Chandigarh: The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) has decided to pay Rs 20,000 each per month as honorarium to nine Sikh prisoners lodged in jails across the country for more than the stipulated period.
It has also been decided to take the matter of the release of these Sikh prisoners to the UNO and the International Court of Justice.
Talking to the media after a meeting of the internal committee held at the SGPC office here today, SGPC president Advocate Harjinder Singh Dhami said that these detainees have been languishing in jails for three-three decades and this attitude of the governments towards the Sikhs is a major violation of human rights, which will be raised at the international forum.
He said that the internal committee has decided to give a monthly honorarium of Rs 20,000 each to the nine Sikh prisoners with long sentences and legal assistance as per the requirement. These include Gurdeep Singh Khera, Prof. Davinderpal Singh Bhullar, Balwant Singh Rajoana, Jagtar Singh Hawara, Jagtar Singh Tara, Lakhwinder Singh Lakha, Gurmeet Singh, Shamsher Singh and Paramjit Singh Bheora.
He said that out of these, Bhai Rajoana is already being given this honor allowance. He said the struggle for the release of the Bandi Singhs would be carried out at all levels. A legal advisory board comprising senior advocates Puran Singh Hundal, Paramjit Singh Thiara, Baltej Singh Dhillon, Bhagwant Singh Sialka, Amarjit Singh Dharni and Arshdeep Singh Kaler has been constituted to assist the families of bandi Singhs, he said.
Similarly, a portrait of Baba Chanda Singh Kattuwale, who made a significant contribution to the promotion of Sikhism, has also been approved to be installed in the Central Sikh Museum.
Talking about the ongoing movement for the protection of the environment, he said that heritage forests have already been established in one acre area of Gurdwara Sahiban.