Hayer shot dead in Canada
From Our Correspondent and UNI

PHILLAUR, Nov 19 — Mr Tara Singh Hayer, Editor of Indo-Canadian Times, a weekly newspaper published from Vancouver, Canada, was shot dead at Surrey near Vancouver by some unidentified armed assailants early this morning.

This information was given to The Tribune by Mr Sarwan Singh Ojhla, a close relative of Hayer, from his native village, Paddi Jagir, in Phillaur subdivision. Mr Ojhla said Hayer was shot while he was returning home from the newspaper office. He is survived by his wife Baldev Kaur, one son and three daughters besides four brothers. All are residents of Canada.

Hayer was shot dead in the driveway of his home. He was paralysed down the waist during the first attempt on his life by pro-Khalistani elements in his Vancouver office in 1988.

The assailants opened fire at him with automatic weapons killing him on the spot at 5.45 p.m. (local time) when he returned from his office after giving finishing touches to the magazine edition which was to hit the stands today.

Earlier, once the office of Indo-Canadian Times was also attacked at Surrey.

Hayer had been a virulent critic of Khalistani elements abroad. He got embroiled in the "langar" controversy when Akal Takht Jathedar Ranjit Singh issued a hukamnama (edict) banning the use of tables and chairs for partaking of food from the common community kitchen called "langar".

Hayer was among six Canadian Sikhs who were excommunicated from the Sikh Panth by the Jathedar for defying the hukamnama.

An ex-soldier of the Indian Army, Hayer quit the Army in 1968 and went to Canada in 1970.

He launched Indo-Canadian Times in 1978 and was awarded the Order of BC by the British Columbia Government for his services to society. Earlier, the Punjab Government also had conferred the Shiromani Patarkar Award on him for his contribution to the promotion of Punjabi journalism abroad.

Reports said Royal Canadian Mountain Police had sealed the Halster road leading to his residence and laid siege to his house in the Gillfort area. An alert was sounded to keep a watch on the Canada-USA border to prevent escape of the killers, the reports added.

Mrs Satwant Kaur, sister-in-law of the deceased said at Paddi Jagir that according to telephone messages the police had sealed the area. The cremation of Hayer will take place in Canada.

Akali politics will have to take a new political turn after the killing of Hayer. Journalists of Phillaur, Goraya and Phagwara have condoled his death.

Hayer was provided security by the Government of British Columbia and his office was fitted with surveillance cameras after the killing of another Punjabi journalist, Tarsem Singh Purewal, who was Editor of ‘Des Pardes’. The police has reportedly taken the camera films into its possession.