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Country Advice

India

India – IND38924 – Dera Sacha Sauda

(DSS) – 2007 Riots – Police Protection –

Punjab – Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) 11 July 2011

1. Please provide background information on Sant Gurmeet Ram Rahim singh or any

movement linked to him/it.

Sant Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh is the current leader (or Guru Ji) of the Dera Sacha Sauda

(DSS) religious organisation, a Sikh breakaway sect.1 The DSS was founded in 1948 by a Sikh

leader “with an eye to social reform and spiritual purification…among Sikhs in particular, but

also others”.2 Sources indicate that DSS combines aspects of various religions and aims to free its

followers from caste and religious identity. Most of its followers come from Sikh backgrounds,

though the sect also includes former Muslims and Christians. Reports offer highly variant figures

on the number of adherents, with estimates ranging from several hundred thousand to tens

of millions; the higher numbers tend to come from DSS sources.

The DSS is based in Sirsa, Haryana state in northern India.3 A Times of India article from 18

May 2007 notes that there are DSS followers in Rajasthan, Gujarat, Maharashtra, HP, Madhya

Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Delhi and Chandigarh.4

Sant Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh is a controversial figure. He has been charged with at least one

count of rape and three separate counts of murder.5 The High Court of Punjab and Haryana

website lists forty „case numbers‟ for Sant Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh pending from 2007 to

1 „Huzoor Pita Sant Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh Ji Insan‟ n.d, Dera Sacha Sauda website,

http://derasachasauda.org/en/guru-ji/saint-gurmeet-ram-rahim-singh-ji-insan.html – Accessed 11 July 2011 –

Attachment 1; Alig, Asif Anwar & Anwar, Abid 2007, „Embers of a Sikh fire‟, Himal South Asian, October

http://www.himalmag.com/2007/october_november/embers_of_a_sikh_fire.html – Accessed 9 October 2007 [note:

website could not be accessed on 5 July 2011] – Attachment 2. 2 Alig, Asif Anwar & Anwar, Abid 2007, „Embers of a Sikh fire‟, Himal South Asian, October

http://www.himalmag.com/2007/october_november/embers_of_a_sikh_fire.html – Accessed 9 October 2007 [note:

website could not be accessed on 5 July 201] – Attachment 2. 3 Garg, B. 2007 „Dera Sacha Sauda and Gurmeet Ram Rahim‟, The Times of India, 18 May

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Cities/Chandigarh/Dera_Sacha_Sauda_and_Gurmeet_Ram_Rahim/articleshow/20

60431.cms – Accessed 11 July 2011 –Attachment 3. 4 Garg, B. 2007 „Dera Sacha Sauda and Gurmeet Ram Rahim‟, The Times of India, 18 May

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Cities/Chandigarh/Dera_Sacha_Sauda_and_Gurmeet_Ram_Rahim/articleshow/20

60431.cms – Accessed 11 July 2011 – Attachment 3. 5 Rajalakshmi, T.K. 2002, „Godman under a cloud‟, Frontline, Volume 19, Issue 26, 21 December 2002-3 January

2003 http://frontline.in/fl1926/stories/20030103003404000.htm – Accessed 11 July 2011 – Attachment 4; „CBI

charges Dera chief with murder‟ 2007, The Economic Times, 2 August – Attachment 5; and „Chandigarh Fortified

For Visit Of Dera Sect Chief‟ 2008, Indo-Asian News Service, 3 December – Attachment 6; „Witness deposes in rape

case against Dera chief‟ 2009, WebIndia123.com, 10 January

http://news.webindia123.com/news/Articles/India/20090110/1149388.html – Accessed 11 July 2011 – Attachment 7;

„High alert in Punjab and Haryana after violence by followers of dera sacha sauda‟ 2010, Punjab Newsline website,

27 February http://punjabnewsline.com/content/high-alert-punjab-and-haryana-after-violence-followers-dera-sacha-

sauda – Accessed 5 July 2011 – Attachment 8.

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2010, though it should be noted that the meaning of „case number‟ is not clear.6 Reports indicate

that he has also been the target of assassination attempts.7

Further information on the DSS and Sant Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh is provided in the following

research responses: IND38269 of 8 March 2011, IND36088 of February 2010, IND35751 of

December 2009, IND34918 (specifically question one) of May 2009, and IND34112 of December

2008.8

2. Please provide any information about a 2007 riot in Punjab related to this movement

with particular focus on the Moga area.

Riots occurred in Punjab in 2007 after Sant Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh was accused of

impersonating the tenth and last Guru, Guru Gobind Singh (1666-1708). The resulting unrest led

to the Indian Government sending thousands of troops to Punjab to assist local police.

Sant Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh was alleged to have impersonated the tenth (and last) Sikh

Guru, Gobind Singh, in a newspaper advertisement published on 13 May 2007. The allegation

was made by the Shiromani Gurudwara Prabhadank Committee (SGPC), a Sikh organisation

responsible for Gurdwaras (Sikh places of worship).9 Violent clashes between members of

various Sikh organisations and DSS members followed, which led to the death of at least one

person and reports of injury to over 100 people. The violence lasted for six days.10

Violence was

concentrated mainly in the Bathinda district of Punjab, though clashes also occurred in Ludhiana

and Moga.11

Rajindar Kaur Bhattal, the “leader of the opposition” in Punjab, was quoted in July 2007 as

saying that DSS followers were being forced to renounce their faith:

Bhattal, a former Chief Minister, said Dera followers…were being summoned to

village gurdwaras where they were being coerced to swear that they had nothing to

do with Sacha Sauda.12

Bhattal also alleged that those targeting DSS followers were members of the Shiromani Akali

Dal (SAD).13

SAD could refer to at least three distinct Sikh political groups:

6 „Case Status Information System‟, High Court of Punjab and Haryana website,

http://courtnic.nic.in/courtnic_chandigarh/PartySearch.aspx – Accessed 5 July 2011 – Attachment 9. 7 Vinayak, R. 2008, „The Baba and the Bomb‟, India Today, 7 February,

http://indiatoday.digitaltoday.in/index.php?issueid=39&id=4335&option=com_content&task=view&assignedid= –

Accessed 11 July 2011 – Attachment 10; and „Police unveils conspiracy to assassinate Sacha Sauda chief‟ 2008,

webindia123.com website, 8 November http://news.webindia123.com/news/Articles/India/20081108/1099507.html –

– Accessed 11 July 2011 – Attachment 11. 8 RRT Country Advice 2011, Country Advice IND38269, 8 March – Attachment 12; RRT Country Advice 2010,

Country Advice IND36088, 15 February – Attachment 13; RRT Country Advice 2009, Research Response

IND35751, 8 December – Attachment 14; RRT Country Advice 2009, Research Response IND34918, 28 May –

Attachment 15; RRT Country Advice 2008, Research Response IND34112, 22 December – Attachment 16. 9 „Shiromani Gurdwara Pardandhak Committee‟, Sikhi Wiki website, http://www.sikhiwiki.org/index.php/SGPC –

Accessed 4 July 2011 – Attachment 17. 10

„Punjab limping back to normalcy, isolated protests‟ 2007, The Hindu website, 19 May

http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/holnus/000200705191801.htm – Accessed 11 July 2011 – Attachment 18. 11

Baixas, Lionel 2007, „The Dera Sacha Sauda Controversy and Beyond‟, Economic and Political Weekly, October

6, Vol. 42, No. 40, p. 4059 – Attachment 19. 12

„Dera followers being terrorised: Bhattal‟ 2007, Indian Express website, 3 July,

http://www.indianexpress.com/news/dera-followers-being-terrorised-bhattal/203641/1 – Accessed 5 July 2011 –

Attachment 20.

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SAD (Badal);

SAD (Amritsar), which is sometimes referred to as SAD (Panch Pardhani); and

SAD (Longowal).

In 2007 the SAD (Badal) won a majority of seats in the Punjab State Elections and could be

considered to be the largest of the SAD „parties‟.14

A report of the 2007 election results indicates

that the SAD ran candidates in all four of the Moga district seats, but was only successful in one.

The report does not distinguish between the different SAD groups.15

During the elections the

DSS openly supported the Congress Party against the SAD.16

Note: Further information on the 2007 elections is provided on pages 10-11 of research response

IND34112 of December 2008 and pages 6-9 of IND35751 of December 2009.17

Further

information on the role of the SAD in the 2007 riots is provided on pages 14-16 of research

response IND34112 of December 2008.

In response to the riots the DSS expressed „regret‟, and soon after issued a formal apology to the

dead Guru Gobind Singh, claiming that the incident was predicated upon a misunderstanding.18

Nevertheless, on 22 May 2007, Jogindar Singh Vedanti19

, leader of the Akal Takht (the highest

political institution of the Sikhs)20

, published an edict demanding that all DSS centres be closed

by 27 May. Vedanti also demanded that Sant Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh be investigated by

India‟s Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) for an alleged case of sexual assault and his alleged

involvement in the murder of a journalist, requiring a report be submitted to the Punjab High

Court by 30 May. The edict also called for a general strike.21

The CBI subsequently charged Sant

Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh with one count of rape and two counts of murder in August 2007.22

Moga:

Two reports were found in the English language sources consulted referring to unrest in Moga in

May 2007. One of the reports claimed that Sikh „activists‟ and members of the Sikh Student

Federation had organised protests in Moga.23

A report from 1 July 2007 indicates that the

13

„Dera followers being terrorised: Bhattal‟ 2007, Indian Express website, 3 July,

http://www.indianexpress.com/news/dera-followers-being-terrorised-bhattal/203641/1 – Accessed 5 July 2011

Attachment 20. 14

„Badal sworn in as Punjab CM‟ 2007, Rediff.com website, 2 March

http://in.rediff.com/news/2007/mar/02punpoll.htm – – Accessed 11 July 2011 – Attachment 21. 15

„Punjab Vidhansabha Polls 2007‟, Travel India website, http://www.travelindia-guide.com/assembly-

elections/punjab/results/2007.aspx – Accessed 6 July 2011 – Attachment 22. 16

„Congress banks on Dera support in Punjab‟ 2009, Web India 123, 21 April

http://news.webindia123.com/news/articles/India/20090421/1233276.html – Accessed 11 July 2011 –

Attachment 23. 17

RRT Country Advice 2008, Research Response IND34112, 22 December – Attachment 16. 18

„Dera tenders apology to Guru Gobind Singh‟ 2007, Hindustan Times website 27 May

http://www.hindustantimes.com/Dera-tenders-apology-to-Guru-Gobind-Singh/Article1-225651.aspx – Accessed 4

July 2011 – Attachment 24. 19

„Jathedar Joginder Singh Vedanti‟, Sikhi Wiki website,

http://www.sikhiwiki.org/index.php/Jathedar_Joginder_Singh_Vedanti – Accessed 4 July 2011 – Attachment 25. 20

„Shri Akal Takhat‟ (undated), Sikhi Wiki website, http://www.sikhiwiki.org/index.php/Shri_Akal_Takhat –

Accessed 4 July 2011 Attachment 26. 21

„Sikh unrest continues in Punjab‟ 2007, AsiaNews.it website, 22 May

http://www.asianews.it/index.php?l=en&art=9336&size=A – Accessed 4 July 2011 – Attachment 44. 22

„CBI charges Dera chief with murder‟ 2007, The Economic Times, 2 August – Attachment 5. 23

„20 hurt as clashes spread in Punjab‟ 2007, The Hindu Website, 16 May

http://www.hindu.com/2007/05/16/stories/2007051606780100.htm – Accessed 5 July 2011 – Attachment 27.

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situation in Moga remained tense. The Tribune claimed that Sikh „activists‟ had pursued a group

of DSS followers who were leaving a DSS meeting in cars. The DSS followers allegedly fled

from their cars, having stopped at a crossing, while the Sikh activists “smashed windows…and

deflated tyres.”24

No further information with regard to unrest in Moga during the 2007 riots was

found in the English language sources consulted.

Previous research responses IND38269 of 8 March 2011, IND36088 of February 2010,

IND35751 of December 2009, IND34918 of May 2009, and IND34112 of December 2008

provide information on the May 2007 Punjab riots.25

3. From 2008 to the present, are there any reports of conflicts involving followers of Sant

Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh?

Yes. Reports indicate that DSS followers have continued to clash with members of other Sikh

organisations. In particular, reports indicate that DSS followers continued to clash with members

of SAD (Amritsar) and members of Ek Noor Khalsa Fauz, a radical Sikh sect, after 2007. On the

other hand, at least one report from 2010 referred to DSS and SAD (Badal) working together

against other SAD groups. It should be noted that politics in Punjab is dynamic, and that political

alliances are not solely based on religious affiliation.

Despite DSS followers and members of SAD (Badal) clashing in 2007, a May 2010 report refers

to SAD (Badal) and DSS working together. The report quotes leaders of SAD (Amritsar)

accusing the leaders of SAD (Badal) of:

conniving with the Sirsa-based Dera “after using his support for the election of his

(Badal) daughter in-law Harsimrat Kaur from Bathinda. All the speakers including Harpal Singh Cheema of SAD (Panch Pardhani), Baba Hardeep Singh

Mehraj, Darshan Singh Jagga, Sukhwinder Singh (SGGS Satikar Sabha, Haryana)

and Baljinder Singh (Ek Noor Khalsa Fauj), accused Badal of sabotaging their

campaign against the Dera.26

Although a January 2011 report suggests that members of SAD (Amristar) remain violently

opposed to DSS and its members,27

no further information was found in the English language

sources consulted regarding the current relationship of DSS with any of the other SAD groups.

Previous research responses IND38269 of 8 March 2011, IND36088 of February 2010,

IND35751 of December 2009, IND34918 of May 2009, and IND34112 of December 2008

provide information on conflicts involving followers of Sant Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh from

2008 to 2011.

24

Bagga, Neeraj 2007 „Sikh activists chase “premis”; no case registered‟, The Tribune, 2 July

http://www.tribuneindia.com/2007/20070702/punjab1.htm – Accessed 8 December 2008 [note: website could not be

accessed on 5 July 2011] – Attachment 28. 25

RRT Country Advice 2011, Country Advice IND38269, 8 March – Attachment 12; RRT Country Advice 2010,

Country Advice IND36088, 15 February – Attachment 13; RRT Country Advice 2009, Research Response

IND35751, 8 December – Attachment 14; RRT Country Advice 2009, Research Response IND34918, 28 May –

Attachment 15; RRT Country Advice 2008, Research Response IND34112, 22 December – Attachment 16. 26

„Panch Pardhani organised a march against Dera Sauda and Badal‟ 2010, UNP website, 22 May,

http://www.unp.me/f15/panch-pardhani-organized-a-march-against-dera-sauda-and-badal-81315/ – Accessed 7 July

2011 – Attachment 29. Please note that Ek Noor Khalsa Fauz is sometimes spelled „Fauj‟. „Fauz‟ has been used in

this response, except when quoting. 27

„Curfew continued in Punjab town after clashes between police and Sikhs‟ 2011 Punjab Newsline website, 3

January, http://punjabnewsline.com/content/curfew-continued-punjab-town-after-clashes-between-police-and-

sikhs/27450 – Accessed 6 July 2011 – Attachment 30.

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Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) Groups in Punjab

As was mentioned in question 2, at least three distinct political groups use the name Shiromani

Akali Dal:

The SAD (Amritsar) is a splinter group which, inter alia, is alleged to desire the

establishment of an independent Sikh state.28

Some of its leaders were arrested in August

2009 for allegedly planning to assassinate the Punjab Chief Minister and his son, the

Deputy Chief Minister.29

Those arrested claim that their arrests were orchestrated by the

SAD (Badal).30

The SAD (Longowal) announced in March 2011 that it will be supporting the newly

established People’s Party of Punjab (PPP), which claims “not to owe allegiance to any

particular caste or religion”.31

Surjit Kaur Barnala, president of the SAD (Longowal) is

quoted as saying that “the sole motive of the SAD (Longowal) is to turn out SAD (B) (sic)

in the coming elections”.32

The SAD (Badal) is the largest and most powerful of those groups using the name

Shiromani Akali Dal, winning a majority of seats in the 2007 Punjab State Election. A

report from 2010 indicates that the SAD (Badal) has been willing to work with DSS in

order to undermine a political rival or gain votes in regions with a large DSS population,

such as Bathinda.33

4. Is there any information on how followers of Sant Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh are

treated by police?

Police Willingness to Protect DSS Followers:

A survey of 2011English language news reports indicates that police have taken action to prevent

clashes between DSS followers and other Sikh organisations and to protect DSS members. The

information found also indicates that Punjab police are willing to arrest members of Sikh

organisations who are caught carrying out attacks against DSS followers or considered to be

inciting violence against them.

A January 2011 article in Punjab Newsline reported that police had arrested Sant Baljit Singh

Daduwal, a Sikh preacher, for inflammatory remarks against the DSS leader Sant Gurmeet Ram

28

Political Handbook of the World Online Edition, pp.636-654 (2010): Attachment 31. 29

„Punjab Assessment – Year 2010‟, 2010, South Asia Terrorism Portal website,

http://www.satp.org/satporgtp/countries/india/states/punjab/index.html – Accessed 8 July 2011 – Attachment 32. 30

„Three “Panch Pardhani” leaders released from Jail‟, 2011, One India News website, 14 February,

http://news.oneindia.in/2011/02/14/threepanch-pardhani-leaders-released-fromjail-aid0126.html – Accessed 8 July

201 – Attachment 33. 31

„Launch of People‟s Party of Punjab‟ 2011, Jago Punjab Jago website, 27 March,

http://manpreetbadal.com/launch-of-peoples-party-of-punjab – Accessed 7 July 2011 – Attachment 45. 32

„Launch of People‟s Party of Punjab‟ 2011, Jago Punjab Jago website, 27 March,

http://manpreetbadal.com/launch-of-peoples-party-of-punjab – Accessed 7 July 2011 – Attachment 45 33

„Panch Pardhani organised a march against Dera Sauda and Badal‟ 2010, UNP website, 22 May,

http://www.unp.me/f15/panch-pardhani-organized-a-march-against-dera-sauda-and-badal-81315/ – Accessed 7 July

2011 – Attachment 29.

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Rahim Singh.34

The inflammatory remarks were made while speaking to a congregation of Sikhs

in Bhikhi, Punjab, and, according to the sources, upset DSS followers. After “hundreds of Dera

followers assembled on the main road” and “Daduwal‟s followers…turned aggressive and started

assembling on the road” the police positioned itself between the two groups. The article states:

Water cannons and anti-riot vehicles were also stationed there to prevent a clash.

As the senior police officials initiated negotiations, dera followers demanded that

Daduwal should not enter the town and that the “samagam” should not take place.

On the other hand, Sikhs were reluctant to leave the place before the dera followers

did so and their leader Daduwal was released. As the radicals broke into groups

and started attacking the police from various corners, streets and even from the

roofs of buildings located nearby, police personnel found themselves outnumbered.

Finding the situation turning ugly, the Deputy Commissioner, Mansa, imposed a

curfew in the town and the police also resorted to firing, the reports said.35

Another article reported that during the same incident police prevented Sikh organisations from

undertaking religious processions, prevented Simranjit Singh Mann, president of SAD

(Amritsar), from entering the district, and arrested many Sikhs caught perpetrating violence.36

An article in Panthic.org, a Sikh online newspaper, claimed that: “It is clear that the Punjab

Government…has again come up openly in support of DSS cult…”37

The same source claims

that the following picture is of police distributing tear gas during the 2011 unrest.38

Punjab Police using tear gas and water cannons against Sikhs

Information was also found indicating that police have taken action to protect DSS followers

from other Sikh organisations in the Moga district. In March 2011 police were reported to have

34

„Curfew continued in Punjab town after clashes between police and Sikhs‟ 2011 Punjab Newsline website, 3

January, http://punjabnewsline.com/content/curfew-continued-punjab-town-after-clashes-between-police-and-

sikhs/27450 – Accessed 6 July 2011 – Attachment 30. 35

„Curfew continued in Punjab town after clashes between police and Sikhs‟ 2011 Punjab Newsline website, 3

January, http://punjabnewsline.com/content/curfew-continued-punjab-town-after-clashes-between-police-and-

sikhs/27450 – Accessed 6 July 2011 – Attachment 30. 36

„Punjab police arrests 57 Sikhs in Bhikhi, curfew continued for second day‟ 2011, Punjab Newsline website, 3

January, http://punjabnewsline.com/content/punjab-police-arrests-57-sikhs-bhikhi-curfew-continued-second-

day/27472 – Accessed 8 July 2011 – Attachment 34. 37

„Curfew against mansa Sikhs as Badel Government continues to promote DSS cult‟ 2011, Panthic.org website, 3

January, http://www.panthic.org/articles/5321 – Accessed 6 July 2011 – Attachment 35. 38

„Curfew against mansa Sikhs as Badel Government continues to promote DSS cult‟ 2011, Panthic.org website, 3

January, http://www.panthic.org/articles/5321 – Accessed 6 July 2011 – Attachment 35.

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acted on DSS complaints regarding the alleged attempt by members of Ek Noor Khalsa Fauz, a

Sikh religious organisation, to disrupt a DSS meeting using a “high-volume audio tape”.39

According to an article in The Times of India, police were “deployed in strength…to avert any

clash between the two sword-brandishing groups.”40

It was claimed in a separate report that

police had provided “heavy protection” for the DSS meeting.41

According to an article in The

Tribune police also arrested some DSS followers for their part in the unrest. Sant Baljeet Singh

Daduwal, a Sikh preacher (see above) is said to have called on police to arrest more DSS

followers within three days. In response to Sant Baljeet Singh Daduwal‟s request, DSS members

are reported to have burnt a bus while marching toward the town-square. The article states:

However, they did not proceed further in view of a heavy deployment of

police…The dera followers demanded cancellation of the criminal case registered

against them and arrest of the ASI, Jagdish Lal, who ordered [a] cane charge on

them at Dhalleke village on Sunday. The Additional Deputy Commissioner,

Abhinav Trikha, and SSP Sneh Deep Sharma held a dialogue with them and

assured them that the said ASI would be suspended from service and departmental

action would also be initiated against him, after which blockades from the highway

and the railway track were lifted by the protesters.42

The following pictures show police undertaking a “cane charge” (lathicharge) during the

January unrest:

39

„Tension in village as Sikhs, dera men clash‟ 2011, Times of India, 7 March,

http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2011-03-07/india/28665459_1_dera-followers-naam-charcha-dera-

programme – Accessed 11 July 2011 – Attachment 36. 40

„Tension in village as Sikhs, dera men clash‟ 2011, Times of India, 7 March,

http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2011-03-07/india/28665459_1_dera-followers-naam-charcha-dera-

programme – Accessed 11 July 2011 – Attachment 36. 41

„Followers hold congregation amid protest‟ 2011, Times of India, 7 March,

http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2011-03-07/india/28665719_1_naam-charcha-dera-followers-sikh-

organizations – Accessed 11 July 2011 – Attachment 37. 42

„Dera followers burn bus, block railway line, highway‟ 2011, The Tribune website, 7 March,

http://www.tribuneindia.com/2011/20110308/punjab.htm#5 – Accessed 8 July 2011 – Attachment 38.

Page 8 of 12

43

One report from 2007 indicates that police can be willing to intervene but not press

charges. An article describing the pursuit of DSS followers by Sikh „activists‟ in

Moga states that the police intervened after the DSS followers had rung them on a

mobile phone while fleeing. Having stopped the Sikh activists from attacking the

DSS members, police declined to register a case against them, describing the incident

43

„Curfew in Bhikhi after violent clash‟ 2011, The Tribune website, 2 January,

http://www.tribuneindia.com/2011/20110103/main2.htm – Accessed 8 July 2011 – Attachment 39.

Page 9 of 12

as “minor”. According to the report, the assailants had “smashed windows…and

deflated tyres.”44

Capacity of Police to Protect DSS Members:

Reports indicate that the police do intercede to protect DSS members or prevent unrest from

occurring and have been able to impose curfews and arrest those seen to be causing unrest.45

However, the ability of police to cope with large scale unrest varies. During the May 2007 riots

the Indian Government sent at least 40 companies of security personnel (approx. 5,000 people) to

assist police with controlling the situation46

, with reports claiming that Punjab police were “too

scared and too unprepared to retaliate”.47

The website of the SAD(Badal), a member of the

current coalition Government, describes a number of reforms undertaken to improve law and

order in Punjab, including an increase in the number of police officers and increased investment

in police infrastructure, such as building and vehicles. Specifically, the most notable reforms are:

A special force – Special Security Group (SSG) is being raised with the objective of

conducting Anti-Terrorist Operations;

Establishment of 18 Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) Teams equipped with latest

weapons and transport for acting as Quick Reaction Teams for speedy response to

situations and interventions as needed;

Introduction of Commissionerate (sic) System in three major cities of Ludhiana, Jalandhar

and Amritsar;

Setting up of Community Police Resource Centres (CPRCs) in all districts; and

Six new police stations in Jalandhar, Ludhiana, Hoshiarpur, Kapurthala, SBS Nagar and

Moga have been notified.48

The current status of these reforms could not be ascertained in the English language sources

consulted. With regard to Moga in particular, the latest Performance Appraisal Report of the

Commissionerates (sic) and the Districts, which is published on the Punjab Police website, seems

to suggest that Moga district is ranked 23 out of a total of 25 police districts in Punjab for

performance during the period 1 January to 31 March 2011.49

44

Bagga, Neeraj 2007 „Sikh activists chase “premis”; no case registered‟, The Tribune, 2 July

http://www.tribuneindia.com/2007/20070702/punjab1.htm – Accessed 8 December 2008 [note: website could not be

accessed on 5 July 2011] – Attachment 28. 45

„Curfew continued in Punjab town after clashes between police and Sikhs‟ 2011 Punjab Newsline website, 3

January, http://punjabnewsline.com/content/curfew-continued-punjab-town-after-clashes-between-police-and-

sikhs/27450 – Accessed 6 July 2011 – Attachment 30; „Tension in village as Sikhs, dera men clash‟ 2011, Times of

India, 7 March, http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2011-03-07/india/28665459_1_dera-followers-naam-

charcha-dera-programme – Accessed 10 March 2011 – Attachment 36. 46

„Manmohan Singh expresses concern over Punjab violence‟ 2007, Yahoo! News India, 18 May

http://in.news.yahoo.com/070518/139/6fy9p.html – Accessed 9 October – Attachment 40. A different report has 125

companies: „Central forces rushed to Punjab, Haryana‟ 2007, The Times of India, 18 May

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Central_forces_rushed_to_Punjab_Haryana/articleshow/2058442.cms – Accessed

19 March 2008 – Attachment 41. 47

„Central forces rushed to Punjab, Haryana‟ 2007, The Times of India, 18 May

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Central_forces_rushed_to_Punjab_Haryana/articleshow/2058442.cms – Accessed

19 March 2008 – Attachment 41. 48

„Law and Order‟ (undated), Shiromani Akali Dal website, http://www.shiromaniakalidal.org.in/2010/law-and-

order/ – Accessed 8 July 2011 – Attachment 42. 49

„Performance Appraisal Report of the Commissionerates and the Districts‟ 2011, Punjab Police website,

http://115.248.24.21/PUNJABPOLICE/PDFViwer.aspx?enc=WFo5b4QDVWRHx+1tizZkVf0Iw+8sazJLa+L21x+z7

PL1IIGxIxkc+cySCWZMZcxS2dc3dJ02zjPE7tvcSRj7t3HGdZuKDCi0KfiFDiP7l50C8f3n9bsHyt7H+l9L7RJV5/6o

WPuzB+j2qhcVJNZbxg – Accessed 8 July 2011- Attachment 43.

Page 10 of 12

For further information on State protection/police treatment of DSS followers prior to 2011

please see research responses: IND38269 of 8 March 2011; IND36088 of February 2010;

IND35751 of December 2009; IND34918 of May 2009; and IND34112 of December 2008.50

Attachments

1. „Huzoor Pita Sant Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh Ji Insan‟ n.d, Dera Sacha Sauda website,

http://derasachasauda.org/en/guru-ji/saint-gurmeet-ram-rahim-singh-ji-insan.html – Accessed

11 July 2011.

2. Alig, Asif Anwar & Anwar, Abid 2007, „Embers of a Sikh fire‟, Himal South Asian, October

http://www.himalmag.com/2007/october_november/embers_of_a_sikh_fire.html – Accessed

9 October 2007 [note: website could not be accessed on 5 July 2011].

3. Garg, B. 2007 „Dera Sacha Sauda and Gurmeet Ram Rahim‟, The Times of India, 18 May

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Cities/Chandigarh/Dera_Sacha_Sauda_and_Gurmeet_Ram

_Rahim/articleshow/2060431.cms – Accessed 11 July 2011.

4. Rajalakshmi, T.K. 2002, „Godman under a cloud‟, Frontline, Volume 19, Issue 26, 21

December 2002-3 January 2003 http://frontline.in/fl1926/stories/20030103003404000.htm –

Accessed 11 July 2011.

5. „CBI charges Dera chief with murder‟ 2007, The Economic Times, 2 August.

6. „Chandigarh Fortified For Visit Of Dera Sect Chief‟ 2008, Indo-Asian News Service, 3

December.

7. „Witness deposes in rape case against Dera chief‟ 2009, WebIndia123.com, 10 January

http://news.webindia123.com/news/Articles/India/20090110/1149388.html – Accessed 11

July 2011.

8. „High alert in Punjab and Haryana after violence by followers of dera sacha sauda‟ 2010,

Punjab Newsline website, 27 February http://punjabnewsline.com/content/high-alert-punjab-

and-haryana-after-violence-followers-dera-sacha-sauda – Accessed 5 July 2011.

9. „Case Status Information System‟, High Court of Punjab and Haryana website,

http://courtnic.nic.in/courtnic_chandigarh/PartySearch.aspx – Accessed 5 July 2011.

10. Vinayak, R. 2008, „The Baba and the Bomb‟, India Today, 7 February,

http://indiatoday.digitaltoday.in/index.php?issueid=39&id=4335&option=com_content&task

=view&assignedid= – Accessed 11 July 2011.

11. „Police unveils conspiracy to assassinate Sacha Sauda chief‟ 2008, webindia123.com website,

8 November http://news.webindia123.com/news/Articles/India/20081108/1099507.html – –

Accessed 11 July 2011.

12. RRT Country Advice 2011, Country Advice IND38269, 8 March.

50

RRT Country Advice 2011, Country Advice IND38269, 8 March – Attachment 12; RRT Country Advice 2010,

Country Advice IND36088, 15 February – Attachment 13; RRT Country Advice 2009, Research Response

IND35751, 8 December – Attachment 14; RRT Country Advice 2009, Research Response IND34918, 28 May –

Attachment 15; RRT Country Advice 2008, Research Response IND34112, 22 December – Attachment 16.

Page 11 of 12

13. RRT Country Advice 2010, Country Advice IND36088, 15 February.

14. RRT Country Advice 2009, Research Response IND35751, 8 December.

15. RRT Country Advice 2009, Research Response IND34918, 28 May.

16. RRT Country Advice 2008, Research Response IND34112, 22 December.

17. Shiromani Gurdwara Pardandhak Committee‟, Sikhi Wiki website,

http://www.sikhiwiki.org/index.php/SGPC – Accessed 4 July 2011.

18. „Punjab limping back to normalcy, isolated protests‟ 2007, The Hindu website, 19 May

http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/holnus/000200705191801.htm – Accessed 11 July 2011.

19. Baixas, Lionel 2007, „The Dera Sacha Sauda Controversy and Beyond‟, Economic and

Political Weekly, October 6, Vol. 42, No. 40, p. 4059.

20. „Dera followers being terrorised: Bhattal‟ 2007, Indian Express website, 3 July,

http://www.indianexpress.com/news/dera-followers-being-terrorised-bhattal/203641/1.

21. „Badal sworn in as Punjab CM‟ 2007, Rediff.com website, 2 March

http://in.rediff.com/news/2007/mar/02punpoll.htm – Accessed 11 July 2011.

22. „Punjab Vidhansabha Polls 2007‟, Travel India website, http://www.travelindia-

guide.com/assembly-elections/punjab/results/2007.aspx – Accessed 6 July 2011

23. „Congress banks on Dera support in Punjab‟ 2009, Web India 123, 21 April

http://news.webindia123.com/news/articles/India/20090421/1233276.html – Accessed 11

July 2011.

24. „Dera tenders apology to Guru Gobind Singh‟ 2007, Hindustan Times website 27 May

http://www.hindustantimes.com/Dera-tenders-apology-to-Guru-Gobind-Singh/Article1-

225651.aspx – Accessed 4 July 2011.

25. „Jathedar Joginder Singh Vedanti‟, Sikhi Wiki website,

http://www.sikhiwiki.org/index.php/Jathedar_Joginder_Singh_Vedanti – Accessed 4 July

2011.

26. „Shri Akal Takhat‟ (undated), Sikhi Wiki website,

http://www.sikhiwiki.org/index.php/Shri_Akal_Takhat – Accessed 4 July 2011.

27. „20 hurt as clashes spread in Punjab‟ 2007, The Hindu Website, 16 May

http://www.hindu.com/2007/05/16/stories/2007051606780100.htm – Accessed 5 July 2011.

28. Bagga, Neeraj 2007 „Sikh activists chase “premis”; no case registered‟, The Tribune, 2 July

http://www.tribuneindia.com/2007/20070702/punjab1.htm – Accessed 8 December 2008

[note: website could not be accessed on 5 July 2011].

29. „Panch Pardhani organised a march against Dera Sauda and Badal‟ 2010, UNP website, 22

May, http://www.unp.me/f15/panch-pardhani-organized-a-march-against-dera-sauda-and-

badal-81315/ – Accessed 7 July 2011.

30. „Curfew continued in Punjab town after clashes between police and Sikhs‟ 2011 Punjab

Newsline website, 3 January, http://punjabnewsline.com/content/curfew-continued-punjab-

town-after-clashes-between-police-and-sikhs/27450 – Accessed 6 July 2011.

Page 12 of 12

31. Political Handbook of the World Online Edition, pp.636-654 (2010).

32. „Punjab Assessment – Year 2010‟, 2010, South Asia Terrorism Portal website,

http://www.satp.org/satporgtp/countries/india/states/punjab/index.html – Accessed 8 July

2011.

33. „Three “Panch Pardhani” leaders released from Jail‟, 2011, One India News website, 14

February, http://news.oneindia.in/2011/02/14/threepanch-pardhani-leaders-released-fromjail-

aid0126.html – Accessed 8 July 2011.

34. „Punjab police arrests 57 Sikhs in Bhikhi, curfew continued for second day‟ 2011, Punjab

Newsline website, 3 January, http://punjabnewsline.com/content/punjab-police-arrests-57-

sikhs-bhikhi-curfew-continued-second-day/27472 – Accessed 8 July 2011.

35. „Curfew against mansa Sikhs as Badel Government continues to promote DSS cult‟ 2011,

Panthic.org website, 3 January, http://www.panthic.org/articles/5321 – Accessed 6 July 2011.

36. „Tension in village as Sikhs, dera men clash‟ 2011, Times of India, 7 March,

http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2011-03-07/india/28665459_1_dera-followers-

naam-charcha-dera-programme – Accessed 11 July 2011.

37. „Followers hold congregation amid protest‟ 2011, Times of India, 7 March,

http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2011-03-07/india/28665719_1_naam-charcha-

dera-followers-sikh-organizations – Accessed 11 July 2011.

38. „Dera followers burn bus, block railway line, highway‟ 2011, The Tribune website, 7 March,

http://www.tribuneindia.com/2011/20110308/punjab.htm#5 – Accessed 8 July 2011 .

39. „Curfew in Bhikhi after violent clash‟ 2011, The Tribune website, 2 January,

http://www.tribuneindia.com/2011/20110103/main2.htm – Accessed 8 July 2011.

40. „Manmohan Singh expresses concern over Punjab violence‟ 2007, Yahoo! News India, 18

May http://in.news.yahoo.com/070518/139/6fy9p.html – Accessed 9 October.

41. „Central forces rushed to Punjab, Haryana‟ 2007, The Times of India, 18 May

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Central_forces_rushed_to_Punjab_Haryana/articleshow/20

58442.cms – Accessed 19 March 2008.

42. „Law and Order‟ (undated), Shiromani Akali Dal website,

http://www.shiromaniakalidal.org.in/2010/law-and-order/ – Accessed 8 July 2011.

43. „Performance Appraisal Report of the Commissionerates and the Districts‟ 2011, Punjab

Police website,

http://115.248.24.21/PUNJABPOLICE/PDFViwer.aspx?enc=WFo5b4QDVWRHx+1tizZkVf

0Iw+8sazJLa+L21x+z7PL1IIGxIxkc+cySCWZMZcxS2dc3dJ02zjPE7tvcSRj7t3HGdZuKDC

i0KfiFDiP7l50C8f3n9bsHyt7H+l9L7RJV5/6oWPuzB+j2qhcVJNZbxg – Accessed 8 July

2011.

44. „Sikh unrest continues in Punjab‟ 2007, AsiaNews.it website, 22 May

http://www.asianews.it/index.php?l=en&art=9336&size=A – Accessed 4 July 2011.

45. „Launch of People‟s Party of Punjab‟ 2011, Jago Punjab Jago website, 27 March,

http://manpreetbadal.com/launch-of-peoples-party-of-punjab – Accessed 7 July 2011.