Kaur, so Yesterday, I received an e-mail from a reader asking
Why are you wasting time on that useless Laibar Singh? You need to champion the cause of Parveen Kaur instead!
Leaving aside that slur on Brother Laibar, for the moment, you, Dear Reader, are entirely correct about the young lady First we need to know about this young lady. Let us start with this story from The Panthic Weekly:
Police Take Revenge on Relative of Ex-Cop Turned Freedom
Fighter
Tuesday 18th of March 2008
Panthic Weekly News Bureau
Karnal, Haryana (KP) - Two decades ago, it was the parents and relatives
who were targets of the most ruthless and corrupt police force in the
world, now the children themselves are under the authorities'
crosshairs. The police forces of Punjab and Haryana Police are
notoriously known on record for eliminating thousands of innocent Sikh
youths using conjured up charges and staged encounters. Now, these
dishonest forces are targeting the next generation of Sikhs, and using
similar age-old police tactics.
Frustrated with their failed attempts to blame innocent Sikhs in the
supposed assassination attempt on Gurmeet Ram Rahim last month, the
Haryana and Punjab Police have now concocted up another story involving
a 21 year old Sikh girl named Parveen Kaur and alleged her involvement
to the assassination attempt.
According to revelations made by police officials, Bibi Parveen Kaur was
supposed to be used as a human bomb and she allegedly kept the
'explosives' in her custody for at least two weeks. While Parveen had
refused to partake in the actual implementation of the action, the
Police allege that she remained faithful to the cause.
Sikh organizations, however, rejected such allegations against Parveen
Kaur, and demanded her release from police custody. In particular, the
Shiromani Akali Dal (A), Mata Gujri Sahara Trust, and Dal Khalsa
leadership have shown particular interest in the case and have organized
rallies in large scale to express their dissent with the Police. They
state Parveen Kaur is completely innocent, and is being unfairly
targeted by the Police due to her family's background.
Family, friends, and neighbors have also totally rejected claims by the
Police and state that Parveen has been falsely implicated in this case
by the police to fulfill their self-interests. Parveen Kaur, who comes
from a Muslim family, had converted to the Sikh religion years ago
during the turbulent 1980s.
History of Police Persecution
As details of her family's background emerge, the actual motives of the
Haryana and Punjab Police behind her arrest become clearer. Parveen's
family has long suffered under the persecution of the Police forces of
both states. Parveen's father, Mohammed Sadiqque, was killed by the
Punjab Police during the freedom uprising of the last two decades. His
only fault was that he was married to the sister of Bashir Mohammed, an
ex-Police officer who quit his Government job after observing human
rights abuses at the hands of the Punjab Police.
Upon resigning from his post, Bashir Mohammed settled in Calcutta with
his pregnant wife to escape police retaliation and persecution. By that
time, Bashir, along with his wife, had converted to Sikhi and had fully
devoted their life to the cause of the Sikh religion - he became known
as Lachman Singh amongst the community.
Massacre by Police
It was during 1993, when operatives of the Punjab Police found out the
whereabouts of the Sikh couple and came to Calcutta to assassinate them.
On the night of May 17th, Police Officers entered the house of Lachman
Singh, Bashir's new name, and gunned him and his wife down while they
were asleep. The unborn child of Lachman Singh also became the target
of police brutality. There was huge uproar in the State of West Bengal
and surrounding areas after the murder of Lachman Singh and his wife.
Supreme Court charged Punjab Police Officers
A case was filed by Lachman Singh's mother-in-law (mother of Bibi
Parveen Kaur) against the Punjab Police. The Supreme Court of India
found very credible evidence against five Punjab Police Officers, all of
them who were later sentenced. SK Sinh (Bathinda), Sukhdev Chahal
(Bathinda), Hawaldar Ramdayal, Sukhjiwan and Darshan Sipahi were found
guilty of murder, abduction and forgery of evidence.
After collecting evidence from the State of West Bengal, the Supreme
Court issued orders to summon the accused immediately so that they could
not forge evidence any further. The evidence collected by the Court
suggested that the Police officers involved in this case were wearing
Police uniforms, were armed with Sten assault rifles, held walkie
talkies, and spoke the Punjabi language. After killing the couple, they
took the bodies in two blue Maruti cars. No report of the incident was
filed with the local Police.
Retaliation and Torture
This past week, Bibi Parveen Kaur was presented to a local court after
being arrested and a remand was issued to the Police. Ever since being
in police custody, Bibi Parveen has been brutally tortured for her one
and only crime of being related to Bhai Lachman Singh.
The Police officials who hold personal rivalry against Bhai Lachman
Singh are using Parveen's arrest as revenge against her family. The
Sikh organzations are demanding a higher level inquiry into this case by
national and international human rights organizations as well as by an
independent CBI counsel directly under the supervision of the honorable
Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of India.
Source: http://www.panthic.org/news/126/ARTICLE/3961/2008-03-18.html
Last night, this letter showed up in IHRO. It says it much better than I could, so I reprint it here in its entirety.
Dear Sangat Ji
When will the the Sikhs- The Sikhs of Guru Gobind Singh rise up to free themselves from the shackles of occupation and slavery?? When will the they remember the Guru's clear dictum that Sikhs have to live with honor, self respect and be always sovereign.
There were times when Khalsa rescued the Hindu women from the clutches of the invaders and restored them to their homes. Today Sikhs have been disarmed and they are helpless to take care of their own women . We have seen that in 1984 and we see it almost every day when Sikh women are the target
.
As usual last week again the fascist Hindu invaders and occupiers have abducted a Gursikh Amridhari 19 years old girl PARVEEN KAUR and she is being tortured and humiliated in the enemy dungeons. But the ENTIRE Sikh nation is unable to do anything. We are saddled by a cunning enemy in New Delhi with corrupt and cowardly Masand/Pujari leadership who are symbolic and soulless look a like Sikhs.
We the Sikhs in diaspora must do every thing possible to unite and raise our voice. Our all Sikh organization including Sikh Coalition, Saldef and United Sikhs must have one focus FREEDOM so that this daily humiliation can end for ever.
Gurteg Singh
So, my fellow Sikhs, what are we going to do to help our sister? Whether she is 19 or 21 is immaterial. That fact that she is innocent and being held by these raping, torturing butchers is what is important. She is your sister, your daughter, your wife, even your mother. SHE IS OUR SISTER AND SHE NEEDS OUR HELP!
By the way, this is nor Parveen Kaur INSTEAD OF Laibar Singh; this is Parveen Kaur IN ADDITION TO Laibar Singh. I have room in my heart and in this blog for both!
Over the weekend, I got accused of hate-mongering for speaking against India. I responded that I was not hate-mongering, I was simply telling the truth. Here is yet another example of how and why we cannot trust the government of India. It is 1984 again, on an individual scale.
I can see only one real solution.
