    I am happy that Jarnail Singh is neither belonging to any party nor echoing any political line as a journalist but he did it for the right cause in face of injustice to Sikhs affected by the planned 1984 violence continuously for three days after the assassination of then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.
    Balbir Singh Sooch-Sikh Vichar Manch, Ludhiana, April 8, 2009: 23:26 IST
    And for more similar comments………

  3. sonny says:

    thanks for the update. this is terrible news. though he has it much easier than the iraqi journalist sentenced to 3 years of incarceration (and has been subjected to torture and horrible conditions), this sends a very clear message about the place of dissent, and rebellion, in indian society/politics.

  4. sonny says:

    thanks for the update. this is terrible news. though he has it much easier than the iraqi journalist sentenced to 3 years of incarceration (and has been subjected to torture and horrible conditions), this sends a very clear message about the place of dissent, and rebellion, in indian society/politics.

  5. Najam Sethi should give him a position at the Daily Times.

  6. Najam Sethi should give him a position at the Daily Times.

  7. Harinder says:

    Sikh heros and sheros have lost their lives for eternal Sikh values one of them being "Divine Justice".

    He has only lost a job so dont get so worked up.

    Waheguru looks after all his children for he is "Mehraban".

  8. Harinder says:

    Sikh heros and sheros have lost their lives for eternal Sikh values one of them being “Divine Justice”.
    He has only lost a job so dont get so worked up.
    Waheguru looks after all his children for he is “Mehraban”.

  9. Ravinder Singh (Aust says:

    How do we help him? He is after all a fellow brother & i'm sure he has a family to feed…

  10. Ravinder Singh (Australia) says:

    How do we help him? He is after all a fellow brother & i’m sure he has a family to feed…

  11. Jarnail Singh hit the target he had in mind

    Remember Jarnail Singh? He is the man who hurled a shoe at Home Minister P. Chidambaram. He chose the wrong victim because Chidambaram had done him no harm, nor had he anything to do with what had riled Jarnail. However, he hit the target he had in mind. It were the leaders of the Congress who had chosen Jagdish Tytler and Sajjan Singh to be its candidates for two seats for the Lok Sabha elections to come. There was such an uproar for his unpardonable professional misconduct that both names had to be withdrawn from the contest. Jarnail Singh is going to be in the news again. Penguin (India) has signed a contract with him to tell his story, and why he did what he did.

  12. Jarnail Singh hit the target he had in mind

    Remember Jarnail Singh? He is the man who hurled a shoe at Home Minister P. Chidambaram. He chose the wrong victim because Chidambaram had done him no harm, nor had he anything to do with what had riled Jarnail. However, he hit the target he had in mind. It were the leaders of the Congress who had chosen Jagdish Tytler and Sajjan Singh to be its candidates for two seats for the Lok Sabha elections to come. There was such an uproar for his unpardonable professional misconduct that both names had to be withdrawn from the contest. Jarnail Singh is going to be in the news again. Penguin (India) has signed a contract with him to tell his story, and why he did what he did.