Bhai Pal Singh (France) Writes From Amritsar Jail

Pal Singh, a French Nationalist has been detailed illegally by Punjab Police for almost two years

Bhai Pal Singh is a 54 year old French National, who has championed Sikh Human Rights in Europe and North America, [and] 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 22nd July [2010], the Daily Ajit published an article on the arrest the next day.

The following is a letter from Bhai Pal Singh France who has been falsely [im]prisoned on trumped up charges by the Punjab Police.


Waheguru Ji Ka Khalsa || Waheguru Ji Ki Fateh ||
To those beloved, caring Sikhs and to those who despite their distance look after me.
You  must be thinking how we in the prisons are coping with life inside.
From 5th of August 2010 till now I have been imprisoned in a small cell. The measurements of the cell are as follows: 10ft long and 8ft wide. Within this small cell there is a only a curtain that separates us from a Turkish style toilet. The cell doors have locks on them and outside the cell there is a tiled open spaced room. To exit this room there is another door which has a grilled, mesh type steel door.
In my cell there are another two inmates, Bhai Kulwant Singh (now deceased) and Bhai Makhan Singh. We used to be four but with Waheguru’s (God’s) grace Bhai Darshan Singh Dadhi was released.
There are two water taps in the toilet area and in this area we must keep our clothes, food containers and dishes (storage space).
We are now having to cook our own food because the inmates who cook the prison food are addicted to intoxicants and are even allowed to smoke whilst cooking; sometimes we find cigarette butts in our chapattis or lentils (Daal). We petitioned a writ in the High Court about this but were unsuccessful and so we took the decision to cook our own food. We can buy the chapatti flour from here (jail) but the lentils are ordered from outside. For us this is very expensive. In order for us to prepare our food we are obliged to hire a stove for 100 rupees and pay for the fuel for an additional 18 rupees. This is all because the prison food is both appalling and unhygienic – This has also resulted in almost every other cell hiring their own stove so that they can, as a minimum, take the prison lentils and add various flavourings themselves. The prison chapattis are semi cooked, so we have our own hot plate to re-cook the chapattis properly. The prison canteen is where we buy our fuel, milk, yogurt, sugar, onions and potatoes but we are forced to pay a rate that is 3 times higher than the selling rate outside the prison.The daily timings for routine activities in the prison are semi-fixed; they fluctuate with the season. In the summer they will keep us outside our cells for longer. They take us out of our cells at 6am, however they impose a cell “lockdown”  between 12pm-3pm regardless of what the conditions are (in the summer it is difficult to breath due to the humidity and stuffiness of the cells). It is prison rules that we must be taken out of our cells from 7am and lock us up again between 12pm – 3pm. Between 3pm and 6pm we are then released again and the cells are again closed for the day from 6pm to 7am the following day. If anyone causes any trouble or if someone disappears, the jail authorities create more rules and impose stricter conditions on all. The water starts running at 3am and this is when I wake up and have a bath and do Simran (meditation), Nitnem (morning prayers) and listen to Sri Darbaar Sahib’s Hukamnama (order of God for that particular day) and Kirtan (religious hymns singing). Everyone recites their prayers together. I wash my clothes at 5am so that when the cell doors open again at 6am I can then hang my clothes outside.
By now its 7 am and we put on our tracksuits and go for a power walk or jog; we train like camels. In about an hour we have covered about 2km. At 8am some of the Singh’s will make Garam Jal (tea) and we make our way to the prison Gurdwara. They allow me to do Kirtan (sing hymns) between 8:30am and 9am everyday. After I have done my Kirtan, I will practice between 9am and 10am.
At 10am I will then make my way to the gym and do some weightlifting for my arms/chest for half an hour. We would use each machine one by one. I can bench press 70kg with ease and with a little help I can bench press 100kg. The youths here are surprised and astonished to see an old man like me doing this exercise. I started going to the gym and exercising with this intensity 8 months ago because after they had tortured me, my body quickly deteriorated. It is by the virtue of Waheguru, by purchasing food from outside the prison, eating and training well, my body is a lot fitter now.
At 1030 am the gym closes and I return back to my cell and read the newspapers. At 11am a fellow inmate will prepare the food and after eating this meal we will once again go for a walk, to help digest the food. During this walk we prefer to do Simran rather than to talk to other inmates.
At 12pm we are again locked up in our cells again and we use this opportunity to rest for a small while and then to arise again and complete Sukhmani Sahib and other Baani’s (Prayers). If we have some time after that, I will then make notes of the various happenings and my own case.
Once the cells open up at 3pm, we go to the Gurdwara. I am the only person permitted to go to the Gurdwara at 3pm whereas the others are only allowed from 4pm onwards. Between 3pm and 3.45pm I practice Kirtan and I will continue this in front of the congregation until 4:15pm. After I have finished we all then complete our Rehiraas Sahib (evening prayer).
These timings are applicable to the winter schedule; the summer schedule only changes slightly. After Rehiraas Sahib, we go outside the Gurdwara to an area where there is a 400m track where we walk and complete 4-5 laps power-walking. At 6pm we return to our cells and we are locked up for the night. Here we listen to Kirtan for half an hour, prepare and eat dinner and again listen to Kirtan until 8pm. Every now and again, a comedy program comes on air and we would watch it with the news. If we are afforded the luxury of fruit and nuts, we would also indulge in them as well. By 9pm we are asleep.
This is our daily routine.
For the last 18 months I’ve been in prison but somehow I haven’t realised or felt that I’ve been here for so long. This is because of the blessings and prayers done by you for me.
Sometimes when I do Kirtan in Raag (classical musical form) I am surprised that someone like me is blessed by Waheguru’s grace; no-one has taught me how to do Kirtan here. I have been given two Kirtan Books from which I have learnt to do Kirtan.
This is a peaceful life – the reality is, I have not been able to live outside!
This is simply Waheguru’s blessings. It is with the the Sangat’s prayers and Waheguru’s grace that I’ve been able to live in peace.
I have however seen people cry here. Only those are saved who follow Waheguru’s will. Gurbaani (Guru’s words) is extremely powerful and it doesn’t let its followers fail or slip.
My mind still hasn’t been able to comprehend your prayers and well wishes.
With Waheguru’s blessings many in the prison have stopped taking intoxicants and have started to keep their hair. I believe this is Waheguru’s blessings on me: that I have been assigned this duty to serve the people here.
Sangat Ji (dearest congregation), If I have said anything wrong, please accept my sincerest apologies.
Waheguru Ji Ka Khalsa ||  Waheguru Ji Ki Fateh ||
Pal Singh
Amritsar Jail

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