M A I N   N E W S

Train brings 12 youths to Attari
Pak allows visa by road to visit shrines
Varinder Walia
Tribune News Service

Attari, June 29
The 12 Punjabi youths who had faced inhuman treatment at the hands of the Turkish and Iranian police and underwent nightmarish experience in jails of various countries today reached Attari railway station through a special train from Pakistan with the Sikh pilgrims. However, they are being interrogated at the station itself by intelligence agencies.

The Punjabi youths who had gone to eke out their living in Lebanon and landed themselves in Turkish and Iranian jails while crossing over to Greece and Italy without any valid visa succeeded in crossing over to Pakistan where they were helped to reach their mother land with the help of Mr Harpal Singh Bhullar, president of the International Bhai Mardana Yadgari Kirtan Darbar Society.

Since the youths reached India without any valid visa, they could be detained under the Indian Passport Act. However, the Indian agencies have been trying to get permission from the Ministry of Home Affairs to release the youths on humanitarian grounds. Though the relatives of the youths had been waiting since morning to have their glimpse, they were not allowed to meet them till late evening due to security reasons. The sources said since the youths had spent a number of days in a hostile country and were not booked this had led to suspicion among the officials of the Indian intelligence agencies. The agencies have to satisfy themselves whether Pakistan has any ulterior motive for showing a goodwill gesture to the Punjabi youths. Many Indians have been languishing in Pakistani jails for years and could not be released despite the best efforts of the Indian Government.

On the other hand, as many as 29 Punjabi youths who are still languishing in Kota Jail, Baluchistan (Pakistan) could not be brought by special train. Mr Bhullar said he would go to Pakistan to secure the release of these youths as Mr Sham Singh, co-Chairman of the Pakistan Sikh Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee, had assured him he would personally ensure that they were released.

The intelligence agencies will have to ascertain the antecedents of the youths before they are handed over to their relatives. Most of the youths belong to poor strata and were the victims of bogus travel agents. Though they had gone to Lebanon on valid visas they tried to cross over to other countries for greener pastures through bogus travel agents. One of the youths said while crossing over to Greece through a ship the story of Titanic was about to be repeated due to failure of one of the engines. However, they were saved by the grace of God.

While narrating the horrible story of tortures, one of the youths alleged they were taken to a hilltop in Turkey and severely beaten up in a torture cell before they were rolled down in Iranian territory. Again they faced inhuman treatment at the hands of Iranians. After completing their sentences, they crossed the border of Pakistan with the help of Muslim youths who too were in jail with them by bribing the smugglers of Baluchistan. “We travelled in buses as Muslim passengers and reached Gurdwara Dera Sahib, Lahore”, one of the youths said.

The 12 youths who reached Attari railway station include Jagtar Singh, a resident of Jassar (Ludhiana), Kuljit Singh, a resident of Naushehra Bahadur (Gurdaspur), Sohan Singh, a resident of Alamgir (Jalandhar), Gurpal Singh, a resident of Mugapur (Nawanshahr), Malkit Singh, a resident of Bhujpur (Hoshiarpur), Sukhdev Singh of Pandori Araian (Kapurthala), Bikram Singh of Rahon (Nawahshahr), Harpal Singh, a resident of Sidhwan (Gurdaspur), Jagtar Singh of Katkehri village (Patiala), Rachhpal Singh of Lambra village (Hoshiarpur), Charnjit Singh of Hoshiarpur and Gursharn Singh, a resident of Parshpur village (Jalandhar).

Mr Bhullar, who took the initiative to bring the youths to India, said he had already submitted the lists of the youths stranded in Pakistan to the Director-General of Police, the DIG (Intelligence), the Intelligence Bureau and officials of various intelligence agencies for proper verifications and inquiry.

However, during the preliminary investigations, the intelligence agencies reportedly learnt the Pakistan-based Sikh militants tried to woo the youths during their stay in Gurdwara Dera Sahib which was rejected by them.

Apart from the 12 youths, 579 Sikh pilgrims who had gone to Pakistan in connection with the death anniversary of Maharaja Ranjit Singh returned to India.

In a significant development, the Government of Pakistan had decided to give permission to Sikh jathas to visit Sikh shrines there by road. This was confirmed by Mr Baldev Singh MA, leader of the SGPC jatha, and Mr Harpal Singh Bhullar of Mardana Society while talking to TNS. It may be mentioned here that till date the Sikh jathas have been allowed to visit Pakistan either by air or by train only.

Though the SGPC jatha leader denied that PGPC officials were honoured on behalf of the SGPC, Mr Kartar Singh Takkar, deputy leader of the jatha, was shown presenting a ‘siropa’ (robe of honour) to Mr Sham Singh, co-chairman, PGPC. However, Mr Baldev Singh MA alleged Mr Takkar was Mr Tohra’s man and he might have honoured the PGPC’s co-Chairman in his personal capacity. Mr Baldev Singh said he had honoured the officials of Aukaf Board, including Mr Izhar-ul-Hassan, Additional Secretary, only. He said during the meeting between SGPC and PGPC officials he had refused to accept the existence of the latter.

The 12 youths also brought letters written to their parents by the 29 youths languishing in the Baluchistan jails. They wrote they were given food once a day during their jail term in Turkey and Iran. However, the Turkish and Iranian police and jailers would beat them up severely twice a day. They have also sent a message to the Indian youths not to get themselves trapped in the hands of bogus travel agents.

The relatives of some of the youths who could not reach Attari railways station returned to their homes with great disappointment. Mr Gurdip Singh, Sarpanch, Radala (Rajasansi), was waiting for his relative Sarbjit Singh Pappu who could not reach here. Mr Satpal Singh, brother of Buta Ram (Amritsar), also went home with great disappointment.