CHANDIGARH, Punjab—With the motive of wooing Sikh diaspora, the Punjab government has decided to make efforts to bring Sikh prisoners back to home, reported an English daily. However, the prisoners will remain in jails until their terms do not end.
There are three such cases of Sikh prisoners which will be taken up by the government. Two Sikh prisoners are lodged in UK, while one will be brought from Thailand under India’s Agreement on Transfer of Sentenced Prisoners with the countries.
Referring the sources, the newspaper reported that the Sikh prisoners who are sentenced to life imprisonment in UK, are Jaskaran Singh Bal and Harvir Singh. Whereas Hardyal Singh Dhindsa is serving imprisonment in Thailand jail.
These prisoners have requested the Indian home ministry to transfer them to Punjab. The home ministry has sought “No objection certificates” from the state government which will pave the way for all these prisoners to be brought back home.
Ruling SAD (Badal) making such effort besides ensuring proximity with Sikh diaspora as many in the part believe that wooing the migrant Punjabis and seeking their support in the next Assembly election is crucial. This is the reason that the party is sending its key leaders to the countries like US and Canada to make image among diaspora.
Experts say that it is part of this strategy that the government led by Parkash Badal has managed to shift Prof. Devinder Pal Singh Bhullar and Gurdeep Singh Khera to the Amritsar jail last month and the state government is moving the case for transfer of Bhai Waryam Singh from the Bareilly Jail in Uttar Pradesh to Punjab.
