AMRITSAR: Waris Punjab De chief Amritpal Singh and other Sikh detainees held in Dibrugarh jail, Assam, have made an appeal to the Sikh community to bestow the status of "Quomi Shaheed" (community martyrs) upon Avtar Singh Khanda and Hardeep Singh Nijjar even as the relatives of the detainees have vehemently denied any instances of violence within the Dibrugarh jail and injuries inflicted upon Sikh detainees.
In a four-page letter, Amritpal and other Sikh detainees wrote that the news of the death of Avatar Singh Khanda and Hardeep Singh Nijjar, reached them in jail.
On Thursday, the Sikh detainees handed over the letter to their relatives during their meeting in the jail.
"Separation from our comrades in the struggle is unbearable and painful. We not only shared a community bond with Avatar Singh Khanda, but a personal connection too”, they wrote.
The letter dated July 5 is signed by Amritpal Singh, his uncle Harjit Singh, Pappalpreet Singh, Daljit Singh Kalsi, Kulwant Singh, Bhagwant Singh, Basant Singh, Sarabjit Singh, Surinder Singh and Gurmeet Singh Our Aujla.
Notably, in the recent past, two Khalistani ultras, Avtar Singh Khanda and Hardeep Singh Nijjar died in UK and Canada.
The Sikh detainees alleged that the Indian government had presented the "martyrdom" of Avatar Singh Khanda as a result of his "illness" to obscure the truth adding that similar attempts were made by the government to label the "martyrdom" of Sandeep Singh (Deep Sidhu) as a "road accident."
"Despite these futile efforts, the collective consciousness of the Sikh community bestowed upon Deep Sidhu the title of "Quomi Shaheed" (community martyrs). Similarly, Avatar Singh Khanda and Hardeep Singh Nijjar deserve the revered status of "Quomi Shaheed", and the Sikh Quom should declare them "Quomi Shaheed".
They claimed that "according to Sikh principles, resorting to armed struggle becomes the last resort for Sikhs. Despite facing injustice and seeking peaceful freedom, we are continuously oppressed by an unjust government. The government is targeting our precious youth".
The Sikh individuals booked under National Security Act (NSA) have also appealed for the upliftment of the Sikh Panth and the community and remain vigilant and fight for "higher ideals amidst the government's tactics".
Meanwhile, the mothers of Gurmeet and Pappalpreet have come forward in a video message to refute any claims of violence or injuries sustained by their sons in Dibrugarh jail.
The mother of Gurmeet said that they immediately rushed to the jail upon hearing news of a fight and injuries to Pappalpreet.
However, after meeting their children, she asserted that they are in ‘Chardi Kalan(high esteem) and there is no truth to such allegations.
She further appealed to everyone to avoid spreading rumors that cause unnecessary distress to them.
