Free Bhai Pal Singh (Pala)

[Pyara]

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=135449609828125&v=photos&ref=mf#!/group.php?gid=135449609828125&v=info&ref=mf

Name: Free Pal Singh

Category: Organizations - Advocacy Organizations

Description: Respected Pal Singh lovingly known as Bhai Pala Singh a French National whom had gone to Punjab to serve humanity.

He was picked up by police on 22 July 2010, they came again at around 1:00PM and took Pal Singh, his car, laptop and other belongings. The next day on 23 July 2010, they raided his house with his brother, young children and a handicapped young man living with Pal Singh.

He was first picked up from his fields at around 7pm on 18-July-2010. He was returned next day only to be picked up again. On 22 July 2010, they came again at around 1:00PM and took Pal Singh, his car, laptop and other belongings. The next day on 23 July 2010, they raided his house with his brother, young children and a handicapped young man living with Pal Singh.

Pal Singh is an elderly spiritual man who’s given up comforts of living in west to go back to promote spiritual life style without drugs, drink and other intoxicants to which Punjab youth are increasingly addicted to.

PLEASE write to your local representative to urge Government of India to Free Pal Singh.

More about Bhai Pala Singh

http://www.topnews.in/bhai-pal-singh-sikh-preacher-and-social-reformer-2117245

[chatanga]

it said on the news yesterday that the Panjab POlice had arrested him and 4 other members of Babbar Khalsa and accused them of terrorism. They showed all the explosives and guns that they had supposedly recovered. Totally fabricated, like the same case as Parmajit Singh Dhadi from UK, who is curently serving 5 years in an indian jail.

no sikh is safe from badal and co.

what can we do for this case in uk as pal singh is french national?

[Pyara]

Politically we are unbelievably behind and immature. I was watching Sikhs Today on the Sikh Channel (from Khalsa Primary School in Slough) and a veer made a very valid point about Sikhs lacking a collective power and unable to tackle issues collectively.

26 years on we are still getting "stung in tail" and we don't know how to react. The formula of Sikhs being arrested in India is so known to us, yet we have no power or global influence in dealing with this familiar scenario. There's too much "pendu pauna" holding us back in achieving our true potential as global mediators.

Some of you may remember Bhai Pal Singh appeared as kathakar on a slot in the Sikh Channel for a week about a year ago. He's an elder Gursikh who's committed his life to parchaar of Sikhi. Like Paramjit Singh Dhadi, if we can't see them as our fellow Gursikhs then we need to see that someone's father has been arrested and is being held without a fair trail. As a community we can't remain self-centred and then expect some quick fix when things go wrong.

We are an educated, prosperous community. We have Sikh professionals in high places, all we have to do is channel our expertise in the right direction. We need to exclude our "pendu" thinking guys, who spend too much time on self-promotion and stand behind the real grafters to take leadership.

Between us we have competent organisations like United Sikhs and Sikh Federation UK, we have barristers, legal advisers, very intelligent Gursikhs. We need to get together (and I mean get together and not wait for the next man to lead the situation), re-address the whole India situation and really start using our global influence to change. Call it a hysterical reaction, but from the way India gov't seems to be heading, there are clear signs of a similar Sikh "cleansing" exercise of the 80's/90's in beginning in Punjab.

I think the Sikh Channel have also started a campaign to free Bhai Pal Singh. If so, then this will make the campaign high profile in the sleeping Sikh community.

[chatanga]

Pyara Singh Ji, you are deffo onto something there. If Sikh channel did an investigation type program ( panarama, dispatches etc) where they interviewed people involved, did thier own research into the whole case(s), and showed a program on it, on SC, then more people would be aware of what is going on in india.

Also the stupid brit gov might open its eyes as well.

[HardeepSinghJee]

VaahegurooJeeKaaKhaalsaa, VaahegurooJeeKeeFaateh!

I remember Bhai Pala Singh doing katha at my local gurdwhara, he is naam rasiya gursikh and has immence pyara for Sikhi. The seva he is doing in punjab is unbeatable i.e helping drug addicts, paying for the education of poor children and hosting Gurmat camps for free.

[GurSa Singh]

The familiar "RDX" find. Nothing changes in Punjab, if you need to take someone down then frame them with RDX.

Like Pyara mentions above, this is all so familiar to us and every time we have no way of challenging the system. Watch how Sikh leadership slowly distance themselves from these arrests. There has been daily arrests of Sikh men in Punjab over the last month or so and there's been no intervention or comments from any or our leadership, dharmic or political.

http://www.newsworms.com/news_detail.php?ncatId=40&pcatid=36&news_id=4131

Punjab Police Recovers 15 Kg RDX

In its attempt to scuttle the terrorists' bid to revive militancy in Punjab, the Punjab police has got a big success as it has recovered 15 kgs of RDX and three detonators.

The recovery was made after the five Babbar Khalsa militants, who were arrested on Wednesday, revealed during their interrogation the whereabouts of the explosives.

Earlier, five terrorists were arrested on Wednesday and arms and ammunition was recovered from their possession. Police had also recovered

two AK-47 rifles, five magazines, 20 live cartridges and 200 armour piercing cartridges from their possession.

The arrested terrorists were identified as Pal Singh, Kulwant Singh, Gurmukh Singh, Jagtar Singh and Darshan Singh. Pal Singh was earlier staying in France and he had taken weapons training in Pakistan. All of them were trying to revive terrorism in Punjab.

Pal Singh is a close associate of dreaded terrorist Narain Singh Chaura. Chaura is wanted for many crimes and he had also played an instrumental role in the Burail jail break in Chandigarh.

Babbar Khalsa terrorists Jagtar Singh Hawara, Jagtar Singh Tara and Paramjit Singh Bhaura had made a sensational escape from the high-security Burail jail using a tunnel on the intervening night of Jan 21-22, 2004.

During the last few months, police have arrested at least 18 dreaded terrorists and recovered explosives and arms.

[SOPW]

The Sikh Organisation for Prisoner Welfare denounces the illegal abduction and detention of Sikh Civil Rights campaigner Pal Singh in Punjab, India.

The 54 year old French National, who has championed Sikh Human Rights in Europe and North America, has in recent years committed himself fully to tackling social issues such as drug and alcohol abuse in Punjab.

According to eyewitness accounts, Mr Singh was picked up by plain clothed officers on the 22^nd July, the Daily Ajit published an article on the arrest the next day.

The Punjab Police denied any knowledge of Mr Singh’s whereabouts, SOPW instructed legal counsel Rajwinder Singh Bains to challenge the legality of the arrest, filling for Habeas Corpus on the 26^th July. The habeas corpus petition was taken up by Justice Arvind Kumar who appointed a warrant officer to trace Pal Singh, which then led to the Punjab Police finally declaring in a press conference later that day that 5 people (including Pal Singh) had been arrested.

This is a common feature in most of the cases that SOPW is currently working on. Sikh men are illegally detained for days, sometimes weeks before the detention is made official. During this time the detainee does not exist, and is when the majority or severity of torture is inflicted.

Disturbingly, the Times of India reported that the village Councillor who located Pal Singh in police custody, was concerned that Mr Singh bore signs of torture at the hands of the police.

SOPW is launching a campaign to free Mr Pal Singh and get redress. This will include lobbying the French and Indian Governments to take action.

Info@prisonerwelfare.com

www.prisonerwelfare.com

Registered Charity No. 1125370

To support our work: http://www.justgiving.com/sopw

Sevadaar

Sikh Organisation for Prisoner Welfare

[peacekeepers]

www.VoiceForFreedom.org

VVF

27^th July 2010, Toronto, Canada: Voices For Freedom (VFF) calls for the Governments of India and France to ensure health and safety of Pal Singh, citizen of France, who has been arrested and denied basic and integral rights in Jallandhar, Punjab.

Pal Singh, an elderly gentleman who is dedicated to volunteer work also suffers from a heart condition. He was first arrested on July 18, 2010, and released after questioning on July 19, 2010. Pal Singh was then arrested once again on July 22, at which point the police also seized his vehicle, laptop and other personal items. The following day, July 23, 2010, the Police once again came to his residence and started questioning two children and one young man for whom Pal Singh was providing food and shelter. Upon the request of the village head (sarpanch) the officers ceased questioning of the children. When asked the whereabouts of Pal Singh, the officers denied any knowledge of his arrest, until two of the four were recognized by the young man under Pal Singh’s care, at which point they relented.

Currently, five days following Pal Singh’s second arrest, the only news received by family and friends is that of his detention in a jail located in somewhere in Amritsar. Neither he, nor his family or friends have been informed as to the reason for his arrest or what division the police officers were from. Furthermore, in an attempt to disguise themselves, the officers in all three incidents wore plain clothes or “civilian dress”.

After employing clear tactics of deceit, the Punjab Police has refused to give adequate information as to the whereabouts and safety of Pal Singh. Despite denials on the part of the Indian Government, the use of torture, especially by Punjab Police, is a sad but well documented reality, even to this day. As such Voices For Freedom calls on the governments of both India and France to ensure the mental and physical safety and health of Pal Singh.

Pal Singh’s daughter who reported the incident to Voices For Freedom is deeply concerned for his health and safety and has made a plea to both the Indian and the French government to help locate her father.

The Panjab police has a nefarious record of human rights abuses as reported both by Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International. The Indian government, in June 2009, refused visas to the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom, an independent (USCIRF), bipartisan, US Government Commission (USCIRF). USCIRF was to meet with Indian officials, NGOs and other relevant human rights groups to prepare their final report and recommendations on India. India was criticized by the US Commission for failing to protect the minorities and because of an "inadequate" response to religious violence, particularly against the country's minorities. Voices For Freedom has released a report, Smoldering Embers, which focused on the disappearances from 1984-2001 in Panjab.

Issued By

Sudip Minhas

646-219-2863

info@voicesforfreedom.org

Family kin claims Pal Singh Tortured in Jail. 5 Sikh men arrested with charges yet to be proven

Toronto, Canada, 31^st July 2010: The family of 60 year old Pal Singh, who is a French citizen, claims that the Panjab Police tortured him whilst questioning him in custody. The family said that villagers who visited Pal Singh, while in custody said that he bore signs of torture. The Panjab Police conducted a press conference on 28^th July and levied multiple charges under the Arms Act and the Unlawful Activities Act, against Pal Singh, a citizen of France and 4 other. Clearly there are gaps in the story released by the Panjab Police in a press-conference and reported in the media. See Times of India story at http://voicesforfreedom.org/projects/2010/casework/palSingh/img/TOI-PalSingh.bmp

Timeline of events:

Based on the reports received by Voices For Freedom

-17^th July: Pal Singh was arrested at 7:00pm, as per an eye witness.

-17^th July: Pal Singh was dropped at his house at 1pm.

-22nd July: Pal Singh was again arrested at at 1:30pm. No charges were levied against him.

-23^rd July: The Panjab Police raids his home in Village Dandowal, Jalandhar district at 3 different times on the same day: 4:00 am, 1:00pm and 7:00pm while he was still in custody. No charges were levied on him.

-26^th July: Pal Singh legal counsel, Rajwinder Singh Bains, files habeas corpus for Pal Singh

-27^th July: Panjab Police presents Pal Singh in front of the magistrate late at night and gets his remand extended till 30^th July.

- morning 28^th July: the habeas corpus petition was taken up by Justice Arvind Kumar who had appointed a warrant officer to trace Pal Singh

- afternoon 28^th July: The Panjab Police in a press conference says that Pal Singh was arrested from Jalandhar. As from eye witness’s and reports received by VFF, which are corroborated by the Times of India report, Pal Singh was arrested from his home village, a clear discrepancy.

- 30th July: Punjab police presented Pal Singh in front of the judge and requested another remand of 7 days, the judge allowed 1 day

- 31^st July, Punjab police presented Pal singh in court and the out the outcome – not known yet

Based on information from a village fellow Gurmukh Singh who reported, said that the Panjab Police took Pal Singh to his fields alone, sat with him for almost an hour in the field and then took him to his residence and from their drove him back to the jail. No news or journalists were invited and nothing was seen being carried with them. Next morning zeenews reports that that “Pal Singh told the interrogators that he had kept a large quantity of explosives, arms and ammunitions near his residence at his village Dhandowal. He led a police team to the spot and handed over the consignment consisting of 15 Kilogram RDX, 3 detonators, 45 caliber sub-machine gun, 150 cartridges, 45 caliber, 1 Magazine AK 47, 100 cartridges of AK 47 and 3 packets fuse wire, the police added”

Gaping gaps appear in the story requiring a re-investigation and a CBI enquiry. Voices For Freedom has contacted the National Human Rights Commission in India, seeking the safety of Pal Singh and to initiate a CBI inquiry.

Panjab police has a nefarious record of violating human rights and making concocted stories.

Most recently it was announced to the media that the supposed Sikh extremists are setting up camps in Malaysia, the Punjab Police furthered its campaign of sensationalist tactics. The goal behind all these tactics has been to constantly slander the reputation of the Sikh community both in India and abroad. Much like Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s comments about Sikh extremism in Canada, statements about rising Sikh extremism have proven to be baseless time and again.

These recent accusations of Sikh extremists residing in Malaysia by Punjab Police have been countered by Malaysian Intelligence as categorically false. Special Task Force (Operations and Counter Terror­ism) department director Comm­issioner Datuk Mohamed Fuzi Harun clearly stated in a press release: “We can confirm there is no such group based here.”

Clearly employing sensationalist tactics yet again, the Indian Intelligence and Police forces have, yet again, used the Sikh community as India’s scapegoat. These warnings smack of the same discrimination and fear mongering that Sikhs faced before the 1982 Asian games, also held in New Delhi.

Voices For Freedom demands that India and its state actors cease the relentless slander of the Sikh community and arrests of innocents by use of sensational and false news, and perpetual fear mongering.

Issued By:

Sudip Minhas

info@voicesforfreedom.org

Phone: 646-219-2863

[BiggChan]

Last weekend, Sikh Channel were advertising a discussion programme broadcasting 8th August 2010 @ 8.00 regarding this case. Nothing appears in today's listing apart from a Badal v Sarna discussion show. Any ideas what is happening with the previously advertised show?

[GurSa Singh]

Last weekend, Sikh Channel were advertising a discussion programme broadcasting 8th August 2010 @ 8.00 regarding this case. Nothing appears in today's listing apart from a Badal v Sarna discussion show. Any ideas what is happening with the previously advertised show?

Like the hundreds of Sikhs still sitting in Indian prison system on false terrorist charges, all the main Sikh leadership will distance themselves from those individuals. Sikh Channel are highly unlikely to express an interest in any Sikh issue unless it benefits their (or rather Mr Bal's) personal egos. The danger is that before we know it, Bhai Pal Singh will be another Paramjit Singh Dhadi or Professor Bhullar, just forgotten by the Sikhs.