Murdered Sikhs – The Day After Ashutosh and Ludhiana

News continues to filter in and the dust settles. While the violence of yesterday has passed the ramifications are still to be seen.


The death toll continues to climb and on Sunday the Punjab Police called curfew throughout Ludhiana.


Today (Monday) a bandh is being called on by various Sikh organizations.
Below is a newscast describing the incidents and the police charge without warning. Reminds one of General Dyer in Amritsar 1919.



Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/sikh-news/28449-murdered-sikhs-day-after-ashutosh-ludhiana.html
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=28449

Another Sikh missing since yesterday’s clashes


Ludhiana, Punjab: There is no official figure of how many Sikhs killed or injured in Ludhiana Police and Sikh Sangat clash. Jagjit Singh is very worried man and so is his family. The reason – his 38-year-old brother, Swaran, who had gone out along with him, is still missing.

“My brother and I, along with his seven-year-old son, had gone along with the ‘Akhand Kirtaniya jatha’ to the Feruman Shaheeda gurdwara to protest against a congregation that was being held at the GLADA grounds on Chandigarh Road. Though my nephew and I came back home safe and sound yesterday, I don’t have any idea about where my brother might be,” said a worried Jagjit.


“We’ve been looking for him everywhere, praying he is safe, but have yet not been able to get a clue as to his whereabouts. “The last time I saw him yesterday was at Cheema Chowk when the police lobbed tear gas shells at a rampaging mob. After the crowd dispersed we got separated,” he added.
For the last 35 hours Jagjit has been frantically searching for his brother, hoping someone would disclose his whereabouts.


“My brother devotes most of his time in prayers and ‘kirtans’ and we thought he was probably busy helping those injured in the violence. However, his mobile has remained switched off”, says Jagjit. He added Swaran has two sons aged seven and four, along with a nine-year-old daughter and wife Simranjit Kaur waiting for him.


Suspecting the police might be involved in his disappearance, former SAD councillor Rajinder Singh Bhatia said, “We all fear the cops picked him up and will torture him. In fact many people have gone missing after yesterday’s clashes and this needs to be probed.”


Swaran is a resident of Azad Nagar and runs a confectionary shop to earn his livelihood.

 
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This is the biggest blunder by Badal Government after the previous one of failing to maintain law & order , post Ramanand killing . The previous day on 4th Dec , Bihari migrant labourers held the whole city to ransom burning as many as 15 trucks , looting many more laden trucks including military trucks , looting factories , houses of Punjabis , beating them . But this Badal Govt just kept looking doing nothing . Next day the Sikh bodies took out a peaceful protest march to protest against Ashutosh who had been given enough warning not to visit the city ( I had posted that pamphlet also ) because he has been declared as dangerous for law & order of Punjab by National Minority Commission in 2003 . Since then Capt Amarinder Singh Govt did not allow even a single meeting of him to be held in Punjab . But Badal is so hell bent on pleasing BJP ( RSS ) that he allowed this meeting ignoring call from various bodies , perhaps he thinks that Sikh votes are in his pocket but Hindu votes are needed to win elections . To top it all police took position & kept firing on innocent Sikhs ( I remembered seeing Jallianwala Bagh scene in movies ) . All the Gurudwaras in Ludhiana , Dukh Niwaran sahib ( stauch Badal Supporter ) , Model Town Extension ( where Makkar is President ) openly exhorted Sikhs to look for alternative leadership for two days on 5th Night , 6th , 7th morning . Here is a link to Dukhniwaran Sahib Katha on 5th Dec evening .


Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=28449
I have talked to about 6-7 persons , they all are of the view that Sikhs should try to create alternative platform , no single person should be made all powerful , like Badal has become in present times .

Under Badal, Punjab is fast degenerating into the backwardness of Jharkhand, Eastern UP and Bihar. Even Rajasthan appears to be a more progressive state!

I too beleive that sikhs need alternative Leadership,
but the question is there any person? I don't see it.It take years of hardwork to become leader .Look at Rahul Gandhi even after elections he keeps moving on from place to place
Also when people of Punjab are themself become addicted to Dera's then they will vote for
Dera visting sikhs like Amarinder or Badal and not for other sikh.So the future of Punjab is
5 years for Badal Family 5 for Amarinder.

If the "peaceful protestors" are anything like that video then Im not suprised the Police shot people.

I am not one for riots and violence(police or Hindu and Sikh protestors) but I know that you cannot clap with one hand. Situation in Punjab is becoming like the late 70s and early 80s again.

This makes no sense to me. If Ashutosh was not allowed to come before then he should not have been allowed to come by Badal. Protest against Badal not immigrants from Bihar.

Also, I don't see what this has to do with RSS or BJP. If BJP really wanted to win Hindu votes through babas then Ashutosh is one of 15000 hindu babas. Ashutosh was selected intentionally by Badal to start a fight.

On the contrary, seeing the situation in Punjab in the last couple of years it seems to me that Badal and Party are the Sikh version of RSS-BJP-Shiv Sena-MNS. They do exactly the same things. Make people fight on stupid issues and get votes instead of real issues.

Here's how I see things:
- Badal needs votes
- Badal allows Ashutosh to come and preach
- Badal knows it will cause a stir in the Sikhs
- Sikh organisations stops/tries to stop Ashutosh
- Immigrants protest
- Sikhs protest
- Sikh votes go to Badal because Akalis are the official Sikh party
- Immigrant votes go to Badal since he allowed them freedom to have a baba preach
- Akalis win

Main Problem - The real issues are ignored.

Now Badal might not win due to killings of some Sikhs but thats not the point. Badal has figured out the 'start a fight-divert the attention' to the nearest centimetre. This has been done by BJP-Shiv Sena plenty of times through the use of Bajrang Dal etc.

Aus Desi ji

The protest from Bihari immigrants is not for Ashutosh.They were protesting for some other causes.The reason why that incident was mentioned because in their protest which was more voilent not single bullet was shot.Next day when sikhs were protesting against Ashutosh police open fired on them.Sikhs are angry because in the other protests whether by Bihai's or by Dalits followers of Dera police did not shot down a single person then why
double standard for sikhs.

Just looked it up. Biharis were protesting that the Police do not register reports about burglary when Biharis are the victims.

Anyways, from the news reports I have found, Sikh protestors were well prepared with swords etc ready to attack Ashutosh members. Police opened fire on them.

Its sad that a member lost his life but its not the same situation. One group was protesting and burning vehicles. Another was in a riot situation with a separate group. While both are bad for the state, I can see why Police will fire in one instance and not the other.

Like I said in the other thread. The police are most likely majority Sikhs as well. Anyways, let me say that I don't know Ashutosh and Would not have him go to Punjab or any other place to save someone's life and stop a riot.

A comment from a guy on youtube:

"A repeat of 1978 Visakhi. Another attempt by Indian Government to kill Sikhs. 1978 Badal was CM, Now Badal is CM. 1978 Badal allowed Nirankari smagam, now Badal allowed DJJS smagam. 1978 unarmed innocent sikhs were killed while protesting, Now..do we have to say? 1978 Badal protected nirankaris, Now Badal will protect Ashutosh. Let us guys kick out BADAL first and unite sikh Panth again....."
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=28449
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=28449

Perfect.

Many time sikhs use swords to display.It does not mean that they were well prepared to attack Ashutosh members.Had the sikhs attacked any member of Ashutosh then firing was justified but that did not happen.

As for your answer of Punjab police is concerned.Please read that how police shot down kar sevaks in Ayodhya in 1990 and many Hindu kar sevaks were killed.Can't we say the same thing that police in UP was Hindu then why they shot down kar sevaks? Punjab police despite being sikh is never known as sikh friendly,may be because of days of khalistan the religious youth were not recruited or fir some other reason