wfn.org | WSC-AR Condemns False Arrest Sikh Author by Indian Police

[World Sikh Council - America Region <contact@worldsikhcouncil.org>]

WSC-AR Condemns False Arrest of Elderly Sikh Author by Indian Police; Calls 
for Corrective Action

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

January 7, 2006

Contact: Dr. Tarunjit Singh, Secretary General, World Sikh Council - 
America Region, 614-210-0591, contact@worldsikhcouncil.org

The World Sikh Council - America Region (WSC-AR) condemns the illegal and 
arbitrary actions of the Indian police in abducting an elderly Sikh author, 
Mr. Ajmer Singh, on January 5, 2006 from Chandigarh, India.

The police initially refused to acknowledge the detention but when the 
matter was made public by Lawyers for Human Rights International (LHRI), 
the police was forced to acknowledge the detention and Mr. Ajmer Singh was 
produced before a magistrate. The magistrate found Mr. Ajmer Singh had been 
falsely arrested by the police and ordered his release on January 6, 2006.

Mr. Ajmer Singh, who is about 60 years old, has been working on a new book 
dealing with recent Sikh events in India since 1984, during which the 
Indian Government unleashed a genocidal era of state terrorism against 
Sikhs, especially formally initiated Sikhs, during the 1980s and 1990s.

Since June 2005, disturbing news reports have again emerged from the Sikh 
Homeland of Punjab in South Asia. A new wave of arrests and detentions of 
Sikhs has been unleashed by the Indian Government. This is in gross 
violation of civil liberties and political freedoms guaranteed by the 
Indian Constitution and by the International Covenants and Conventions on 
Human Rights.

WSC-AR calls for the responsible police officials to be charged in this 
case and brought to justice for their illegal and arbitrary actions. WSC-AR 
further appeals to the Government of India to:
- Investigate and make public an inquiry into the killings of Sikhs by 
police and security forces since the 1970s,
- Release all political prisoners, particularly Sikhs, and
- Provide full disclosure and remedial measures pertaining to enforced 
disappearances, custodial deaths, extra-judicial killings, and illegal 
cremations.

WSC-AR expresses its sincere gratitude and appreciation to Lawyers for 
Human Rights International for intervening in this case in India, and 
ENSAAF, a US-based organization fighting impunity in India, which submitted 
an urgent action appeal to the United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary 
Detention (http://www.ensaaf.org/ASingh.pdf).

The Sikh nation continues to seek transparency and accountability. 
Thousands of Sikhs continue to languish in jails in India for decades 
without charge or trial. Thousands more have become the victims of enforced 
disappearances, custodial deaths, extra-judicial killings, and illegal 
cremations.  This history makes the new wave of Sikh arrests all the more 
ominous.

The WSC-AR is a representative and elected body of Sikh Gurdwaras and 
institutions in the United States. Its members include 40 Gurdwaras (Sikh 
places of worship) and other Sikh institutions across the nation.

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Photo Caption: Mr. Ajmer Singh (left), an elderly Sikh author, was released 
after being falsely arrested by Indian police on January 6, 2006 (Photo 
courtesy of The Tribune, Chandigarh, India)

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World Sikh Council - America Region (WSC-AR)
P.O. Box 3635, Columbus, Ohio 43210, USA
Phone: 614-210-0591
E-mail: contact@worldsikhcouncil.org
Website: www.worldsikhcouncil.org

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Member Gurdwaras of WSC-AR:
1. Gurdwara Sahib Fremont, Fremont, CA
2. Guru Nanak Sikh Mission, Livingston, CA
3. Sikh Gurdwara of LA, North Hollywood, CA
4. Sikh Gurdwara Riverside, Riverside, CA
5. Colorado Singh Sabha, Denver, CO
6. Guru Singh Sabha of Augusta, Augusta, GA
7. Sikh Study Circle of Atlanta, Atlanta, GA
8. Sikh Religious Society of Chicago, Palatine, IL
9. Sikh Society of South, New Orleans, LA
10. Sikh Gurdwara of Michigan, Rochester Hills, MI
11. Sikh Society of Michigan, Madison Heights, MI
12. Guru Nanak Foundation of Jackson, MS
13. Sikh Gurdwara of North Carolina, Durham, NC
14. Garden State Sikh Association, Bridgewater, NJ
15. Guru Nanak Sikh Society of Delaware Valley, Sewell, NJ
16. Siri Guru Singh Sabha, Glenrock, NJ
17. Sikh Sabha of New Jersey, Lawrenceville, NJ
18. Gurdwara Baba Deep Singh, Las Vegas, NV
19. Sikh Cultural Society Inc., Richmond Hills, NY
20. Sikh Cultural & Edu. Society of Western NY, Buffalo, NY
21. Sikh Religious Society of Dayton, Dayton, OH
22. Guru Nanak Found. of Greater Cleveland, Richfield, OH
23. Guru Gobind Singh Sikh Society, Bedford, OH
24. Guru Nanak Religious Soc. of Central Ohio, Columbus, OH
25. Sikh Sadh Sangat, Easton, PA
26. Philadelphia Sikh Society, Millbourne, PA
27. Tristate Sikh Cultural Society, Monroeville, PA
28. Mid South Sikh Sabha, Memphis, TN
29. Sikh Center of Gulf Coast, Houston, TX
30. Siri Guru Singh Sabha, Richardson, TX
31. Sikh Gurdwara of North Texas, Garland, TX
32. Singh Sabha Gurdwara, Fairfax, VA
33. Sikh Association of Central Virginia, VA
34. Sikh Religious Society of Wisconsin, Brookfield, WI

Other Sikh Institution Members of WSC-AR:
1. Siri Guru Granth Sahib Found., Anaheim, CA
2. Sikhs Serving America, Topeka, KS
3. Sikh Youth Federation of North America, White Plains, NY
4. Sikh Educational & Religious Foundation, Dublin, OH
5. Sikh Youth Federation of USA, Toledo, OH
6. Academy of Guru Granth Studies, Arlington, TX

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