Make-Belief Protectors of India at Each Other's Throat

NEW DELHI: Army chief Gen VK Singh has filed a formal written complaint with the CBI over his alleged bribe offer from a senior retired officer to clear 'sub-standard' trucks.

According to Times Now, CBI has received the complaint and is examining it.

After analysing this written complaint, CBI will decide on filing an FIR in the case.

Earlier, the Army chief had sought a few more days to file his detailed complaint.

Gen Singh, who has named retired Lt Gen Tejinder Singh as the person who had allegedly made the offer, in his initial complaint, was asked by CBI officials to give a detailed complaint about the issue.

Gen Singh had claimed in media interviews that an equipment lobbyist had offered him a bribe of Rs 14 crore to clear the tranche of trucks, a matter which he had reported to defence minister A K Antony.

The ministry had then recommended a CBI probe into the allegation.

Meanwhile, retired Lt Gen Tejinder Singh recorded his statement against the Army chief in a Delhi court. He has filed a criminal defamation case against VK Singh.

The court has reserved its judgement and will analyse the evidence before deciding on summoning the Army chief in the case.

Bhai Balwant Singh Rajoana Rally

Featured: Bhai Balwant Singh Rajoana Rally

Petitions in support of overturning the death sentence of Balwant Singh Rajoana have appeared on the web with increasing frequency over the past few weeks. If like me, you have seen them and wonder who he is and what is going on, here are five important facts about the impending death sentence of Bhai Balwant Singh Rajoana that I have found to share including:

Rajoana Execution Date
Beant Assassination
Death Sentence Awarded
Rallys and Petition
Petition Overruled
Stay of Execution Updates

Five Facts About Bhai Balwant Singh Rajoana Death Sentence

Bhai Balwant Singh Rajoana Rally Poster
Photo © [Jasleen Kaur]

Bhai Balwant Singh Rajoana Rally
Photo © [Jasleen Kaur]

Bhai Balwant Singh Rajoana Rally Sign
Photo © [Jasleen Kaur]

Many Sikhs and international institutions are lobbying on behalf of Balwant Singh Rajoana to overturn the death penalty in India. 

Sikhs Had Influence in Shanghai for Nearly a Half Century

(SHANGHAI, China)–Following the Anglo-Sikh wars from 1845-1849, the Sikhs had created quite an impact on the British and were further to be classed by them as a martial race. Joseph Cunningham, an eye witness historian, accounts that the Sikh defeat was a product of poor leadership and traitors who betrayed the Sikh army–in his words, the British were very fortunate in this case as they were almost defeated by the Sikhs.

The British started a partnership that lasted 200 years, and the engaging of war with China had resulted in the Opium wars of 1842. The Chinese had been beaten by the British, therefore having to hand over special trading and residential rights to them. Shanghai thus became part of the British influence, with the English having full authority over the city.

The Shanghai police force, officered entirely by English officers, was set up by the British. After the Boxer rebellion in Peking, the British realised that using the Sikhs in China could be advantageous to their purpose; thus recruitment was opened for Sikh policemen for the Shanghai police. Lower positions were offered to the Sikhs, who were to travel from Punjab to China, and their relations with China were to continue for almost 4 decades until the invasion by Japan.

A vast collection of photographs now at the Shanghai Museum in China show the Sikhs, whose distinctive appearances and imposing figures, caused astonishment amongst the Chinese and compliance from the population. It is thought that a Gurdwara existed in Shanghai until the invasion of the Japanese, after which there is no further record.

Four Prisoners Raise Pro-Khalistan Slogans in Court

Four jail inmates from Punjab today raised pro-Khalistan slogans after they were produced in a local court in connection with a blast incident here.

A team of Punjab Police had brought the four accused here from Punjab's Nabha Jail for the hearing of the case in the court of District and Sessions Judge Navita Singh.

After the four -- Manjinder Singh, Gurjant Singh, Harwinder Singh and Jaswinder Singh -- came out from the court they started raising slogans in support of Khalistan (Separate Sikh homeland).

Following the incident, police caught hold of them and took them away for interrogation.

The accused, all residents of Punjab, are facing charges under explosive act for their alleged involvement in a bast at a BSNL telephone pillar here on April 13, 2010.

Sikh Sangat pay tributes to Shaheed Jaspal Singh Gurdaspur; Sikh leadership remains behind the bars

Gurdaspur, Punjab (April 08, 2012): The last rites, called ‘bhog’ ceremony, of Bhai Jaspal Singh (18), who was killed by police firing during Gurdaspur incident on March 29, was observed at his native village Jorh Sidhwan, near Gurdaspur on April 07, 2012. Jaspal Singh was shot at while he was participating in peaceful protest opposing hanging of Sikh political prisoner Bhai Balwant Singh Rajoana.

“Gurdaspur was converted into a virtual police cantonment due to elaborate security arrangements administration in and around the town, with shops opening during the day” reports HT.

“As a precautionary measure, all local private schools observed a holiday on Saturday.

Representatives of Sikh ‘sangats’ from as far as France, England and Canada offered help for the victim families of deceased Jaspal Singh as well as Ranjit Singh, a resident of Pandher village near Gurdaspur who is under treatment at government hospital in Amritsar. Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee also announced some help for the families.

All India Sikh Students Federation (Peer Mohammad faction) chief Karnail Singh Peer Mohammed announced annual scholarships to three top students of local Beant College of Engineering and Technology, where Jaspal Singh was a student.

Addressing the gathering, Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Gurbachan Singh declared Jaspal a ‘Sikh martyr’ and paid rich tributes to him on behalf of Sikh leaders who had assembled there.

Thanking Sikh organisations for their whole-hearted support, he also appealed to the Sikhs to maintain peace in the world.

As per media reports Jathedar was the only speaker scheduled to address the gathering. Shiromani Akali Dal (Amritsar) president Simranjit Singh Mann, who was also present, asked for time to address the gathering but his request was turned down by the organisers.

After the Akal Takht Jathedar and others left the function, a supporter of Mann appealed to the people left behind in the ‘pandal’ to sit down and listen to the SAD (A) leader who had come especially for the purpose.

In his brief address, Mann asked the gathering if they were in favour of making Balwant Singh Rajoana the Akal Takht Jathedar. The people present there supported his proposal by raising slogans. Slogans in favour Of proposed Sikh state, Khalistan, were also raised.

SGPC president Avtar Singh Makkar, Akali Dal Panch Pardhani secretary Baldev Singh Sirsa, Dal Khalsa president Harcharanjit Singh Dhami and spokesman Kanwarpal Singh, former Akal Takht jathedars Bhai Jasbir Singh Rodhe and Bhai Ranjit Singh, Sant Ranjit Singh Dhadrianwale, Sant Amrik Singh of Nikke Ghumman, SAD (1920) leader Manjit Singh Calcutta, former Punjab minister Sucha Singh Chhotepur and local MLA Gurbachan Singh Babbehali were also present.

Many prominent Sikh leaders are still kept under “preventive detention” by Badal-BJP led Punjab government. These leaders include Panch Pardhani head Bhai Daljit Singh, Baba Baljeet Singh Daduwal, Advocate Harpal Singh Cheema and others. Sikh body Dal Khalsa in a statement alleged that Government was attempting to prevent leadership from attending bhog ceremony of Bhai Jaspal Singh in order to breakdown mass movement.

and the Sikh Persecution Continues in India ....

Bhai Jaspal Singh who was gunned down in cold-blood by the Punjab Police

GURDASPUR, PUNJAB (KP) – Shock, grief and anger quickly spread through the Sikh community as news spread that an innocent Sikh youth reciting naam-simran at a protest in Gurdaspur was killed on the spot by members of Punjab Police who attacked a Sikh gathering without any warning.  

Bhai Jaspal Singh of Sidhwan, an 18 year-old Amritdhari engineering college student, along with other members of the Sikh community had gathered together outside a local Gurdwara to protest the Wednesday assault on another youth by members of the right-wing Hindu Shiv Sena.

Eyewitnesses stated as the Sikhs were chanting "Waheguru" loudly, suddenly the police charged at them and began to lobby teargas and lathis (batons) on the protesters, and then opened fire on them outside the Gurdwara Sahib.  Bhai Jaspal Singh was shot during this unprovoked rampage by the Police. Another youth, Ranjit Singh Pandher was seriously injured due to a gunshot.

Police Attack Sikh Behest of Shiv Sena

Ironically, the same police turned a blind eye towards the Shiv Sena perpetrators, and even collaborated with them during their attack on the Sikhs.

The murder of the Sikh youth was reminiscent of the December 2009 Ludhiana Kand in which another Sikh, Bhai Darshan Singh Lohara, was killed by the local police during a protest against Ashutosh Nourmehlia cultists.  

Incidentally, in both cases it was the Punjab police who had fired on the Sikh protesters without any warning or provocation.  Both incidents have occurred under the reign Badal’s Akali, which has yet to take action against Bhai Darshan Singh’s 2009 murder.

Scores of Sikh Activists Arrested

Meanwhile, scores of Sikh activists have been arrested throughout Punjab under the “preventive measures” of under section of 107/51 IPC.

Leaders of pro-Panthic Akali Dals, Sikhs for Human Rights and Sikh Students Federation have unanimously condemned the killing of Bhai Jaspal Singh and chided the Badal Government for allowing ruthless police atrocities on civilian Sikh population in Punjab.

Opposition leader Amarinder Singh criticized the Police action in Gurdaspur, and stated that the government was proving ineffective in maintaining peace and law and order in the state.

Gurdaspur Member of Parliament, Partap Singh Bajwa also condemned police action against protesters and stated “I am aghast with the audacious, irresponsible and inhumane act by the police authorities in firing on unarmed citizens in Gurdaspur. The police and district administration has been found lacking in its preparations once again. The government must act against the errant officers” .

The Dal Khalsa spokesman charged that “After lobbying teargas on Sikh protesters, the police opened fire on them. Many people in Gurdaspur had said that the police behavior was completely ruthless.”  Dal Khalsa and other Sikh organizations have demanded a judicial probe into the incident and suspension of the officer heading the police party.

Saving Minorities or Struggling for Survival?? India Fears Coup

NEW DELHI (Reuters) - Two Indian army units that moved towards New Delhi on a January night without notifying the government raised an alarm in the capital, the Indian Express newspaper reported on Wednesday, citing several unidentified sources.

The newspaper report said the infantry unit of the 33rd Armoured Division based 150 km (90 miles) from Delhi and a unit of the airbourne 50 Para brigade based in Agra to the south reached the outskirts of Delhi before being ordered back.

The army told the newspaper the units were engaged in routine training exercises to test their mobility in fog and did not need to warn the government in advance. Defence ministry spokesman Sitanshu Kar told Reuters it was not true the manoeuvres had caused alarm in the ministry.

The troop movements happened at a time of high friction between Army Chief Vijay Kumar Singh and the government. The newspaper said the accepted view is there was a breakdown in communication rather than a plot of any kind.

The military in India is not known for conspiring against the government in a region plagued by instability.

On the night in question, lookouts confirmed the two units were travelling towards Delhi, the report said.

Defence Minister A.K. Antony was informed and the government ordered police to check all vehicles on roads to Delhi as a way of slowing traffic. The defence secretary, the ministry's top civil servant, cut short a trip to Malaysia to handle the situation.

The report highlights the deep rifts and tense atmosphere in recent months between the world's second largest standing army and the government.

On January 16, the day the exercises took place, Singh took a case against the government to the Supreme Court in a row about whether he could serve another year before retiring. He later lost the case.

The army chief has since said he was offered a $2.8 million bribe and accused the defence minister of not acting on information about corruption in the forces. He also wrote a letter to the prime minister in March saying the army was not in proper shape to defend the country. The letter was leaked.