CHANDIGARH, Jan 22 — The Union Home Ministry in consultation with the Punjab Government is contemplating releasing Sikh youths, including militants, languishing in various jails in the country.

Though the Punjab Government had on its own set up a committee under the chairmanship of the Chief Secretary, Mr R.S. Mann, with the Principal Secretary (Home), Mr Bikramjit Singh, and the Director-General of Police, Mr Sarabjit Singh, as its members, for the periodic review of all TADA cases, more than 120 Sikh youths, including militants, are facing trial in various cases registered against them or serving sentences.

At present, there are 70 such convicts or undertrials in various jails in Punjab. Some of the prominent militants in jails include Gurcharan Singh Gamma, Daljit Singh Bittu, Resham Singh, Manjinder Singh Issi, Gian Singh, Nishan Singh Kalanaur and Manjit Singh, alias Lal Singh.

Some time ago, the Union Home Minister, Mr L.K. Advani, had reportedly given an indication that all such youths, both undertrials and convicts, might be released.

Besides Punjab jails, some of the Sikh youths are also lodged in Rajasthan, Jammu, the Tihar Jail (Delhi) and Burail Jail (Chandigarh). The number of such youth is around 50.

Sources reveal that over the years after the return of normalcy in the state, more than 500 militants have been released from jails or enlarged on bail. Instructions have been issued to the police in different districts to keep watch on their activities.

One of the reasons given in favour of the release of these arrested or convicted youths is that they have already undergone long imprisonment.

The number of undertrials is about 25 in Punjab and another 10 to 15 are in other jails in the rest of the country. In the case of undertrials, the state on its own could declare amnesty and release them. For those already convicted and undergoing sentence, a different procedure has to be followed which is long and cumbersome.

The demand for the release of the Sikh youths was raised recently by the Rashtriya Sikh Sangat. Subsequently, some of the political parties, including the Sarb Hind Shiromani Akali Dal, too, demanded the immediate release of the Sikh youths.

Some of the overseas Sikh organisations have been using the languishing of Sikh youths in various jails as a point to criticise both the Union Government and the Punjab Government. Exaggerated figures are being given about the number of Sikh youths in various jails in the country.

For example, though the total capacity of Punjab prisons is about 15,000, one of the overseas Sikh organisations had recently stated that more than 50,000 Sikh youths were still in jails in India.

In a recent report, the state police has also favoured the release of the young men, both convicts and undertrials, maintaining that though some of those in jails in Punjab, Chandigarh, Delhi, Jammu and Rajasthan, had been top leaders of militant organisations, including those responsible for the assassination of Sant Harchand Singh Longowal, keeping them in jail would serve no significant purpose.