CHANDIGARH: Ahead of the scheduled march by several Sikh organisations, led by the Quami Insaf Morcha from Mohali to Punjab Lok Bhawan in Chandigarh on August 15, seeking the release of Bandi Sikhs (Sikh prisoners) who have been incarcerated for prolonged periods, Jagtar Singh Hawara, a convict in the assassination of former Punjab Chief Minister Beant Singh, has appealed for a peaceful protest.
In a video message released by the Quami Insaf Morcha late on Thursday evening, Hawara, who is currently lodged in a prison in Delhi, urged those participating in the march to follow the directions of Morcha leaders and ensure that no untoward incident takes place.
In the two-minute video, which was apparently shot inside the prison, Hawara appealed to his supporters to strictly follow the directions of the Morcha leaders and ensure the protest remained peaceful.
“I appeal to all those participating in the march being organised by the Quomi Insaf Morcha to ensure that it remains peaceful. The morcha has been continuing at the Chandigarh-Mohali border for four years. It is your duty to ensure that no untoward incident occurs on August 15,’’ he said.
Hawara said he was in high spirits and thanked everyone for their prayers for his well-being. “Guru Sahib kripa karenge,’’ he added, as he appeared to be reading out his address to his supporters.
Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) president Harjinder Singh Dhami on Thursday extended support to the protest march being organised by the Qaumi Insaaf Morcha on August 15.
He said the issue of Sikh prisoners who had completed their prescribed sentences but continued to remain incarcerated raised serious questions about the government’s approach towards them.
Dhami added that several Sikh prisoners, including Balwant Singh Rajoana, Jagtar Singh Hawara, Jagtar Singh Tara, Paramjit Singh Bheora, Prof Davinderpal Singh Bhullar and Gurdip Singh Khehra, had spent long periods behind bars.
He also raised the issue of parole for Hawara, whose elderly mother is reportedly in critical health. Referring to Rajoana’s case, Dhami added that despite observations by the Supreme Court, no decision had been taken by the government regarding the commutation of his death sentence.
Earlier, Hawara had sought 10 days’ parole to meet his ailing and elderly mother, but was offered parole for a day, which he refused.
Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann had also written to and met Punjab Governor Gulab Chand Kataria, urging that Hawara be granted parole on humanitarian grounds. Senior BJP leader and former Union minister of state for railways Ravneet Singh Bittu, the grandson of Beant Singh, has also pushed for his parole.
Shiromani Akali Dal (Punar Surjit) president Giani Harpreet Singh said the party would participate in the August 15 march.
“Balwant Singh Rajoana, convicted in the 1995 assassination case of then Punjab chief minister Beant Singh, has been in prison for the past 31 years. Awarded the death sentence in 2007, he has since remained confined to a death-row cell. Another convict in the same case, Jagtar Singh Hawara’s mother, is ailing, yet he has not even been granted parole. The governments have stopped listening to the demands. The party has decided to participate in the programme announced by the Qaumi Insaaf Morcha on August 15,’’ he said.
