Lakhbir Singh’s Murder Notwithstanding – A Wake-up Call for the Sikh Community

 by

P. S. Sahni

Thank you Vidya Bhushan Rawat for mincing no words in your piece “Sacrilege or blasphemy: The dirty attempt to cover up the caste prejudices against Dalits.” The underbelly of a progressive community stands exposed. It is a wake-up call for the Sikh community. The deathly silence of the Sikh leadership in not unequivocally condemning the ghastly murder is reminiscent of the silence by the Sikh intellectuals and senior retired army officials based in Delhi over the selective killings of minority (Hindu) community members in Punjab during the turbulent 1990s.

When I read Rawat’s piece the images which crossed my mind was the burning alive of Sikhs in 1984 in Delhi and northern India. Those images were no different from the image which get conjured up of butchering of a Dalit, Lakhbir Singh.

I am reproducing the comment (slightly edited) which I had sent to CC in response to Rawat’s piece. The left of the centre activists bends over backwards for rights of religious minorities; but are loathe to condemn their fault lines. (quote)

“Vidya Bhushan Rawat’s piece is an honest, courageous and an eye-opening one for Sikh community in particular and rest of the Indians in general…

During my medical student years in Delhi there used to be 150 students in the MBBS class in 1969; when attendance would be taken and names called out e.g. that of C.S. Kain, another student a Jat Sikh would yell out: “Scheduled Caste Hai”; when Sadia Din’s name would be called out the same gentleman would shout “gone to Pakistan”. No student or professor ever raised objection! Thus began my exposure to caste and communal bias; and also the anti-Pakistan feelings.

Reforms in the Sikh community would have to come primarily from within keeping the following in mind:

• The Mazhabi Sikhs – untouchables – (Scheduled Castes) live in separate clusters in villages in Punjab; are forced to live in less desirable areas in the village.
• This community accounts for 32% of population in Punjab as per 2011 Census.
• Only 3.5% of private farmland belongs to Dalits as per Agriculture Census of 2015-16.
• The Mazhabi Sikhs cannot use Gurudwaras frequented by higher caste Sikhs and
• They must use special cremation grounds.
• The Shiromani Akali Dal, a religio-political party founded in 1920 is dominated by Jat Sikhs. The SGPC (Shiromani Gurudwara Prabhandak Committee) is Jat controlled.
• The British Raj system of land allocation in Punjab worked against the Mazhabis. The Jats received most of the 4,000,000 acres that became available between 1885 and 1940 while outcastes were excluded entirely. Thus the relationship of a Jat Sikh and a Mazhabi is invariably that of a farmer and landless labourer.
• Marriages between Jats and untouchables does not even enter one’s mind since in very few reported cases beheading of such couples follows suit.
• Such is the environment created by casteism that Kanshi Ram; Harkishan Singh Surjeet, Mayawati; Dr. B. R. Ambedkar opted to work outside of Punjab.”

Guru Nanak the founder of Sikhism had the courage and – if I may dare say the little space/freedom to mock at Brahminism over five centuries earlier. Such space should accrue for all times to come to those who interpret/analyze Holy Scriptures differently without disrespecting the holy books. Tolerance of diverse views would result in peaceful coexistence.

[P. S. Sahni is a member of PIL Watch Group. Email: pilwatchgroup@gmail.com]

First published in Countercurrents.org on 27/10/2021. 

See link: https://countercurrents.org/2021/10/lakhbir-singhs-murder-notwithstanding-a-wake-up-call-for-the-sikh-community/

Incidents happening in Lakshadweep resemble the atrocities of Emergency

 Written by P.S. Sahni & Shobha Aggarwal

Incidents happening in Lakshadweep under the ruthless Administrator Praful Patel are very disturbing even during these unusual times. Memory goes back to June 1975 when under cover of Internal Emergency a similar exercise was carried out in Muslim dominated area of in and around Jama Masjid, old Delhi. It so happened that Sanjay Gandhi and the then DDA Vice Chairman Mr. Jagmohan (who was to become Governor of J & K later) lamented that they were unable to see Jama Masjid in view of tenements around Jama Masjid housing the Muslims. So the following plan of action was undertaken:

1. Bulldozing the tenements housing 70,000 Muslims (equivalent to the present population of Lakshadweep).

2. Change the pattern of land use.

3. Attempt was to beautify the area and make it a tourist spot. The truth is that it was a tourist spot already.

4. During this period preventive detention laws were strengthened.

5. Sanjay’s five point program included family planning which transformed into forcible vasectomy.

6. Muslims, poor and subordinate caste people were targeted.

Maneka Gandhi was instrumental in getting the Idgah abattoir out of old Delhi through judicial means.

A cursory look at the last few days media clippings show:

That Lakshadweep Administrator has the same proclivities e.g. converting Lakshadweep into a grand tourist spot akin to Maldives; preventing people with two plus kids from becoming Panchayat members; strengthening preventive detention laws; and change of land use pattern.

Our friend Inder Mohan of PUCL opposed the demolition; BBC covered his arrest under MISA. Inder Mohan was innocent enough to meet Sanjay Gandhi during the day and get arrested in late evening. Next day Muslims in old Delhi lined up along the lanes and by-lanes even as Inder Mohan was being escorted from Darya Ganj Police Station to Tis Hazari District Court, Delhi.

Is Lakshadweep the next target even without a formal emergency?

First Published: https://countercurrents.org/2021/06/incidents-happening-in-lakshadweep-resemble-the-atrocities-of-emergency/

Owners Outrightly Reject Model Tenancy Act approved by Union Cabinet on 02.06.2021 – its rightful place is WPB!

 

To

The Chief Reporter/News Editor,

New Delhi

 

The National Campaign Committee for Rental Law Reform (NCCRLR) outrightly rejects Model Tenancy Act approved by Union Cabinet – its rightful place is WPB. This Act deliberately and for political reasons ensures that owners of properties – which have been let out under the rent control laws in many states especially in cities like Mumbai, Delhi etc. – get no relief whatsoever and will continue to be paid between Rs. 10 to 100 a month! The market rent for such properties would be running into lakhs.

 

The incumbent at the PMO right in 2014 had assured that all old and obsolete laws would be rooted out of the statues book. So is the Minister of Housing and Urban Affairs openly defying the road map for deletion of old laws? An act of rebellion?

 

Future course of Action

 

The NCCRLR appeals to all its constituent members to ensure that their respective state assemblies do not pass such a regressive law using all democratic, legal peaceful methods including popular protests. This has become necessary because successive governments since last thirty years have been parroting the issue of Model Tenancy Act; but without initiating legislative action. The Union Government should lead by action and repeal the Delhi Rent Control Act, 1958 in toto which it – and not the Delhi Government – has the power to do.

 

P. S. Sahni

Convener, National Campaign Committee for Rental Law Reform

    

 

 

 

Press Statement Re. Against Sedition Law

 

PIL Watch Group opposes the demand by Indian Medical Association (IMA) to file a sedition case against Baba Ramdev. We oppose the sedition law lock, stock and barrel. Ordinary laws of the land are enough to deal with all situations.

CLARIFICATION

 

P.S. Sahni, member, PIL Watch Group has decided not to use the prefix ‘Dr.’ with his name w.e.f. May 3, 2021. For more details see: 

http://aidsbhedbhavvirodhiandolan.blogspot.com/2021/05/covid-19-pandemic-india-need-citizens.html.

References to his writings/work prior to May 3, 2021 will stay unaltered.

COVID-19 Pandemic India: Needed A Citizens’ Justice Committee To Fix Responsibility

                                                          by

P. S. Sahni

First the personal facts briefly:

 

I obtained MBBS degree dated 15^th February, 1975 from University of Delhi.

Obtained Master of Surgery (Orthopaedics) degree dated 23^rd March, 1979 from University of Delhi.

Worked in Bihar in 1975 in the Small-pox Eradication Programme under the joint Govt. of India-WHO Project. Testimonial dated 6 February, 1975.

Worked as Senior Research Fellow in an ICMR project from 26.11.81 to 30.11.82 under Dr. B. P. Yadav at Safdarjung Hospital, New Delhi.

Worked as Research Associate in an ICMR Project from 27.12.82 to 29.12.83 under Dr. S. K. Verma at AIIMS, New Delhi.

 

Work experience amongst 5 epidemics over a period of 5 decades:

 

1.  In 1971, worked amongst refugees from Bangladesh at the Indo-Bangla border. Cholera epidemic was in rage amongst the refugees. A group of medical students from Delhi (including me) had set up a dispensary right in the middle of this camp.

2.     In 1975 worked in Bihar in Small-pox Eradication Programme under a joint Govt. of India-WHO Project. Work involved moving on bicycle from village to village vaccinating all residents; and quarantining those afflicted with Small-pox in their village hut itself.

3.  In 1988 worked during the Cholera epidemic in Delhi as a member of Nagrik Mahamari Janch Samiti. We had documented the work in a Citizens’ Report: “Crime Goes Unpunished.” The Supreme Court of India took cognizance of the Report.

4.    As a co-founder of ABVA (AIDS Bhedbhav Virodhi Andolan) we were one of the first organizations to work during the AIDS pandemic in India. The work started in 1988 and continues till date. We documented our work through a series of Citizens’ Reports available on ABVA’s blog.

5.   As a member of Nagrik Mahamari Janch Samiti worked during the Plague epidemic in Delhi (September-October, 1994) and documented our work in a Citizens’ Report: “Is Plague Over?”

 

During 2020 (January to September), we had written a series of articles – 18 in all, including 5 co-authored with my colleague Shobha Aggarwal – on COVID-19 Pandemic which were duly published in Countercurrents.org. We had demanded then:

“… the politicians and bureaucrats in the Union Ministry of Home Affairs; as also Health and Family Welfare; and top-most doctors in the Indian Council of Medical Research as well as the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi should be asked to submit their resignations.”

 

However since early this year, the acts of omission & commission by the politicians – the full spectrum from all parties – has resulted in unprecedented surge in COVID-19 cases! Media reports indicate India registered 408,331 new infections and 3523 COVID deaths on 30 April, 2021! All political parties who fought the recent assembly elections maintained a deathly silence over the large election rallies.

 

By February, 2021 the number of cases reported per day in India had declined to a few thousand; the number reached about 11,000/day by 11-12^th March, 2021. Medical scientists at ICMR & AIIMS would have learnt by then that a resurgence is at hand.

 

Either these medical personnel failed to grasp the available medical intelligence about the doom that awaited the country; or they were aware but did not have the courage to tell the truth to their political masters.

 

These scientists needed to urge the Indian Govt. to:

i.   Suspend the Kumbh mela where finally over 9.1 million pilgrims (official data) participated. This warning should have gone by 11-12^th March for immediate action. Only symbolic ceremony – with full precautions – should have been allowed respecting the religious sentiments of the majority community.

ii.    Ensure that large gatherings at rallies during the assembly elections in 5 states were prohibited.

 

On both these counts the action was too late and too little to be of any consequence.

 

As one of the few living doctors to have worked (in the affected community & not in AC offices in metropolis) in epidemics since 1971, I feel the ‘sarkari’ medical experts let the people down. No one has owned up. No one has been punished.

 

A small personal protest

 

As long as I live I’ll never use the prefix ‘Dr.’ with my name. This is a personal, principled protest against the ‘sarkari’ (read ‘durbari’) medical experts; a section of bureaucracy and politicians of all hues (opposition as well as ruling party).

First published:  https://countercurrents.org/2021/05/covid-19-pandemic-india-need-a-citizens-justice-committee-to-fix-responsibility/