Petition plea for Bapu Surat Singh Khalsa, human rights peaceful activist
Bapu Surat Singh Khalsa, an 82 year old Sikh human rights peaceful activist who was resident in the US (but not a citizen) has been on hunger strike at his home village in Hassanpur, Dist Ludhiana, Punjab India since 16 January 2015, calling for the release of Sikh Political Prisoners who have been unlawfully detained in prison beyond their minimum terms. Bapu Surat Singh Khalsa's struggle has entered its 225th day and please keep adding as each day elapses. It is getting serious!!!!!!The commitment and dedication demonstrated by Bapu Ji is exemplary and just to empathise the fact that going without food for just 24 hours will cause hunger pain and Bapu Ji’s condition has reached its dangerous level and if this does not end, death is imminent.
It is worth understanding the effects of hunger strike depending on the length of a hunger strike a person can do severe, in some cases irreparable, damage to their body (Ian Chant 2013-What happens to your body during a hunger strike). The following is a short list of the serious health risks involved in carrying a hunger strike beyond 2-3 weeks -- this info assumes that you are engaging in a water-only hunger strike and you are basically healthy when you begin your hunger strike, also some of these effects are not permanent:
Damage to muscle tissue (after approximately 4 weeks)
Weakening of bones (after approximately 4 weeks)
Hallucinations / Dementia (after approximately 3 weeks)
Potentially permanent brain damage (after approximately 4 to 5 weeks)
Potentially permanent damage to internal organs (after approximately 4 to 5 weeks)
Potential failure of internal organs (after approximately 4 to 5 weeks)
Death (could happen at any time depending on the state of your health)
Just a humble request to readers to sign the White House petition to recognize hunger striking U.S. resident Bapu Surat Singh Khalsa's peaceful struggle for human rights to free political prisoners in India. 100 000 signatures are required and the White House has to respond. Those from outside US can sign it- zip code not required but email verification is required. The petition ends on 7th September- so lets hit the target http://wh.gov/iILFl.Change.org- UK basedhttps://www.change.org/p/british-government-debate-release-of-political-sikh-prisoners-in-parliament-who-have-already-served-their-terms-but-are-not-being-released-in-the-northern-state-of-india-punjab?recruiter=13733257&utm_source=share_petition&utm_medium=copylink
India Resists- India based- but accepts signatures from outside UKhttp://www.indiaresists.com/sign-petition-stand-in-solidarity-with-bapu-surat-singh/
The
government has repeatedly stated that these Sikh political prisoners
cannot be released. This is not true. Please learn about the legal
cases of these political prisoners and educate others about
them:
(http://www.freesikhprisoners.com/prisoners/)
When
the government states that there is absolutely no way we can release
them, we should say, we demand to know why Inspector Gurmeet Pinky,
convicted of killing Sikh youth, sentenced to life imprisonment, can
be released in 7-8 years and Sikhs remain in jail, having served 20+
years? We demand to know why DSP Swaran Dass, convicted of killing
Sikh youth, sentenced to life imprisonment, can be released in 5
years while his case was still pending in court, and Sikh political
prisoners remain in jail? We demand to know why DSP Jaspal Singh,
also convicted of killing Sikh youth, sentenced to 7-8 years, can be
released in 1.5 yrs and be reinstated in his job in Punjab police?
TV
videohttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HIEtLSDBPso
http://thelogicalindian.com/news/a-man-who-is-fasting-for-190-days-and-government-doesnt-want-you-to-know/
http://www.examiner.com/article/indian-american-activist-surat-singh-khalsa-being-force-feed-by-authorities-1
http://www.minoritiesofindia.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/Speak-for-Khalsa-Info-Packet.pdf
https://www.amnesty.org.in/show/news/punjab-government-must-respect-surat-singh-khalsas-right-to-protest/
Time has come for all to hold hand in solidarity and sign the petition to impress on the Indian government to release the unlawfully detained prisoners languishing away in prisons. The prisoners should be representing the nation in their views and contribution to the productivity of the nation as we all know 'Unity is Strength'. It will be also good news for Bapu Ji to end his hunger strike and impart his spiritual knowledge to the Sikh panth.
Daljit Singh([email protected]) and Manjit Kaur Dhinsa
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Related article:
Peaceful Human Rights Activist on Hunger Strike ~ Bapu Surat Singh Khalsa - [Updated]