Who is Surat Singh Khalsa and why Quami Insaaf Morcha wants him to be at its protest

What is his history of activism?

Khalsa has been involved in human rights activities since the early 1970s. He had also served as the secretary of the United Akali Dal under the leadership of Joginder Singh Rode, father of Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale. He remained active in United Akali Dal till late 1987. During a protest outside the Punjab legislative assembly in February 1986, his leg was hit by a bullet, said his supporters. He had been detained in various jails in Nabha, Patiala, and Amritsar in Punjab, Rohtak and Ambala in Haryana, and Chandigarh during the 1980s for protesting on various issues.

After the Amb Sahib Morcha of November 2013 and the Lakhnaur Sahib campaign in November 2014, Khalsa decided to raise the issue of Sikh political prisoners and started a hunger strike in January 2015. Surat Singh Khalsa also observed a hunger strike for five days in Hassanpur village from April 5, 2011, to April 9, 2011, in support of Anna Hazare’s fight against corruption.

For how long did he continue his hunger strike on the issue of Sikh political prisoners?

Khalsa started the hunger strike at his Hassanpur residence on January 16, 2015, with the demand that the government release ‘Bandi Singhs’ who have completed their jail terms. At the time, the SAD-BJP government was in power in Punjab. The authorities kept on admitting him to the civil hospital Ludhiana, DMCH, and even PGI Chandigarh every now and then from February 26, 2015, onwards. On October 31, 2015, he was shifted to Ludhiana’s Dayanand Medical College and Hospital (DMCH) owing to ill health and was discharged on December 1 of that year only to be readmitted to the hospital in June 2016 where he has been since.

At the hospital, Khalsa was on a liquid diet administered via a nasal tube for he refused to eat or drink anything as he was on a hunger strike.

He ended his hunger strike on January 14, 2023, but hasn’t been discharged from the hospital till now.

Why hasn’t he been discharged from the hospital?

Doctors at the DMCH and the police said he is weak and can’t be discharged at the moment. Around eight cops on a rotational basis guard his private room 24×7.

“Any visitor is allowed to meet Khalsa but in the presence of cops. He is fit to be discharged but the police as well as the administration are not allowing him to go,” said Gurdeep Singh Bathinda, president of United Akali Dal.

Why did Khalsa end his hunger strike?

According to Bathinda, “Khalsa ended his fast on the instructions of Jathedar Jagtar Singh Hawara, a Sikh prisoner in Tihar Jail. However, he has expressed his desire to be part of the dharna in Mohali seeking justice in the Bargari sacrilege case and for Sikh prisoners. Our members have made several attempts to get Khalsa out of the hospital, but the authorities are not allowing it. His sons and daughter have also given an undertaking that he should be discharged now. Whenever we go to the hospital demanding his discharge, the police force is beefed up on the campus. This is not justified.”

Why does Khalsa want to go to Qaumi Insaaf Morcha’s sit-in protest?

The protest by Qaumi Insaaf Morcha started on January 7 this year, just days before Khalsa ended his hunger strike. The protest was started by Gurcharan Singh Hawara, father of Jagtar Singh Hawara, and is being supported by various ‘Panthic’ organisations, SAD (Amritsar), United Akali Dal, and political parties, among others. As Khalsa had started his hunger strike in 2015 demanding the release of Sikh prisoners with the support of most of the panthic organisations that are now at the morcha, he is keen to join them, said supporters of Khalsa. “Jagtar Singh Hawara has advised everyone to consolidate their efforts now towards this morcha… So Bapu Surat Singh Khalsa has ended his fast and wants to be part of Insaaf Morcha. We want him to be discharged from the hospital,” said Balwinder Singh, a supporter of Surat Singh Khalsa.

Why has Khalsa disassociated himself from Shiromani Akali Dal (Badal)’s efforts for the release of Bandi Singhs?

Khalsa started his hunger strike in 2015 when Parkash Singh Badal was the chief minister and his son Sukhbir Badal was the deputy chief minister. “Had they (Badals) made any efforts for the release of the prisoners, there would have been no need to start the hunger strike,” said Khalsa’s supporters. The SAD-BJP remained in power from 2007-2017.

Sherdil Singh, a Morcha supporter, said: “This is the reason why Khalsa turned down SGPC president Harjinder Singh Dhami’s appeal to support SAD (Badal) in its fight for the release of Sikh prisoners.”