SOPW

SOPW appeals to the Saadh Sangat to come forward and donate for the Winter Clothing Appeal. This year the trial clothing campaign from last year has been fully launched at the auspicious time of year of Bandhi Chhor / Diwali. It is shocking, in the 21st century, that so many in our society struggle to stay warm and healthy during the coldest weather especially when these Panthic Gursikhs have endured the harshest tortures. Last year SOPW provided each prisoner in Tihar Jail (Delhi) with 2 complete track suit sets, 4 Tshirts, 4 vests, 4 pairs of socks, 1 shawl & 1 pair of trainers. SOPW will this year provide each prisoner we support in every prison across India with clothing and basic amenities so that they may feel - literally - the warmth of the Sangat's blessings. Please donate via: Web: www.Justgiving.com/SOPWWINTER Text: SOPW 13 £10 or £20 to 70070 Thank you. SOPW Team

The donation page for Bibi Gurjeet Kaur has now closed after reaching the goal of £1700. We humbly thank the Sangat who have donated and we will keep you informed of Bibi Ji's operation. A UK volunteer has gone out to India under their own expense to give Bibi Ji the funding required and also to document her case/story. SOPW have also started a monthly pension to support Bibi Ji and this way we can keep regular contact and advise the Sangat of any updates. Once again thank you for supporting SOPW's work and we hope that you continue to do so. To support any other projects, please log on to www.Prisonerwelfare.com or donate monthly, however small, you can do so by logging on to www.Jusgiving.com/SOPW. Waheguru Ji Ka Khalsa Waheguru Ji Ki Fathe

The Sikh Organisation for Prisoners Welfare (S.O.P.W) would like to bring to your attention the current situation of Bibi Gurjeet Kaur who has suffered over 23 years of torture. Background Bibi Gurjeet Kaur was arrested in 1988 and spent two years in prison; one year at Nabha Jail and two years at Sangrur Jail. Upon her release, she was then arrested again in 1990 in Ferozepur and spent nine months and seven days in prison. Please note, during her ordeal in prison, she was subjected to third degree torture. This was not the end of her suffering. Bibi Gurjeet Kaur’s Husband, 4 sons and her daughter were killed by the police, within the year of her release. Their details are as follows: Name Relationship Age Date of Death Additional Comments Gurmej Singh Husband 42 05/01/1990 Body was not released Tarlokh Singh Son 23 18/03/1991 Body was released KashmirSingh Son 21 03/04/1991 Body was not released Jasvinder Kaur Daughter 21 18/03/1991 Body was released Jaspal Singh Son 18 21/09/1991 Body was not released Daljinder Singh* Son 14 Unknown Body was not released * Disappeared on 3/11/91. He was taken into police custody and tortured for 11 days in Ferozepur jail. Bibi Gurjeet Kaur was told by the authorities that Daljinder Singh was killed in a fake ‘Police encounter.’ Current Situation Bibi Gurjeet Kaur is now 65 years old and has one remaining daughter; Bibi Sharanjeet Kaur. Bibi Sharanjeet Kaur was 13 years old during the time of the massacre; she is now 33 years old and married. Even till this day, the mother and daughter are still being harassed by the police and no organisation has intervened to support this family. Bibi Gurjeet Kaur lost her home, her land and her family; she is now living alone, in a small room in her local Gurdwara. Due to the horrendous conditions Bibi Gurjeet Kaur lived and survived through during her time in prison; she continues to suffer in continuous anguish as well as physical misery. Bibi Gurjeet Kaur now has been diagnosed with Kidney stones, which require urgent removal and a blocked artery, which requires further surgery. The total amount is approximately £1700.00 We urge the sangat to donate via www.Justgiving.com/Gurjeetk We thank you for your continuous support.

Waheguru Ji Ka Khalsa Waheguru Ji Ki Fathe, Thank you Babbar-Sher for bringing this into the Sikh cyber community. We thank the Sangat for donating and letting the international community know about the struggles we face. Please note this fund has now closed as we have met the target needed for the medical care. All money donated will be used for the medical care of Bhai Avtar Singh. Please also note, that the operation date has been set; 27/09/2011. We will update the Sangat with any updates received. Please do Ardas for Bhai Sahib and his family. If you would like to donate towards other cases, including prisoner and family welfare please go to www.justgiving.com/sopw Please note any further donations on this page will be used for the welfare of other prisoners and their families. For any further information please email info@prisonerwelfare.com

Waheguru Ji Ka Khalsa Waheguru Ji Ki Fathe, Please view the below video. Bhai Najum Singh spent over 7 years in prison, please hear his story. SOPW would like to thank the Sangat for their continuous support. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1stO_eVnWjQ&feature=player_embedded Waheguru Ji Ka Khalsa Waheguru Ji Ki Fathe

Waheguru Ji Ka Khalsa, Waheguru Ji Ki Fathe, SOPW, have been contacted by 4 inmates, who are currently heldin Amritsar Jail. We have a chance to now to get them out on bail and alsofight their cases. 1) S. Pal Singh (French Citizen)- Imprisoned Since 2010 2) S. Makhan Singh-Imprisoned Since 2010 3) S. GurmukhSingh- Imprisoned Since 2010 4) S. Kulwant Singh- Imprisoned Since 2010 The 4 imprisoned Sikh’s were all arrested along side Pal Singhon fabricated charges. Pal Singh, who was tortured severally, has not only beenforced to miss court appearances but has also been deprived of medicalattention, which has resulted in being blinded in one eye. Kulwant Singh, who was tortured so severely by the policeofficers, Dr Saurabh Dhanda of Guru Nanak Dev Hospital said that Kulwant Singhwas brought with injuries, which could have led to renal failure. “There wereelectric shock injuries on his ear and private parts. Kulwant’s stomach alsohad injuries owing to severe beating with batons,” he said. The high courts have since dismissed the officer in charge,Harinderpal Singh and his fellow staff members, on 09/05/2011. Please help us support these prisoners and donate via www.justgiving.com/Amritsar-Jail/ www.Prisonerwelfare.com

S.Avtar Singh Bheora's Family In April 2011, the Sikh Organisation for Prisoners Welfare facilitated the release of Avtar Singh Bheora. Avtar Singh has been a victim of police brutality and torture for over twenty years. He was first arrested on the 12th April 1988 and was charged with twenty TADA offences, eighteen throughout Punjab and the remaining two in Delhi. For over two years he was held illegally by the Punjab Police and tortured, until being sent to the infamous Tihar Jail in Delhi (June 1990). He was transferred from Tihar to Amristar Prison on the 17th May 1997, and released on bail on 12th September 1997. He and his pregnant wife were then arrested on 20th March 2003 on false charges of homicide and kidnapping and both sent to Karnal Prison. His wife, Jaspal Kaur, later gave birth to a baby boy, Gurjeet Singh, in prison. The newborn baby and his parents were finally acquitted on the 10th October 2006. This was not the end of their ordeal, Avtar Singh was on the 22nd July 2009 picked up by the Police and charged with the crime of escaping from jail in 1995 (while he was in jail). SOPW became aware of his case and instructed a legal team to challenge the false case in Court. Eventually when the case reached the High Court the Judge chastised the police, as the prison authorities confirmed Avtar Singh was incarcerated during the period in which he was alleged to have escaped. He was duly acquitted and returned to his family. Unfortunately, following the dozens of fabricated cases placed on Avtar Singh in Courts throughout India for the past two decades, whilst bringing up four children on her own, and her spell in prison, with the added torture of giving birth and raising her son in jail, Jaspal Kaur has suffered both psychologically and physically. She has a variety of ailments, the most serious being a kidney infection, which requires urgent medical attention. The initial medical cost is £1500. We appeal to the Sangat to please help Bhai Sahib and his family. You can donate via www.Justgiving.com/Bheora-Op

UPDATE: The Sikh Organisation for Prisoners Welfare (SOPW) will like to thank the Sadh Sangat for generously donating the money required for the wedding of Bhai Najum Singhs daughter. This money will be sent early next week, and we will be updating the sangat when the wedding takes place later this month. info@prisonerwelfare.com www.prisonerwelfare.com

Bhai Najum SinghPress Release Bhai Najum SinghThe Sikh Organisation for Prisoners Welfare (S.O.P.W) would like to bring to your attention the release of Bhai Najum Singh s/o Hajurah Singh after 7 years of imprisonment. Background: Bhai Najum Singh was arrested under fabricated charges on the 28th of March 2004 in the state of Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh district, Raipur village, where he was looking for work. Bhai Najum Singh was subjected to continuous third degree torture and interrogation for three months. During this three month period, officially, Bhai Najum Singh did not exist. His whereabouts were only made known after this period when he was produced in court. Bhai Najum Singh’s imprisonment was made as difficult and inhumane as possible in order to break his resolve. Bhai Najum Singh was incarcerated in Polah Jail in the Maharashtra State. Bhai Najum Singh was in total isolation as the fellow inmates were of Maharti ethnicity and did not speak Punjabi. Bhai Najum Singh’s imprisonment was made even worse by the fact that he was not allowed visitors for over two years. Bhai Najum Singh’s brother attempted to visit him on numerous occasions but was always detained, beaten and then released by the police. In 2006 Bhai Najum Singh was finally allowed family visits, but this was just another ploy to psychologically torture him. The visits were only five minutes long. His family had to travel for two days to reach the jail. Two days of travel for a five minute visit. This visit was conducted through a barred nine inch hole in a concrete wall. In addition to this Bhai Najum Singh was continually transferred by the authorities without informing his family. This was all done in order to ‘break’ Bhai Najum Singh. In 2009 Bhai Najum Singh was transferred to Nabha Jail where he came to the attention of S.O.P.W. We have been supporting him ever since. Bhai Najum Singh is currently writing a full account of his ordeal and the injustice he suffered, details of which will be released by S.O.P.W. Current Situation: Currently Bhai Najum Singh who is in his 50’s has medical issues due to the torture he suffered. In spite of all of this hardship, there is a ray of hope. Bibi Amarpreet Kaur, the daughter of Bhai Najum Singh is to be wed later this month. S.O.P.W. need the sangats help to raise a £1000 so that the family can arrange the wedding. Please visit our website and donate using the Just Giving link. ALL money raised will go directly to the family. We thank you for your continued support. Donate Via www.justgiving.com/SOPW-Wedding

Gurfathe Ji, Whether the prisoner receives the letters is totally dependant on the jail authorities. Sometimes they allow the letters, sometimes they will throw it away We have been able to have a 'team leader' in each prison, who gives us the latest updates and letting us know if there are any new arrivals. The easiest way we have thought to send any letters or messages (if sent through SOPW) is that we chose a prisoner and send it to them, in that way every prisoner will get a letter, rather than Bhai Pal Singh or Prof Devinderpal Singh recieving hundreds and the other Gursikh's recieving nothing... They too have sacrificed everything for the panth and there kurbani in our eyes is at the same level. Bhul chuk marf karni Waheguru Ji Ka Khalsa Waheguru Ji Ki Fathe.

Waheguru Ji Ka Khalsa Waheguru Ji Ki Fathe, The address for Bhai Pal Singh is correct, please ensure you have the 'pin' number on anything you decide to post, otherwise it will not reach him. We will add the address for Tihar Jail, tonight. On saying that, we are also forwarding letters to prisoners, so if you want to write a message for a prisoner, please log on to http://www.prisonerwelfare.com/write-to-a-prisoner/ and we will forward this to the prisoner of your choice or we will chose one for you. Also don't worry about translation, we will translate the letters into punjabi as well. Dass was blessed with meeting Prof. Devinderpal Singh Bhullar in Oct 2010 and his English, is amazing. So if you want to write in English please continue to do so. A lot of sangat has asked about postcards as well; If you want to send a postcard, please email us at Info@prisonerwelfare.com and we will post a batch of post cards to yourself, so that you can send them. We have also started a Petition, so if you could all log on and sign the petition for Fair Trials, that'll help us fight our case against the German's and Indian's. http://www.prisonerwelfare.com/news/petition/ Please let us know if you need anything else. Waheguru Ji Ka Khalsa Waheguru Ji Ki Fathe

Waheguru Ji Ka Khalsa Waheguru Ji Ki Fathe, As we all know about Prof Devinderpal Singh Bhullar appeal being rejected. We urge you to let the public know of our injustice. Prof. Devinderpal Singh Bhullar was the man behind SOPW, so please watch the video's on the website: http://www.prisonerwelfare.com/multimedia/ Thank you. Waheguru Ji Ka Khalsa Waheguru Ji Ki Fathe

Waheguru Ji Ka Khalsa Waheguru Ji Ki Fathe, As we all know about Prof Devinderpal Singh Bhullar appeal being rejected. We urge you to let the public know of our injustice. Prof. Devinderpal Singh Bhullar was the man behind SOPW, so please watch the video's on the website: http://www.prisonerwelfare.com/multimedia/ Thank you. Waheguru Ji Ka Khalsa Waheguru Ji Ki Fathe

Waheguru Ji Ka Khalsa Waheguru Ji Ki Fathe, As we all know about Prof Devinderpal Singh Bhullar appeal being rejected. We urge you to let the public know of our injustice. Prof. Devinderpal Singh Bhullar was the man behind SOPW, so please watch the video's on the website: http://www.prisonerwelfare.com/multimedia/ Thank you. Waheguru Ji Ka Khalsa Waheguru Ji Ki Fathe

Waheguru Ji Ka Khalsa Waheguru Ji Ki Fathe. SOPW would like to thank the sangat who donated and supported these imprisoned Sikhs These fees have been paid and legal teams have been instructed to fight their cases. For more information please log on to www.prisonerwelfare.com Waheguru Ji Ka Khalsa Waheguru Ji Ki Fathe

Waheguru Ji Ka Khalsa Waheguru Ji Ki Fathe, Please ensure you get involved and you make sure the Gurdwara in your area is also part of this event. Also a benti to you all, please can you post this video on to your facebook/twitter accounts and make sure all friends and families know about this event. http://www.prisonerwelfare.com/multimedia/ Please log on to www.prisonerwelfare.com for more information or contact us. Waheguru Ji Ka Khalsa Waheguru Ji Ki Fathe.

SOPW Founder Balbir Singh and Paramjeet Singh Dhadhi on Sangat tv, Sky Channel 847 or watch online http://sangattelevision.org/ Talking about their experiences in prisons, and the plight of others still imprisoned and denied their rights. Live Tonight at 7pm!

SOPW commend the great work being done by Neverforget84 and the Sikh Youth Project for bringing awareness of the urgent medical needs for Bakshish Singh's daughter and for donating to the medical costs. This is a very serious situation, which will be be exacerbated by the delay of medical attention. SOPW has provided legal aid to Bakshish Singh and his co-defendants, and sangat willing will continue to do so. We have opened a fund to help towards medical costs, all donations published (names can be anonymous), and will be given to the family: http://www.justgiving.com/SOPW-UK (to donate) SOPW will also pledge £500 to the amount raised. The Sikh Organisation for Prisoners Welfare is a Registered Charity (UK)working to achieve justice for the thousands of Sikhs, who have been illegallyimprisoned and tortured in India. www.prisonerwelfare.com Email: info@prisonerwelfare.com Registered Charity No. 1125370

SOPW commend the great work being done by Neverforget84 and the Sikh Youth Project for bringing awareness of the urgent medical needs for Bakshish Singh's daughter and for donating to the medical costs. This is a very serious situation, which will be be exacerbated by the delay of medical attention. SOPW has provided legal aid to Bakshish Singh and his co-defendants, and sangat willing will continue to do so. We have opened a fund to help towards medical costs, all donations published (names can be anonymous), and will be given to the family: http://www.justgiving.com/SOPW-UK (to donate) SOPW will also pledge £500 to the amount raised. The Sikh Organisation for Prisoners Welfare is a Registered Charity (UK)working to achieve justice for the thousands of Sikhs, who have been illegallyimprisoned and tortured in India. www.prisonerwelfare.com Email: info@prisonerwelfare.com Registered Charity No. 1125370

Waheguru Ji Ka Khalsa || Waheguru Ji Ki Fateh || SOPW would like to sincerely thank the Sangat for generously donating £430.00 to fund the lawyer fees for the following two Sikh Prisoners: 1) Bakshish Singh, currently in Nabha jail. He is still waiting for the case against them to be heard in court and has been held for 9 months and is charged with two counts of the TADA case. He has not been visited by his family in the last 4 months – due to lack of financial support. His health is in a reasonable state. Lawyers: GB Singh- Ludhiana RK Handa- Chandigarh 2) Balbir Singh, currently in Nabha jail and is also still currently waiting for the case against them to be heard in court. He has been held for the last 9 months and has been charged with a TADA case and has and has not been visited by his family since their arrest. His health is also in a reasonable condition. Lawyer: KD Hundal- Jalandhar Both prisoners have been in prison for just over 9 months and have been struggling to in their pursuit of representation from lawyers (let alone court dates for hearings). However, with the Sangat’s support, they will have a legal defence, a right enshrined in international law. A common similarity we see between most Sikh prisoners we provide legal and welfare support for is the complicated myriad of charges that are used. TADA has been widely criticised for its unfairness, incompatibility with Human Rights as it sanctions unlimited restriction of an individual legal rights and has a conviction rate of less than 1% adding credibility to claims that it is simply used to harass and oppress targeted groups, in this example Sikhs. Without access to a lawyer many Sikhs spend decades in prison as the charges against them go unchallenged, it is increasingly being used as a vicious tool to oppress and silence political opposition. Human Rights Organisations on India’s TADA laws: “Amnesty International is concerned that it does not provide sufficient safeguards to prevent human rights violations. It is not compatible with international treaties to which India is a party.” (Amnesty-26 June 2000) “TADA, resulted in tens of thousands of politically motivated detentions used to target Sikhs, Muslims, Dalits, trade unionists, and political opponents. The law allowed detention without formal charge for up to one year, the use of secret witnesses and closed trials, and confessions to a police officer to be admissible in court…. the law encouraged police to routinely use torture to obtain confessions or plant evidence as a means of detaining targeted groups or individuals. Although the conviction rate under TADA was less than one percent, cases initiated while it was in force continue to hold legal validity.” (Human Rights Watch- February 1, 2011) Please continue to support our work: www.Justgiving.com/SOPW Waheguru Ji Ka Khalsa || Waheguru Ji Ki Fateh || www.Prisonerwelfare.com Info@prisonerwelfare.com

Waheguru Ji Ka Khalsa Waheguru Ji Ki Fathe The Sikh Organisation for Prisoners Welfare (SOPW) is proud to announce the release of 3 Gursikhs. They have suffered inhumane conditions and psychological uncertainty whilst being kept in Indian jails for the past 18 months. There names are: Advocate Bhai Jaspal Singh Manjhpur Bhai Palwinder Singh Shutrana Bhai Gurdeep Singh Raju The 3 Gursikhs have all been released from the maximum security jail in Nabha. Advocate Manjhpur Ji is also a lawyer that has specialised in and been a keen campaigner in the field of human rights. They are also one of the Presidium member's of 'Sikhs for Human Rights'. This may be one of the significant contributing factors as to why they had been imprisoned. Notably, Advocate Manjhpur was arrested with the party Chairman Bhai Daljeet Singh and others in August 2009 and was facing charges under Unlawful Activities Prevention Act, (UAPA) 1967. “During eighteen months of our detention (the) prosecution has drastically failed to produce any thing incriminating against us” claimed Bhai Sahib (Advocate) Manjhpur, who has also alleged that the charges were framed against them solely to serve political ends of the ruling Shiromani Akali Dal (Badal) party. They have also maintained that UAPA 1967, as amended in December 2008, after the November 26th 2008 Mumbai attacks, is a masked revival of 'Black' laws like TADA and POTA - laws which have been highlighted by reputed organisations such as Amnesty International, and is being misused to suppress political opponents. We would like to thank the Sangat for their continuous support for these innocent victims. Please continue to support these prisoners and support our work. Waheguru Ji Ka Khalsa || Waheguru Ji Ki Fateh || www.Prisonerwelfare.com www.Justgiving.com/SOPW Info@prisonerwelfare.com

Waheguru Ji Ka Khalsa || Waheguru Ji Ki Fateh || The Khalsa Belongs to the Wondrous Lord All Victory Belongs to the Wondrous Lord Kott Paraad Ashaadhiou Eihu Man Kehanaa Kashoo N Jaaee || The mind is inundated by millions of sins, what can I say? Jan Nanak Dheen Saran Aaeiou Prabh Sabh Laekhaa Rakhehu Outhaaee || Nanak, your humble servant has come to you sanctuary, God; please, erase all his actions Bhai Bikar Singh is a Sikh political prisoner who was picked up and held in police custody from 2006 in Nabha Jail. He is still awaiting trial. A fellow inmate who is also currently being held, brought this case to the attention of the Sikh Organization of Prisoners Welfare (SOPW). Please note it has been more than 4 years and any evidence of his guilt for any offence is yet to be given in Court. Bhai Bikar Singh is from Murna Village, District Sangrur. He was the only child and thus the only source of income for his entire family. Since his arrest his family has struggled to visit their only son as there is no income for the household and are furthermore physically unable - due to frailty - to travel long distances. Bhai Sahib's father Sahib, Bhai Bhola Singh, is also suffering from Colorectal Cancer, also known as Bowl Cancer. He requires urgent medical attention as their upper gastrointestinal bleeding has worsened recently and an operation is urgently required. The cost of this operation is £250. We ask the international community to please help Bhai Sahib and his family. You can donate via www.Justgiving.com/bikar-singh Waheguru Ji Ka Khalsa || Waheguru Ji Ki Fateh || The Khalsa Belongs to the Wondrous Lord All Victory Belongs to the Wondrous Lord www.prisonerwelfare.com www.Justgiving.com/SOPW Info@prisonerwelfare.com

LSINGH We support approximately 100 Sikh Political prisoners in India (number subject to change as result of bail outs and new arrests) We have started to translate and publish letters from prisoners (from whom we have received consent): http://www.prisonerwelfare.com/prisoners-letters/ We are also sending out questionnaires/surveys next month or so to all the supported to prisoners, for them to share their cases with the sangat Please come forward if you wish to do any seva (writing to prisoners, volunteering with sopw etc), sponsoring prisoners or their families is also possible, we actively encourage the sangat to be in contact with the Singhs and their families.

Thanks NF84 for highlighting this situation, We urge all Sikhs, even if you are sceptical about donating there is a whole range of seva you can do for the prisoners without donating money, recently SOPW volunteers went out and actually met Sikhs in jails across Delhi (Tihar), you can write to them etc

The title is supposed to read Singh Sabha not Sangha <Mod note> changed to sabha