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Punjab MLA seeks better deal for blacklisted Sikhs

CHANDIGARH: A Congress MLA from Punjab, Sukhpal Singh Khaira, has written to the Union Home Minister, Shiv Raj Patil, seeking a review of the black list pertaining to Sikhs living outside India with greater transparency.

Mr. Khaira who represents the Bholath constituency in Kapurthala district of Doaba region of the State has raised the issue of those Sikhs, residing in various parts of the world, who cannot even visit their homeland and villages as their names figure in the “black list” with the Government of India.

Apart from releasing it to the media, a copy of the letter has also been sent to the Punjab Chief Minister, Parkash Singh Badal.

The Legislator said members of thousands of families from his constituency had migrated to various parts of the world in search of greener pastures. But now the names of some figure in the black lists prepared by intelligence agencies, both of the Centre as well as the State.

To quote one specific example, Mr. Khaira said that a person identified as Daljit Singh of Baagwanpur village of Kapurthala district, has been residing in the USA for more than 25 years.

He said that neither did Mr. Singh’s name figure in any criminal record nor was any case pending against him in any court of law in India. But he could not return home as intelligence agencies had included his name in the blacklisted people.

Mr Singh has old parents living in Punjab and there was nobody to look after them since his other brother is also resided in the USA. Mr. Khaira claimed to have personally taken up the case with the authorities in Punjab Police, but was informed that reports by intelligence agencies continued to suspect Mr Singh, although it was known that he had never participated in any anti-India activity and carried a clean record in that country as well.

Mr. Khaira said that there were many such cases not only in his constituency but across the State as well other parts of the country, where people continue to be victims of this negative policy.

He appealed that with changing times, the parameters of this black list policy must also be amended liberally and compassionately, to allow permission to travel to at least those who had no criminal record in India and had never participated in any anti-India activity abroad.

The Legislator suggested that Union Government could also consider a chance for those elements who had some suspicious record in India and were not involved any heinous crime, to join the national main stream by offering them some sort of a settlement.

Mr Khaira favoured broader transparency in screening process while reviewing the black list, where mere reports by the State and central intelligence agencies should not be made basis, of denying travel facilities to people. Elected representatives of all parties must be made part of screening process as being harsh and repressive had not served much fruitful purpose but alienated people.

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