Breaking News: Centre Stays Hanging Of Bhai Balwant Singh

[JSinghnz]

WE HAVE ACHIEVED THE FIRST VICTORY IN OUR EFFORTS TO GET BHAI BALWANT SINGH RELEASED.

New Delhi: The Centre on Wednesday stayed the hanging of Balwant Singh Rajoana, the co-assassin of former Punjab chief minister Beant Singh. The decision to stay Rajoana's hanging, which was to be carried out on March 31 at the Patiala Central Jail, was announced after Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal met President Pratibha Patil seeking clemency for him.

"We had appealed to the Centre asking for clemency for Rajoana. That's why we met the President and the Prime Minister today. The President had referred the matter to the Home Ministry. The execution has been stayed till the judicial process is on," said Badal.

Union Home Ministry sources told CNN-IBN that since two mercy petitions have been filed for Rajoana, the Centre has stayed the execution. Rajoana's case will be taken up as per the rules and then his clemency would be considered by the President, the sources added.

Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal said that he had received a letter from the Home Ministry staying the execution till the time Rajoana's petition isn't dismissed by the Supreme Court.

The Rajoana case had forced the political parties in Punjab to take a stand on the issue. While the ruling Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) backed Rajoana seeking clemency, SAD key ally the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Congress maintained that the law should take its course.

Radical outfits had also called for a day-long general strike in Punjab to protest against Rajoana's hanging on Wednesday. Clashes, too, were reported from Patiala and some other regions of Punjab as tension escalated over the hanging. Several Sikh groups also took out protest marches in Jammu in support of Rajoana, putting pressure on the Punjab government.

The special CBI court had awarded the death sentence to Rajoana and Jagtar Singh Hawara in the Beant Singh case on August one, 2007. Three others - Lakhwinder Singh, Gurmit Singh and Shamsher Singh - were sentenced to life imprisonment for hatching the conspiracy to kill Beant Singh.

The Chandigarh court had issued the death warrant to the Patiala jail authorities, asking them to hang Rajoana on March 31. Rajoana did not appeal against the judgement. The death penalty of Hawara, who filed an appeal against it, was commuted to life term.

http://ibnlive.in.com/news/beant-singh-killing-rajoanas-hanging-stayed/243573-37.html

[singher23]

This is not a good thing. Badal government is doing this to quiet Sikhs, to make us forget. They will just keep Bhai sahib in jail forever. We cannot stop the protests

[manvimattu]

Guess what the Badal are making us take our attention away from the super-evil cop that is now the head of the Punjab Pig Force. Either we keep up these kind of activties or we go back to sleep.

[SarabhaPanjab]

they know if bhai sahib ji is made shaheed it will fuel Khalastan.

If he is released we have a Khalastan jathedhar.

either way it does not suit them. they prefer him in jail where they can do what they want to him.

[Harmindersingh]

Badal's strategy:

Badal had to bow to sikh's pressure, so he decided to plead for clemency in this case. Then he drew strategy to do it in a way which politically benefits him. So he pulls up Akal Takht Jathedar and asks him to give a watered down adesh (not Hukamnama) in which all that was said was that he would meet president. He knew even if he could not secure clemency he could still blame the president. Then he keeps the date of meeting president so close to hanging date to see how much sikhs respond . When he saw clearly that sikhs are out in masses he alerted centre about the situation and knew that he would loose support in Punjab and also sikhs would be unstoppable. In India president doesn't do anything himself/herself, he/she works on advice from government. Centre advised president to put hanging on hold untill Hawara case is heard(basically an excuse to defer the case). This would mean putting it off for at least 1-2 years. Now Badal profits from this in two ways. One he would say that he acted on Akal Takht's directive (which he himself directed the Jathedar to give) and saved Rajoana (even though thats not true completely, but he would have media under his control say that). Second this will diffuse the movement for time being. In 1-2 years they will transfer Rajoana to another state and hang or try to torture him to disable him like many other prisoners or keep him in solitary confinement for years untill he looses his mental balance (Bhullar's case). In the mean time he will ask Akal Takht Jathedar to create some other sikh controversy or issue so that everyone's attention is diverted to that and people forget about this. All problems solved for Prakash and Sukhbir badal.

In India he is going to use Sant Samaj in his strategy mentioned above and in coutries like UK it will be done through international panthic dal (Raghbir Singh, Paramjit Singh Dhaddi etc). These people will never let common sikhs understand that Institution of Akal Takht is different from its temporary Jathedars who can be corrupt. Once Akal Takht Jathedar under british influence gave Saropa to killer of jalian wala bagh, does that mean it was panthic decision ? If current Jathedar was impartial and a true sikh he would not have given fakre-kaum to Badal, he would have offered Bhai Rajoana seat of Akal Takht Jathedar to free him, he would have lead at least one protest march personally, he would have summoned Badal for promoting Sumedh saini as Punjab police chief. Today's Punjab Bandh was nowhere in Akal Takht Jathedar's Adesh and group of 8 different jathebandis got together and asked people to observe Bandh. Jathedar infact said in a statement that directions of those jathebandis should not be followed . But sill the bandh was 100% successful. This means that people are getting aware of Akal takht jathedar's shortcomings and this is a really good sign.

What we should do:

Be politically smart and understand how dirty politics is being played and how even Akal Takht Jathedar is being used for this. Understand that Akal Takht's institution and its sactity and supremacy is for itself and that the Jathedar's are just an interface. We should respect them as much as possible but when they cross a certain limit we should take action against them. Don't let the movement fizzle out, use it to make Bhai Rajoana Akal Takht Jathedar asap. Once that is done his release is imminent or at least he can not be tortured and he can still guide us with his fearless resolve. Once that is done pressing for release of other prisoners would be easier. Follow Bhai Rajoana's directives which come out through his letters. Promote bhai Rajoana as hero through every possible avenue (we know it, tell the world). Rather than trying to do everything at once ( freeing all prisoners, getting khalistan, justice for riot's victims etc) concentrate on Bhai Rajoana's case and make him Akal Takht jathedar, other things can follow because if we try everything we might not achieve anything and might end up losing than gaining anything.And I think most importantly look up to Bhai Rajoana and get inspiration to be better sikhs, better saint-soldiers.

[singher23]

^^very well said. Now comes the real test. It is easy to go out and protest for one day and ten say "we've done our part". But we need to keep protesting, and not listen to what Badal has to say. They are not working for panthic interests. Their goal is to remain in power, and of we go back to our houses, Badal has won, but more importantly, Indian government has won, and Sikhs once again have lost. These next few days will be very important.

However, I feel like people will forget. They will be happy that Bhai Sahib won't be executed, and in a few days, they will have forgotten about him. Unfortunately, I feel that nothing more will happen. Sikhs are without a strong leader, and unless we have one, nothing will happen

[Harmindersingh]

http://zeenews.india.com/news/punjab/three-protest-marches-banned-crackdown-against-panthic-bodies_766800.html

[singher23]

^^theyve banned protests. Best possible thing is that there still will be protests tomorrow.