:dateline:The Tamil community, which has faced similar oppression by the Indian government, have once again come to the forefront to support Bhai Gurbaksh Singh Khalsa’s movement. �An event was organized at Press Club, New Delhi, in which a number of speakers asked for the release of Sikh and other political prisoners of India. �Namely, Mr. Thirumurugan Gandhi,�Journalist Bhai Jarnail Singh, Mr. Rafiq Mulla (SDPI National Secretary), Bibi Nirprit Kaur (key witness in 1984 Sajjan Kumar case) and Mr. Birju Nayak�(Lok Raj Sangathan) spoke at the press meet.
At the event, the speakers spoke about the mission of Bhai Gurbaksh Singh and plight of political prisoners, and appealed to the entire nation to�support the cause. Bhai Gurbaksh Singh, who has been on indefinite hunger strike for the last 39 days at Ajitgarh, Punjab, is demanding the release of Sikh prisoners who are languishing in jails, even after having completed their life terms awarded by the courts. �As a result of his hunger strike, his health is deteriorating day by day.
Bhai Jarnail Singh spoke about the turbulent days in Punjab and shared the story of Bhai Gurbaksh Singh. �He spoke about the plight of political prisoners who have not been released after their sentence has been completed, and that many political prisoners do not even get parole in Punjab and other parts of India.
Thirumurugan Gandhi, founder of the May 17 Movement came directly from Germany after attending the Permanent People�s Tribunal, which declared Eelam Tamil Genocide. �A Tamil activist, he also expressed strong solidarity with Bhai Gurbakh Singh. �His main cause of action is the Eelam Tamil society’s struggle for their separate nation. His May 17 Movement remembers the day in which more than 60,000 Tamils died in the final stages of war waged by the Sinhala army in the middle of May 2009.
Birju Nayak of Lok Raj Sangathan also supported the case by bringing to light the human rights violations often faced by minority groups and weaker sections of society. �Birju is a meticulously honest politician from New Delhi and a true grass root level worker.
Rafiq Mullah of Social Democratic Party of India who was also present at the press meet spoke about abuse of minority human rights in India. �He detailed how the government is targeting weaker sections of the people and expressed his solidarity too.
It should be remembered that a number of Tamils, including children, went on a hunger strike to halt Prof. Davinderpal Singh Bhullar’s execution earlier this year. �Tamils, and other minority communities have suffered immensely at hands of Indian Government.
