Refugee Review Tribunal

AUSTRALIA

RRT RESEARCH RESPONSE

Research Response Number: IND31165 Country: India Date: 11 January 2007

Keywords: India – – Shiromani Dal – Sikh Student Federation – Elections

This response was prepared by the Country Research Section of the Refugee Review Tribunal (RRT) after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the RRT within time constraints. This response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum.

Questions

1. Please provide updated information about Shiromani Khalsa Dal. 2. Please provide updated information about the SSF. 3. Please provide updated information about the treatment of SSF and Shiromani Khalsa Dal members and activists by the authorities. 4. Please also provide election results (national, state and local) for Punjab from 2004 onwards.

RESPONSE

1. Please provide updated information about Shiromani Khalsa Dal.

Shiromani Khalsa Dal (SKD)

On 14 April, 2004, Sikh prisoner and the leader of the militant wing of the Sikh Students Federation Daljit Singh Bittu formed a new political party, the Shiromani Khalsa Dal (SKD). Daljit Singh Bittu was detained by the Punjab Police for ten years after being arrested for bank robbery and assassinations in 1996. On 4 June 2005, Bittu and his associate Gurcharan Singh Gama were sentenced to life imprisonment by a Special Court headed by Additional Sessions Judge S.K. Garg. Both were charged by the Punjab police on 24 April 1996 for murdering Ashok Bedi, a son of former police officer Raj Kishan Bedi. Ashok Bedi, who was running an auto centre in Bhai Bala chowk of Ludhiana, was allegedly killed by two unidentified gun men, who shot him at a close range. On 7 October 2005, Bittu was released on parole for twenty one days on the orders of the Punjab and Haryana High Court (‘Bittu, Gama get life term’ 2005, The Tribune, 4 June http://www.tribuneindia.com/2005/20050605/main3.htm – Accessed 8 January 2007 – Attachment 1; ‘Daljit Singh Bittu Released on Parole’ 2005, The Sikh Times, 7 October source: The Tribune (7 October 2005) http://www.sikhtimes.com/news_100705a.html – Accessed 8 January 2007 – Attachment 2 ).

The Objectives of the party are to establish a free, sovereign, and a separate Sikh state in the Indian state of Punjab. The SKD opposes communalism and has challenged the Indian Government’s policy of: one country, one people, one culture, and one language. According to the party founder Daljit Singh, the SKD will work with ethnic groups seeking a separate homeland and these include the Nagas, Mizos, Tamils, Kashmiris, Chakmas, Assamese and Tibetans (Singh, J. 2004,‘Idea of a New Political Party Floated’, Sikh News Network, 20 April http://www.sikhnn.com/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=88&mod e=thread&order=0&thold=0 – Accessed 8 January 2007 – Attachment 3).

In a letter to the Prime Minister of India, Manmohan Singh, the SKD stated that it represents Sikhs and Punjabis, who are disillusioned with India. According to the SKD letter:

Instead of rhetoric we suggest that you consider actions, which would be far more meaningful. Punjab has been bankrupted by corrupt politicians, a dishonest and oversized bureaucracy, a dysfunctional educational system, an agricultural economy that has seen limited growth in many years, and an extraordinarily high debt burden on the farmers. We ask you to form and fund a task force staffed not by bureaucrats or politicians, but forward- thinking academics, intellectuals, industrialists, farmers and businessmen from Punjab and around the world, to present concrete proposals within six months for economic reform in Punjab.

We would expect that such a task force would leverage existing credible work, such as the Johl Committee report. If our additional input is sought, we can offer both concrete suggestions and potential participants for such an effort. We ask you to seriously consider opening the border with Pakistan. This one act may not be a panacea for Punjab’s ills, but it may have the favorable consequence of opening up new trade routes and providing Punjabi farmers (on both sides of the border) new markets for their produce. An economist of your stature does not need us to enumerate the potential benefits of such a bold move (‘Shiromani Khalsa Dal letter to the Indian Prime Minister’2004, Sikh Spectrum website, 26 May http://www.sikhspectrum.com/082004/sdk_manmohan.htm – Accessed 8 January 2007 – Attachment 4).

On 7 July 2006, the two political parties, () SAD (A) and the SKD merged to form a single political entity, which maintained the party name SAD (A). The announcement of the merger was jointly made by the leader of SAD (A) Simranjit Singh Mann and the SKD leader Daljit Singh Bittu at a press conference held at Circuit House in Amritsar, Punjab. The SAD (A) was formed by the Jathedar (JAT) leader Professor Manjit Singh. SAD (A) and the SKD were contemplating merging into one entity with Bittu as the president but this could not be secured and a compromise was reached with Simranjit taking the post of the party president and Bittu appointed his deputy. The aim of the merger is to form a political front to defeat the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) coalition Government in Punjab in the February 2007 state elections (‘SKD merges with SAD (Amritsar)’ 2006, The Tribune website, 7 June http://www.tribuneindia.com/2006/20060608/punjab1.htm#6 – Accessed 8 January 2007 – Attachment 5).

According to the Sikh Sangat News, the merger of the SAD (A) and the SKD was for the following political reason. The land and water rights of the people of Panjab [sic], the worsening water and power situation, the illegal, free distribution of largesse to big industrialists, the menace of migratory labour, the executive clearance and ‘regularisation’ of government land forcibly occupied by the organized mafia in various cities of Panjab [sic] and chandigerh [sic], under the tutelage of Congress leaders at various levels, the continuing suicides by farmers, no resolution of various long standing issues of the Sikh people and the state of Panjab [sic], the incarceration of Sikh detenues [sic] without recourse to redress and succour, the increasing drug-abuse by Panjabi [sic] youth, rising apostasy amongst the Sikh youth, deteriorating religious and ethical standards of living, health and education for the entire populace of Panjab [sic]are areas of prime concern to us.

In consonance with the voice of the people of Panjab [sic], our present journey will include complete and fullest participation in the ensuing elections in Panjab [sic], to defeat the designs of the Congress and the unholy nexus of the Badal Dal [sic]-BJP-RSS. We are determined to inherit the proud heritage of Panjab [sic] and to foil all attempts by these parties to subvert the culture and annihilate the people of Panjab [sic]. Unlike these parties, we will uphold all democratic norms and will represent the case of the underprivileged, the poor and the neglected. “Sarbat da Bhala” is the mission delivered unto us by the Gurus and we will continue our endeavours to accomplish it (‘Shiromani Khalsa Dal and Shiromani Akali Dal Announced Unity’ 2006, Sikh Sangat News website, 7 July http://www.sikhsangat.org/publish/article_1086.shtml – Accessed 8 January 2007 – Attachment 6).

2. Please provide updated information about the SSF.

All India Sikh Student Federation (AISSF)

The Sikh Student Federation (SSF) was formed in 1944 in by a Sikh student Sarup Singh. The SSF provides cultural and religious support for Sikh students studying in Indian schools, colleges and universities. The SSF has grown since the 1940s and now operate throughout Indian universities and colleges. As a result of this growth, the organisation is now called All India Sikh Student Federation (AISSF) and has exported its organisational structure overseas and in particular to universities and school campuses in Canada, the United Kingdom and the United States. Since 1983, the AISSF has supported the formation of a separate state of Khalistan for the Sikh majority in Punjab (‘Sikh Students Federation’ (undated), All About Sikhs website http://www.allaboutsikhs.com/Sikh-Organisations/All- India-Sikh-Students-Federation.html – Accessed 8 January 2007 – Attachment 7; see also Sikh Student Federation website http://www.sikhstudentsfederation.com/).

In 1986, the Sikh Student Federation in India split into a peaceful and a militant group. The militant group was led by Dalgit Singh Bittu, who in 2004 formed the SKD party (‘Harpal Singh Cheema; Rawinder Kaur, Petitioners, v. Immigration and Naturalization Service, Respondent’, International Journal of Refugee Law, vol. 16, no. 2, pp. 244–256 – Attachment 8).

In March 2004, the AISSF organised a function at a to honour the Sikh Gurdwara Committee (DSGC). The DSGC had been instrumental in lobbying the central government for policies aimed at improving the lives of Sikhs in India. On 13 May 2005, the AISSF held a peaceful demonstration against the release of the Hindi movie “Jo Bole So Nihal”. The AISSF objected to some scenes in the movie as offensive to Sikh culture and religion. The movie was withdrawn from screening in Punjab after two cinemas in New Delhi playing the movie were bombed on 22 May 2005, resulting in the death of a movie patron (‘Sikh leaders honoured’ 2004, The Hindu website, 5 March http://www.hindu.com/2004/03/06/stories/2004030606540400.htm – Accessed 9 January 2007 – Attachment 9; ‘Vedanti’s kin under fire on film row’ 2005, The Tribune website, 13 May http://www.tribuneindia.com/2005/20050514/punjab1.htm – Accessed 9 January 2007 – Attachment 10; ‘Sikh Extremist Movements’ 2006, Jane’s Intelligence and Insight, 10 August – Attachment 11).

On 16 July 2006, the AISSF passed a resolution condemning the visit by the Punjab Congress Committee President Shamsher Singh to Piara Bhaniarewala, who published an alternative holy book for the Sikhs.

Bhaniarwala, a self-styled Guru of a dehdhari cult, was excommunicated from the Khalsa Panth by Sri Akal Takhat Sahib for carrying out anti-Sikh activities. It was in August of 1998 that Bhaniarewala composed the much controversial - "Bhansagar Samundar Granth" which he claimed to be parallel to and in which he portrayed himself as being the successor of Ji.

It was also in 1998 that, along with his followers, Piara burnt seven saroops of Guru Granth Sahib Ji in Fatehgarh Sahib District. Noting the strong reaction from the Sikh community, to safeguard the culprit, the Punjab Government arrested Piara but later released him after he was granted bail by an court (AISSF seeks summon notice for Dullo's Bhaniara Visit’ 2006, The Panthic Weekly website, 16 July http://www.panthic.org/news/125/ARTICLE/2629/2006-07-16.html – Accessed 9 January 2007 – Attachment 12).

3. Please provide updated information about the treatment of SSF and Shiromani Khalsa Dal members and activists by the authorities.

In August 2005, the SKD party highlighted the plight of a number of Sikhs languishing in Punjab jails at a press conference. The SKD spokesperson Swaran Singh Khalsa stated that an eighty five year old Gurdev Singh, a resident of Kalke village near Moga, was charged under the Terrorist and Disruptive Activities Act (TADA) and has been in Punjab jails for the past twelve and a half years. The SKD party called on the Punjab Government to release the Sikh youths, and the old Sikhs like Gurdev Singh from police custody. The SKD party is part of the Khalsa Dal (KD), a coalition of Sikh political parties actively involved in a lobby for a separate Sikh state. The KD prepared a list of people imprisoned in Punjab for alleged illegal activities in support of the formation of a separate Sikh state of Khalistan. According to the Sikh Sangat website:

Baba Gurdev Singh telling about his suffering.

Aged 85, with an old senile body, a hunched back, suffering from diabetes, sore feet with open wounds and hard of hearing Baba Gurdev Singh from village Kaleke, Distt. Moga is languishing in jail sentenced to 135 years of imprisonment. His only fault is that his young son Bal Bahadar Singh deserted the Indian Army as he was emotionally depressed and upset by the happenings of 1984 when Indian Government attacked Siri Harimandir Sahib Amritsar.

The younger brother of Baba Gurdev Singh, Bhai Jora Singh (70) is also serving a life sentence in the Jail booked under the draconian law abbreviated as TADA, which stands for Terrorist And Disruptive Activities act. The fault of Bhai Jora Singh is that he had raised voice against the false cases filed against his elder brother Baba Gurdev Singh.

Talking to the press he said “The Punjab police has already killed my two sons and I don't know why they are keeping me in jail even after completion of my life sentence. I don't know what danger they have from an 85 year old who is suffering from so many ailments and is hard of hearing.”

With tears in his eyes he continued “My younger son who left military was killed in a fake encounter by Punjab Police on 17 December 1987. After that all hell was let loose on my family. My elder son was killed by Punjab Police Cats (Kalian Bilian) and his dead body was thrown in the village to terrorize people.”

He further narrated how he and his younger brother Bhai Jora Singh were brutally tortured by the police umpteen number of times and when nothing came out of interrogation they were booked under TADA and sent to High Security Nabha Jail.

Police brutality did not stop here. About 7 years ago Punjab Police picked up his third son, Kinder Singh. When the mother Bibi Surjit Kaur came to know of this she tried locating her son but failed to do so. She died of the shock of loosing her only remaining son.

Telling this horrific tale of brutality heaped on his innocent family his eyes were watery and throat lumpy, but he carried on. In 1989 when a police party was ruthlessly beating the brothers, his uncle objected to the actions of the police and asked them to stop. The police made his uncle a target as well and because of atrocious beating his uncle died overnight.

Baba Gurdev Singh said that he has come on parole for the 9th time and all his record during these 9 paroles is spotless but in police files he is still responsible for sedition, secessionist activities and a danger to the security of the country.

At one point in time there was a move to free all lifers above 60 years by Jail Minister Inderjit Singh Zira but the Punjab Police DSP Moga had scuttled the move by declaring that the release of TADA detainees will be a danger to the peace and security of the state (‘Khalsa Dal highlights plight of Sikhs languishing in jails’ 2005, Sikh Sangat website, 7 August http://www.sikhsangat.org/publish/printer_254.shtml – Accessed 8 January 2007 – Attachment 13).

On 22 March 2006, the SKD criticised the Punjab Finance Minister Surinder Singla for contemplating methods to save police officers involved in extrajudicial killings of Sikhs in Punjab. The executive members of the SKD, Surinderpal Singh Tharua, Surinder Singh Kishanpura, Professor Gurvir Singh and Darshan Singh stated that the move by the Punjab government showed that there was no constitutional safe guard of the rights of Sikhs. The President of the Council of Khalistan, Gurmit Singh Aulak, in an open letter to the Sikh nation on 21 March 2006 accused the Indian government of continuing persecution of Sikhs. Aulak, referring to a human rights report by the Movement Against State Repression (MASR), stated that the Indian government murdered over two hundred and fifty thousand Sikhs since 1984 and more than fifty two thousand Sikhs are held as political prisoners. Some Sikhs have been in illegal police custody since 1984 and over fifty thousand Sikh youths were arrested by Punjab Police from their houses, tortured, murdered in police custody, then secretly cremated as “unidentified bodies” (‘SKD, flay govt’s move to legalise police cats’ 2006, Express India website, 22 March http://cities.expressindia.com/fullstory.php?newsid=174901 – Accessed 8 January 2007 – Attachment 14; ‘OPEN LETTER TO THE SIKH NATION’ 2006, Council of Khalistan, 21 March http://www.khalistan.com/OpenLetters/ol032106_VaisakhiDayMessage2006.html – Accessed 8 January 2006 – Attachment 15; ‘Sikhs Celebrating 307th Anniversary’ 2006, Council of Khalistan, 26 April http://www.khalistan.com/PressReleases/PR042606_VaisakhiDay2006.htm – Accessed 8 January 2007 – Attachment 16).

According to the Indian Human Rights Report 2005, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) on 11 November 2004 ordered the Punjab government to pay compensation to the families of one hundred and nine Sikhs who died in police custody. The Punjab State Human Rights Commission (PSHRC) (http://www.pshrc.net/) registered eighty seven cases of custodial deaths from 1 January to 30 November 2004.

Torture is endemic and a part of the administration of justice. The Punjab Police and the Punjab Vigilance Bureau personnel allegedly harassed the family members of Jaskaran Singh, whose petition in the Punjab and Haryana High Court led to the quashing of illegal selection of seven Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), including sons of the Chief Minister’s media advisor B I S Chahal and Ferozepur Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Harinder Singh Chahal, on 15 October 2004. Earlier on 8 October 2004, the Vigilance Department registered a false case at Ferozepur, accusing Kheta Singh, the 68-year-old father and a brother of Jaskaran Singh of helping a woman get old-age pension of Rs 200 a month though her husband allegedly owned eight acres land. Vigilance department arrested both and detained them illegally for 10 days. The only action taken by the state government was the transfer of Ferozepur Vigilance SP, Inderjit Singh Randhawa on 25 October 2004. This is despite the fact that Chief Minister himself regretted the arrest of Kheta Singh.

Prisons in Punjab have virtually turned into chambers of torture. Undertrial Rocky of Amritsar Central Security Jail was tattooed “Yeh Chor Hai” (this one is a thief) on the night of 30 June 2004 for demanding food according to the jail manual. A deputy Superintendent and a jail doctor of Jalandar Central Jail inscribed “choorraa” (lower caste) on the back of another under-trial and a Dalit, Malkiat Singh on the night of 2 July 2004 for demanding medical treatment. Relatives of ailing inmates needed to bribe the medical staff of the jails to get their kin referred to civil hospital for proper medical treatment.

Women continued to face violence. Rano of Bhattian village in Patiala district allegedly became a victim of “honour killings” for eloping with a boy from another community. The family members, especially women of the migrant workers, faced sexual assault and harassment (Asian Centre for Human Rights, Indian Human Rights Report: Punjab 2005 http://www.achrweb.org/reports/india/AR05/punjab.htm – Accessed 9 January 2007 – Attachment 17; Also see Amnesty International 2006, Amnesty International Annual Report 2006 – India – Attachment 18).

According to the 2006 UK Home Office Report:

Police in the Indian state of Punjab say they have ‘neutralised’ Sikh separatist militants who had recently become active in the state. The state’s police chief said an operation to counter the militants was launched following two cinema bomb attacks in Delhi… He said there had been an attempt to revive Sikh militancy in Punjab. But he said the revival was ‘checked’ by timely police action which led to the arrests of about 24 people…He ruled out the possibility of a full-scale resumption of Sikh militancy in Punjab, although there had been a ‘concerted effort’ to reactivate Sikh separatist groups such as the Babbar Khalsa (UK Home Office 2006, India Assessment, October – Attachment 19).

4. Please also provide election results (national, state and local) for Punjab from 2004 onwards.

State elections in Punjab were held in 2002 and the next one is scheduled for February 2007. In the 2002 elections, the Indian National Congress (INC) won sixty two seats whereas the opposition comprising of Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) won in total forty four seats ( Election Commission of India 2002, Punjab State Elections http://archive.eci.gov.in/se2002/pollupd/ac/states/s19/AS19.htm – Accessed 8 January 2007 – Attachment 20).

On 20 December 2006, Municipal Corporation elections were held in the state of Punjab. Out of the twenty five seats, the INC won twelve, the BJP six and the SAD party two. Elections have been held in twenty five wards. Elections to Ward number seven are scheduled for 14 January 2007. The mayoral election is for 11 January. Electronic Voting Machines (EVM) were used for the first time in an Indian municipal election and some forty five per cent turn out was recorded in the Punjab municipality of . In rural areas, there was a better voter turnout of fifty eight per cent. (‘Congress bags 12 seats in Municipal Corporation polls’ 2006, New Kerala, 22 December http://www.newkerala.com/news4.php?action=fullnews&id=70397 – Accessed 8 January 2007 – Attachment 21; ‘MC poll: Cong has strength for team’ 2007, The Pioneer website, 9 January http://www.dailypioneer.com/indexn12.asp?main_variable=CHANDIGARH&file_name=CH ANDI3%2Etxt&counter_img=3 – Accessed 9 January 2007 – Attachment 22; ‘45 per cent polling in Chandigarh Municipal Corporation polls’ 2006, New Kerala website, 20 December source: Press Trust of India (20 December 2006) http://www.newkerala.com/news4.php?action=fullnews&id=69696 – Accessed 9 January 2007 – Attachment 23.)

Preparations for the February 2007 elections for the Punjab state assembly has started with the INC announcing its candidate, a famous Punjabi singer Gurdas Mann, to contest the polls. The SAD (A) party of Simranjit Singh Mann and Dalgit Singh Bittu announced that it will field sixty candidates in the state elections and the party is expected to form an alliance with the Communist parties (‘Punjab polls: Congress eyes Gurdas Mann’ 2006, The Times of India website, 24 December http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/NEWS/India/Punjab_polls_Congress_eyes_Gurdas_Mann /articleshow/914394.cms – Accessed 9 January 2007 – Attachment 24; ‘SAD (A) tilts Left’ 2007, The Pioneer website, 9 January http://www.dailypioneer.com/indexn12.asp?main_variable=CHANDIGARH&file_name=CH ANDI14%2Etxt&counter_img=14 – Accessed 9 January 2007 – Attachment 25; ‘Punjab, Uttaranchal and Manipur elections in February’ 2006, Indian Muslims website, 29 December http://www.indianmuslims.info/news/2006/december/29/india_news/punjab_uttaranchal_and _manipur_elections_in_february.html – Accessed 8 January 2007 – Attachment 26).

List of Sources Consulted

Internet Sources: Government Information & Reports UK Home Office website www.ind.homeoffice.gov.uk Election Commission of India www.eci.gov.in/ Punjab State Human Rights Commission www.pshrc.com United Nations (UN) Non-Government Organisations Asian Centre for Human Rights www.achrweb.org International News & Politics Region Specific Links The Tribune website www.tribune.com The Hindu website www.hindu.com Express India website www.expressindia.com New Kerala website www.newkeralal.com The Pioneer website www.dailypioneer.com The Times of India website www.timesofindia.com Indian Muslims website www.indianmuslims.info Topic Specific Links Sikh News Network www.sikhnn.com Sikh Spectrum website www.sikhspectrum.com The Sikh Times website www.sikhtimes.com Sikh Sangat News www.sikhssangat.com Sikh Student Federation website www.sikhstudentfederation.com All About Sikhs website www.allaboutsikhs.com The Panthic Weekly website www.panthic.org Council of Khalistan website www.Khalistan.com Search Engines Google search engine http://www.google.com.au/ Online Subscription Services Library Networks University Sites

Databases: FACTIVA (news database) BACIS (DIMA Country Information database) REFINFO (IRBDC (Canada) Country Information database) ISYS (RRT Country Research database, including Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, US Department of State Reports) RRT Library Catalogue

List of Attachments

1. ‘Bittu, Gama get life term’ 2005, The Tribune, 4 June http://www.tribuneindia.com/2005/20050605/main3.htm – Accessed 8 January 2007.

2. ‘Daljit Singh Bittu Released on Parole’ 2005, The Sikh Times, 7 October source: The Tribune (7 October 2005) http://www.sikhtimes.com/news_100705a.html – Accessed 8 January 2007.

3. Singh, J. 2004, ‘Idea of a New Political Party Floated’, Sikh News Network, 20 April http://www.sikhnn.com/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=8 8&mode=thread&order=0&thold=0 – Accessed 8 January 2007. 4. ‘Shiromani Khalsa Dal letter to the Indian Prime Minister’2004, Sikh Spectrum website, 26 May http://www.sikhspectrum.com/082004/sdk_manmohan.htm – Accessed 8 January 2007

5. ‘SKD merges with SAD (Amritsar)’ 2006, The Tribune website, 7 June http://www.tribuneindia.com/2006/20060608/punjab1.htm#6 – Accessed 8 January 2007.

6. ‘Shiromani Khalsa Dal and Shiromani Akali Dal Announced Unity’ 2006, Sikh Sangat News website, 7 July http://www.sikhsangat.org/publish/article_1086.shtml – Accessed 8 January 2007.

7. ‘Sikh Students Federation’ (undated), All About Sikhs website http://www.allaboutsikhs.com/Sikh-Organisations/All-India-Sikh-Students- Federation.html – Accessed 8 January 2007.

8. ‘Harpal Singh Cheema; Rawinder Kaur, Petitioners, v. Immigration and Naturalization Service, Respondent’, International Journal of Refugee Law, vol. 16, no. 2, pp. 244–256.

9. ‘Sikh leaders honoured’ 2004, The Hindu website, 5 March http://www.hindu.com/2004/03/06/stories/2004030606540400.htm – Accessed 9 January 2007.

10. ‘Vedanti’s kin under fire on film row’ 2005, The Tribune website, 13 May http://www.tribuneindia.com/2005/20050514/punjab1.htm – Accessed 9 January 2007.

11. ‘Sikh Extremist Movements’ 2006, Jane’s Intelligence and Insight, 10 August.

12. ‘AISSF seeks summon notice for Dullo's Bhaniara Visit’ 2006, The Panthic Weekly website, 16 July http://www.panthic.org/news/125/ARTICLE/2629/2006-07-16.html – Accessed 9 January 2007.

13. ‘Khalsa Dal highlights plight of Sikhs languishing in jails’ 2005, Sikh Sangat website, 7 August http://www.sikhsangat.org/publish/printer_254.shtml – Accessed 8 January 2007.

14. ‘SKD, Dal Khalsa flay govt’s move to legalise police cats’ 2006, Express India website, 22 March http://cities.expressindia.com/fullstory.php?newsid=174901 – Accessed 8 January 2007.

15. ‘OPEN LETTER TO THE SIKH NATION’ 2006, Council of Khalistan, 21 March http://www.khalistan.com/OpenLetters/ol032106_VaisakhiDayMessage2006.html – Accessed 8 January 2006.

16. ‘Sikhs Celebrating 307th Anniversary’ 2006, Council of Khalistan, 26 April http://www.khalistan.com/PressReleases/PR042606_VaisakhiDay2006.htm – Accessed 8 January 2007.

17. Asian Centre for Human Rights, Indian Human Rights Report: Punjab 2005 http://www.achrweb.org/reports/india/AR05/punjab.htm – Accessed 9 January 2007. 18. Amnesty International 2006, Amnesty International Annual Report 2006 – India.

19. UK Home Office 2006, India Assessment, October.

20. Election Commission of India 2002, Punjab State Elections http://archive.eci.gov.in/se2002/pollupd/ac/states/s19/AS19.htm – Accessed 8 January 2007.

21. ‘Congress bags 12 seats in Municipal Corporation polls’ 2006, New Kerala, 22 December http://www.newkerala.com/news4.php?action=fullnews&id=70397 – Accessed 8 January 2007.

22. ‘MC poll: Cong has strength for team’ 2007, The Pioneer website, 9 January http://www.dailypioneer.com/indexn12.asp?main_variable=CHANDIGARH&file_na me=CHANDI3%2Etxt&counter_img=3 – Accessed 9 January 2007.

23. ‘45 per cent polling in Chandigarh Municipal Corporation polls’ 2006, New Kerala website, 20 December source: Press Trust of India (20 December 2006) http://www.newkerala.com/news4.php?action=fullnews&id=69696 – Accessed 9 January 2007.

24. ‘Punjab polls: Congress eyes Gurdas Mann’ 2006, The Times of India website, 24 December http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/NEWS/India/Punjab_polls_Congress_eyes_Gurda s_Mann/articleshow/914394.cms – Accessed 9 January 2007.

25. ‘SAD (A) tilts Left’ 2007, The Pioneer website, 9 January http://www.dailypioneer.com/indexn12.asp?main_variable=CHANDIGARH&file_na me=CHANDI14%2Etxt&counter_img=14 – Accessed 9 January 2007.

26. ‘Punjab, Uttaranchal and Manipur elections in February’ 2006, Indian Muslims website, 29 December http://www.indianmuslims.info/news/2006/december/29/india_news/punjab_uttaranc hal_and_manipur_elections_in_february.html – Accessed 8 January 2007.