Baba Surat Singh Ji Khalsa, is on hunger strike since 16 January 2015 , for the most basic of the demands put forward by the Human rights and the UN , namely:
- Treat all Sikh prisoners –under trials and those sentenced in cases relating to the Sikh struggle- as political prisoners
- Release all prisoners who have completed their full jail terms and are legitimately due for release, exactly in the same manner, as other prisoners are so released in various other parts of the country.
Being 82 years old, he has been without food for the past 194 days. Consequently, authorities started feeding him intravenous fluids as his health deteriorated further after he refused to take even water despite repeated efforts by the Punjab administration. A board of three doctors, constituted to look after the health of Khalsa, had decided to take action after reviewing his health condition. Deputy Commissioner Rajat Aggarwal confirmed the same and said, “Fluids have been started on Khalsa after medical assessment. As Khalsa was not taking anything orally fluids had to be started.
“We apprehend that the administration has plans to force-feed him today that’s why it has disallowed family members and others to meet him,” said HS Dhami from Dal Khalsa, who was also turned back on tuesday afternoon.
And as a matter of fact, he has not been involved in serving for the weak since the past few months, Surat Singh Khalsa has been involved with human rights activism since early 1970s. Ever since being initiated as a Khalsa in 1972 in Bombay, India, Surat Singh Khalsa has advocated human rights, and spoke out against injustices to Sikhs and other minorities living in India. During the DharamYudh Morcha (a political movement launched by the Sikhs for equal rights) of 1980’s, he served as an adviser.
He resigned his post as government teacher on June 5, 1984 in the aftermath of Operation Bluestar in June 1984. Continuing with his advocacy for human rights, he served as the secretary of the United Akali Dal under the leadership of Baba Joginder Singh Rode (father of SantJarnail Singh Ji Khalsa Bhindranwale). He remained active in the UAD until late 1987. During a protest rally at Punjab Legislative Assembly in February 1986, an unprovoked police firing resulted in Surat Singh Khalsa being hit by a bullet on his legs. He continued to remain politically active and has been detained in various jails, including Chandigarh, Nabha, Patiala and Amritsar in Punjab, as well as Kurukshetra, Rohtak and Ambala in Haryana during 1980s.
He immigrated to the USA and became a Green Card holder in 1988. All children (five daughters and a son) are US nationals. He continued to remain active towards Sikh political issues and continued travelling to Punjab from the USA frequently.
We fully support Bapu Surat Singh “Khalsa”, and wish that the demands for which his life has been risked upto this level are completely satisfied, and in the future one is not forced to undergo such a painful way to put forth their point.
We request the public to give full support as no ruling party politician is ready to talk about this.
He's in police custody at Civil Hospital, Ludhiana .
In support of Bapu Surat Singh Khalsa
- https://www.facebook.com/bapusuratsingh
- https://www.facebook.com/beingpuresikh
- http://www.facebook.com/hanssarvarofficial
- https://www.facebook.com/SikhYouthBirmingham
- https://www.facebook.com/LakhaChuharChakk
- https://www.facebook.com/SOPWUK
- https://www.facebook.com/khalsacouples