—The following write up on Bapu Surat Singh Khalsa’s hunger strike has been submitted by Bhai Pritpal Singh, a Sikh activist who has long supported Bapu Surat Singh Khalsa. Pritpal Singh spent a lot of time with Bapu Surat Singh when he initiated the struggle for the release of political prisoners.
Bapu Surat Singh Khalsa’s Struggle for Prisoner Rights Completes One Year
Bapu Surat Singh Khalsa’s struggle for the release of political Sikh prisoners has today completed one year. Eighty two years old Bapu Surat Singh Khalsa has endured severe physical and mental torture by the Punjab Government. The Government took various measures as it tried to break Bapu Surat Singh Khalsa’s resolve.
Bapu Surat Singh Khalsa took up the struggle to seek the release of political prisoners after the Gurdwara Lakhnaur Sahib ended abruptly. He started his struggle on January 16, days after the earlier morcha. Bapu Surat Singh Khalsa has been a strong supporter of prisoner rights and spent time with Bhai Gurbaksh Singh during the Amb Sahib morcha. As per Bapu Surat Singh’s earlier statement, during the Amb Sahib morcha, he had given his word to the sangat that if anything was to happen to Bhai Gurbaksh Singh, he would continue the struggle.
Bapu Surat Singh was in Punjab at the time of the Lakhnaur Sahib morcha. His family members arrived in Punjab on January 22 after being informed of the hunger strike. I still remember it was January 24 or 25 when Uncle Satwinder Singh Bhola informed me about the struggle of Bapu Ji and asked me to receive Aunty Sarvarinder Kaur (Bapu Ji’s daughter) from the Amritsar airport (but I couldn’t receive her due to some urgent work). While aunty ji had arrived, Bapu Ji’s son Bhai Ravinder Jeet Singh Gogi could not make it right away as he had misplaced his passport.
Citing the plight of the earlier struggle, prominent Panthik leaders pressurized Bapu Surat Singh Ji Khalsa not to get “entangled” in this struggle as this will not yield any result. However, despite such comments, Bapu Ji remained adamant on his decision and continued his struggle.
I, along with Bhai Papalpreet Singh and other activists of Sikh Youth Front visited Bapu Ji on January 28 for the first time . We were really impressed by the Khalsa grandeur in Bapu Surat Singh Khalsa. It was my own judgement at first sight that Bapu Ji will prove toughest nut to crack for Government. We took photographs of Bapu Ji and started campaign on social media, along with other Sikh activists located worldwide. Aunty Sarvarinder Kaur had told me at that time that she would return on February 4 but day by day, her departure got extended and she did her duties as best as she could.
Frightening from Bapu Surat Singh Khalsa’s struggle, the Punjab government abducted Bapu Ji from his home towards the end of February. His son Bhai Ravinder Jeet Singh Gogi was also thrown in jail by framing him under charges 107/151 of Code of Criminal Procedure (Cr. P.C). It was the time when several members of the Bandi Singhs Rihai Sangharsh Committee were put behind bars as well. On one side, Bapu Ji was being brutally tortured by the Administration in Civil Hospital of Ludhiana and on the other side all those visiting Bapu Surat Singh Khalsa were being indicted in fake cases.
(To be Continued…)
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