Sarna will not be allowed to derail trial
Chandigarh, July 21
Punjab Information and Public Relations Minister Sewa Singh Sekhwan today said the DSGMC chief, PS Sarna, would not be allowed to derail the 1984 ‘genocide’ trial by making false charges against Senior Advocate HS Phoolka. He also appealed to Phoolka to reconsider his decision and not fall in the trap as the Sikh community had full faith in his ability to get justice to the victims of the 1984 ‘genocide’.
In a statement here today, Sekhwan said by charging Phoolka at a crucial time in the trial when the whole Sikh community was waiting for the conviction of Sajjan Kumar and Tytler with bated breath, Sarna had exposed his deep-rooted links with 10, Janpath. He said Sarna’s statement was part of a deep-rooted conspiracy to save the skin of Congress leaders Tytler and Sajjan Kumar who were on the verge of getting punishment in the cases being pursued by Phoolka.
July 26, 2010
Tags: 1984, Phoolka, Roits, Sajjan Kumar, Sarna, Sikh Genocide Category: Current Issues 
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Phoolka to stay as counsel till July 26
Chandigarh, July 21
Harvinder Singh Phoolka, counsel for the families of the 1984 ‘genoicde’ victims, said this evening that the Jathedar of Akal Takht, Giani Gurbachan Singh, had asked him to continue as the counsel of the victims.
“In view of the Akal Takht directive and sentiments expressed by the victims of the genocide and advice of the media, I have decided to defer my decision to withdraw from these cases till July 26,” Phoolka said.
Earlier Phoolka had decided to dissociate himself from the cases against senior Congress leaders like Jagdish Tytler and Sajjan Kumar after the DSGMC chief Paramjit Singh Sarna and his brother, HS Sarna, accused him of fighting these cases for “personal benefit.”
“In a deep-rooted conspiracy to save the guilty Congress leaders in the 1984 ‘genocide’ of Sikhs in the union capital case, Sikh leaders of Delhi have started a campaign to malign me and distract me from fighting these cases.”
He says that because of the allegations made against him by the DSGMC leaders, he had been having sleepless nights and was unable to prepare properly for the cases that were at a critical stage.
“I have been vehemently pursuing the cases relating to the Sikh genocide without charging any fee or donation from any one. In 1985 I was paid a meagre amount of Rs 15,000 by the DSGMC and after that since 1986 I have not received any money — either from the DSGMC or any other organisation,” claims Phoolka. In a four-page letter sent to the Jathedar of Sri Akal Takht and copies to Jathedars of the remaining four Takhts, Phoolka said that “in this fight for justice that he had been waging since 1984, I have never had any expectations from these Sikh leaders of Delhi. I have always stood alone against the perpetrators of the crime and have the resolve to do in the future as well. However, I feel that I do not have the conviction and the strength to be fighting the leaders of my own community in addition to the Congress leaders.”
He further wrote that now when the cases were reaching their peak and Sajjan Kumar was badly caught and strong proofs were emerging against Kamal Nath, at this delicate moment, Sikh leaders of the DSGMC have intensified their campaign to “malign me. The conspiracy is to involve me in defending myself against this malicious propaganda and hence distract me from these cases.” Maintaining that he could have made a lot of money by devoting his time to his commercial practice like his other fellow Senior Advocates, Phoolka said, “Not only did I put my practice at stake, but also my life at risk by facing the perpetrators of the genocide head on, all by myself. I have never accepted any security for myself. Justice Ranganathan Misra had ordered the police to provide me security but I refused.
Phoolka has urged the Jathedar of Akal Takht to take a timely decision in the matter and make alternative arrangements for another lawyer. “At this critical juncture, a mere delay of a few days can prove to be disastrous for the cases.
I assure you that till such alternative arrangements are made, I will continue with the cases and not let the cause suffer, whatever be the state of my mind,” he said in the letter.
July 26, 2010
Tags: 1984, Phoolka, Roits, Sikh Genocide Category: Current Issues No Comments
Khalra Mission gives list of 148 cops to Akal Takht
Amritsar, Punjab: The Khalra Mission Organisation (KMO) here today submitted a list of 148 police officials, who were allegedly involved in ‘genocide of Sikhs’ during militancy period in the state, to Akal Takht.
The memorandum signed by seven office-bearers of the KMO demanded that the highest temporal seat of the Sikhs must summon former DGP Punjab KPS Gill in matter of cremation of 25,000 bodies as unclaimed and added that the Parkash Singh Badal government must also register an FIR against him in this regard.
It also sought that the state government must appoint a judicial commission to conduct inquiry against these 148 police officials. It opined that the committee for inquiry must be instituted in a given time frame and its violation must be dealt with social boycott of Badal and his party men.
KMO president Harmandeep Singh Sarhali requested stopping of honouring those politicians and bureaucrats, who were involved in the “genocide of Sikhs”.
July 26, 2010
Tags: Khalra Mission, Punjab Police, Sikh Genocide Category: Current Issues No Comments
Sikhs to attack India’s Commonwealth Games ?
Indian media is bent on destroying the image of Sikhs in India and abroad. Few months ago, Indian government ordered (not requested) Canadian PM to keep tab on Sikh community in Canada. If American or Canadian government requests India to respect basic human rights whether in Punjab or in Kashmir, India’s typical response is “do not interfere in our internal matters”.
Recent news of sikh groups targeting Asian games in New Delhi reminds me of 1980′s era when the government controlled the media to spread similar fake news which resulted in senseless killings of sikhs in Punjab, Haryana and Delhi.
From books, interviews with human right organizations and many other non-biased outlets we come to know that in Sikhs’ short history, no Sikh group ever targeted any innocent civilians in their movement. The killings of 1980′s were government sponsored. It was the government which controlled everything; media, airwaves, state government(president rule), city government. It was the government who let the killings go on for 3 days in broad day light and it happened right in the heart of India’s capital; New Delhi.
Are we going to trust the corrupt government (Only India is the country where lawmakers are ex-robbers, murderers, rapist) or we going to trust ordinary hard-working justice seeking people from Assam, Punjab, Tamil Nadu and Kashmir. It is certainly not a fault of any normal citizen of India as they are being blindly led by the media outlets propagated by government of India. Such recent news of Sikhs making threat to Commonwealth Games is pure hoax and a step by government to take media light away from real issues; corruption in government, indiction of cabient/federal ministers in killings of Sikhs 25 years ago resulting in death of more than 10,000 sikhs in Delhi.
To those who don’t know much about sikhs, it is against our Sikh Dharam to kill the innocent no matter what the conditions are, and all sikhs; whether Amritdhari or patit; follow this rule strictly in their daily practical lives. Sikhs are loyal and they do no hide from what they do or have done in the past, nor do they take any interest in blowing up public places in India. They could bring a lot more damage to the society but it is not in our religion to perform such horrible terror acts.
Once in front of 1,000-strong audience in Latin America, celebrated Indian writer Arundhati Roy told the audience that ‘‘India is not a democratic country’’. ‘The biggest PR myth of all times is that India is a democracy. In reality, it is not.
July 25, 2010
Tags: Anti-Sikh, Common Wealth Games, Delhi Category: Current Issues No Comments
Phoolka to file case against ex-HC judge
New Delhi After the tussle between the president of the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC), Paramjit Singh Sarna, and senior advocate H S Phoolka, a fresh twist developed on Friday, with the lawyer saying he would file a defamation case against former Delhi High Court judge R S Sodhi for terming his actions “professional misconduct”.
Phoolka had on Wednesday morning announced he would withdraw from all 1984 anti-Sikh riots cases as Sarna had accused him of “wasting” money given to him for the cases on behalf of the victims. However, after the Akal Takht intervened and requested Phoolka to stay on, he deferred his final call till Monday, when Sarna would explain his statement to the Takht.
A day later, Justice (retired) Sodhi, who now practises in the Supreme Court, said a lawyer must render the accounts whenever asked for by his client. Not doing so amounted to professional misconduct, he added.
Phoolka has consistently claimed that he had not charged a single penny for his services from the DSGMC, and whatever money was spent was on the administrative expenses. On Friday, he said he will approach the court (against Sodhi) since the allegations were now levelled by a lawyer.
Speaking to Newsline, Sodhi said, “He (Phoolka) is welcome to do whatever he wants but I stick to my statement that a lawyer must render the accounts to his clients. Phooka, being a senior advocate, must also learn the etiquette of a senior lawyer.”
July 24, 2010
Tags: 1984, Phoolka, Roits, Sodhi Category: Current Issues, November 1984 No Comments
Sikhs alarmed about Use/Sale of the Golden Temple Brand
July 13, 2010 (MMD Newswire) — The recent sale of the Golden Temple brand to Hearthside Foods with $700 million in total revenue, ignites Sikhs’ unease over what they claim was Yogi Bhajan’s commercialization and trivialization of their religion. Amidst the complex battle between Bhajan’s family and students in Oregon courts over the control of Bhajan’s empire, the Golden Temple name and logo recently sold to Hearthside Foods upsetting many mainstream Sikhs. Hardev Singh Shergill, editor of the Sikh Bulletin explains:
“The Golden Temple is the English name for Darbar Sahib located in Amritsar India. The Golden Temple is a central Gurdwara (house of worship) for Sikhs everywhere. Yogi Bhajan was dead wrong to use the Golden Temple to sell breakfast cereal, to feed his wallet and ego. Sikhism teaches to never mix faith with commerce. Sikh teachings are offered freely. No one should profit when sharing the Sikh religion. And no one should trivialize other’s religious traditions, much less profit from cheapening us. The executives at Hearthside Foods are innocent and ignorant. They know nothing about Sikhism. They are just more victims of Bhajan’s cult.”
“We ask Hearthside Foods to respect Sikhs and stop selling the Golden Temple brand. We’ve started an online petition to ask Hearthside to stop using the Golden Temple brand name,” says Gursant Singh, editor of Gurmukhyoga.com, a former Yogi Bhajan student who left Bhajan’s group after travelling to India and meeting with mainstream Sikhs there. “I didn’t know I was in a cult. Yogi Bhajan was more like Jim Jones than a Sikh. It is important to repair the damage he caused. “If a company used a brand name like “Vatican Vermicelli” or “Paul’s Last Supper Wine”, you’d find religious people everywhere rising up in protest. Give the Golden Temple back. Sikhs welcome Hearthside employees to visit Darbar Sahib, or any Gurdwara, where people are fed delicious food free of charge daily. Eat at the Golden Temple. Don’t eat The Golden Temple.”
“The Golden Temple should not be branded. Gurdwaras, including The Golden Temple, are places of worship; they are to stay open, and to feed people,” says Harmander Singh of Sikhs of England, coach of Fauja Singh, 99 year old marathon runner, and London’s ‘Sikhs In the City’ team. “Many Sikhs have arrived in the West since 1984, escaping from religious persecution and genocide in India. We feel shame over how Yogi Bhajan conned young people – we Sikhs live by the principles of remembering God, working hard and sharing with others – nowhere is there any promotion of sex tantra and yoga gimmicks in the Sikh scriptures. Rather, for Sikh’s perhaps the most sinful act imaginable is to fleece innocents in the name of the Divine.”
Back in the early 1970s when Yogi Bhajan and his students named their Eugene Oregon bakery, The Golden Temple and started selling Wahe Guru Chews (Waheguru is Sikh’s primary word for the Divine, literally, ‘wondrous teacher’) there were few Sikhs in the West to protest. Dr. Trilochan Singh in his book Sikhism and Tantric Yoga written in 1977 stated, “In England last year a firm advertised some blue jeans as Jesus Jeans. The whole religious world of England rose in one protest and stopped the manufacture of these jeans. The word Golden Temple has become an instrument of commercial affairs of Yogi Bhajan.”
Dr. Iqbal Singh who lives a few miles from of the Golden Temple in India and has written five books on Sikh history agrees, “The Golden Temple is not a brand name for any trade. This is the Almighty’s temple…a place of devotion, equality, love, service, and protection for all, not to be used for commercial profit.”
July 23, 2010
Tags: commercial, yogi bhajan Category: Current Issues No Comments
Akal Takht summons Sarna over his remarks against H.S Phoolka
Amritsar, July 21: Akal Takht, the highest temporal seat of the Sikhs, on Tuesday summoned Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC) Chief Parmjeet Singh Sarna to clarify his stands on the allegations that he has made against Advocate H. S. Phoolka.
Advocate Phoolka has been fighting cases for the victims of the anti-Sikh riots cases for over 26 years.
Perturbed by the allegations by Sarna, Phoolka has threatened to withdraw from all the cases he has been fighting to get justice for the victims of 1984 anti-Sikh riots. He has approached Akal Takht in the matter.
DSGMC chief Sarna has alleged that the advocate has wasted the money in course of the campaign for personal gains.
Sarna claimed that DSGMC has spent over one crore rupees to fight the cases in courts.
Following his remarks, Sarna has been summoned to appear before the Akal Takht on July 25 and 26.
In Amritsar, addressing the media, Akal Takht Chief Jathedar Gurbachan Singh said that Sarna’s allegations against Phoolka was a serious matter, and it’s been decided to call Sarna before the Akal Takht for clarifications.
Praising Phoolka for fighting the cases of the riots victims, Gurbachan said that it is because of Phoolka’s tireless efforts that victims of the 1984 anti-Sikh riots can now hope to get justice from the courts in India.
The summoning of Sarna ahead of the Shiromani Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee (SGPC) poll, however, is expected to trigger a debate in political circles of Sikh fraternity.
Sarna has already announced to field his candidates to contest forthcoming the SGPC poll.
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July 22, 2010
Tags: 1984, DSGMC, Roits, Sarna, Shri Akal Thakht Sahib Category: Current Issues, November 1984 No Comments
Sikh leaders blame Sarna for playing Congresss game plan to oust Phoolka from riot cases
NEW DELHI: Responding to the report of allegations against Senior Advocate H.S. Phoolka who has been tirelessly working on the November 1984 cases for more than two decades, Karnail Singh Peermohammad President AISSF avowed that their organization along with Sikhs for Justice (SFJ) condemns the baseless allegations.
Peermohammad further stated that their organizations and victims of November 1984 Sikh Genocide are fully cognizant of the invaluable service that advocate Phoolka has rendered to the cause of justice during the past more than two decades. These allegations are baseless and actually aimed at subverting and sidetracking the momentum built in support of justice for the 1984 Sikh Genocide, stated Peermohammad.
AISSF President stated that this is a plan of Congress (I) to divert the attention of the Delhi Court which is recording the statements of the Witnesses on daily basis, as these allegations appeared only after Delhi High Court refused to quash the murder charges against Sajjan Kumar. Congress (I) is using again divide and rule policy against Sikh Community adopted by Congress since independence and is using Delhi Gurudwara Management Committee to further their goal stated Peermohammad.
Attorney Guurpatwant Singh Pannun legal advisor to Sikhs for Justice (SFJ) stated that victims of November 1984 Genocide clearly recognize and respect advocate HS Phoolka for his role in getting justice and Sikh community will fail any such dubious attack on the credibility of those associated with the cause of Sikh Genocide.
Since advocate HS Phoolka is spearheading a justice campaign against the Congress leaders Jagdish Tytler and Sajjan Kumar for their role in organizing and leading the mobs that killed Sikh in Delhi during November 1984 Sikh Genocide, these allegations are nefarious plan hatched by congress (I) to sidetrack 1984 Sikh genocide justice efforts, stated attorney Pannun.
AISSF President Karnail Singh Peermohammad and SFJ Coordination Committee jointly requested and appealed advocate HS Phoolka to continue fighting on behalf of the victims of November 1984 Sikh Genocide.
July 21, 2010
Tags: 1984, Delhi, Phoolka, Roits, Sarna Category: Current Issues, November 1984 No Comments
Irked at Sarna's comments, advocate H.S. Phoolka withdraws from 1984 riots cases
NEW DELHI: One of India’s top lawyers H.S.Phoolka who was contesting court cases of victims of anti-Sikh riots in Delhi in 1984 for nearly 26 years has withdrew from all cases following certain derogratory remarks made by DSGPC president Paramjit Singh Sarna.
Sarna in a meeting here Tuesday alleged that Phoolka had been working for personal gains and he had ad “wasted” the money in the course of the campaign.
“I felt humiliated and abused. It was an attack on my integrity and record of selfless service,” Phoolka, 54, told media persons.
The decision to pull out of the riots cases comes only two days after he appeared in the Delhi High Court which upheld the murder charge against Congress leader Sajjan Kumar.
Sarna had made the allegations against Phoolka at a meeting July 17 in which several prominent Sikhs were present. Phoolka said he would represent the families of the victims in court “today only”.
Sarna said that when Phoolka appeared before the Justice G.T. Nanavati Commission — set up to investigate the riots — on behalf of the victims during 2000-04, the DSGMC had spent Rs.1.09 crore on the administrative expenses incurred by his team.
Phoolka said it was only after the Nanavati probe that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had apologized for the carnage, the compensation for the families of dead victims was enhanced to Rs.10 lakh, Congress leader Jagdish Tytler resigned from the union cabinet and the cases that Sajjan Kumar is currently facing were reopened.
“I have never charged a penny as fee,” he said, while pointing to the legal assistance offered to families of the riot victims.”Whatever the DSGMC has spent was unavoidable and not for my personal gains,” he said.
Phoolka has written to the Akal Takht, the highest decision-making body of Sikhs in Amritsar, to make alternative arrangements for representing victims before courts.
The advocate has himself been a victim of the mayhem when bloodthirsty mobs ruled Delhi’s streets for three days following the assassination of then prime minister Indira Gandhi Oct 31, 1984.
A budding lawyer then, Phoolka and his four-month pregnant wife Maninder were chased by mobs before an army convoy took them to a safe place.
July 21, 2010
Tags: 1984, Delhi, Roits, Sarna Category: November 1984 No Comments
Irked at Sarna’s comments, advocate H.S. Phoolka withdraws from 1984 riots cases
NEW DELHI: One of India’s top lawyers H.S.Phoolka who was contesting court cases of victims of anti-Sikh riots in Delhi in 1984 for nearly 26 years has withdrew from all cases following certain derogratory remarks made by DSGPC president Paramjit Singh Sarna.
Sarna in a meeting here Tuesday alleged that Phoolka had been working for personal gains and he had ad “wasted” the money in the course of the campaign.
“I felt humiliated and abused. It was an attack on my integrity and record of selfless service,” Phoolka, 54, told media persons.
The decision to pull out of the riots cases comes only two days after he appeared in the Delhi High Court which upheld the murder charge against Congress leader Sajjan Kumar.
Sarna had made the allegations against Phoolka at a meeting July 17 in which several prominent Sikhs were present. Phoolka said he would represent the families of the victims in court “today only”.
Sarna said that when Phoolka appeared before the Justice G.T. Nanavati Commission — set up to investigate the riots — on behalf of the victims during 2000-04, the DSGMC had spent Rs.1.09 crore on the administrative expenses incurred by his team.
Phoolka said it was only after the Nanavati probe that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had apologized for the carnage, the compensation for the families of dead victims was enhanced to Rs.10 lakh, Congress leader Jagdish Tytler resigned from the union cabinet and the cases that Sajjan Kumar is currently facing were reopened.
“I have never charged a penny as fee,” he said, while pointing to the legal assistance offered to families of the riot victims.”Whatever the DSGMC has spent was unavoidable and not for my personal gains,” he said.
Phoolka has written to the Akal Takht, the highest decision-making body of Sikhs in Amritsar, to make alternative arrangements for representing victims before courts.
The advocate has himself been a victim of the mayhem when bloodthirsty mobs ruled Delhi’s streets for three days following the assassination of then prime minister Indira Gandhi Oct 31, 1984.
A budding lawyer then, Phoolka and his four-month pregnant wife Maninder were chased by mobs before an army convoy took them to a safe place.
July 21, 2010
Tags: 1984, Delhi, Roits, Sarna Category: Current Issues, November 1984 No Comments
