Anger boils over Rajoana’s upcoming execution
TNN | Mar 22, 2012, 08.01PM IST
BARNALA/MANSA: At a time when nation is observing the execution of legendary martyr Bhagat Singh, Rajguru, Sukhdev even after 81 years, Punjab is passing through noisy scenes over another upcoming execution. Balwant Singh Rajoana, who is accused of killing former Punjab chief minister Beant Singh, is to be executed on March 31. It is for the first time that the state is passing through such a fierce opposition to the execution. The Kesri(deep orange) cloth is much in demand across the state for turning it into flags for unfurling atop houses as willed by Rajoana himself. Flex posters of Rajoana along with his message to the quam(community)is also being prepared in large numbers.
"We are getting big orders of kesri cloth and feeling unable to supply it. We have placed orders with the cloth manufacturing unit to send it at the earliest", said a Barnala shopkeeper. "People are coming forward for getting prepared flex posters with Rajoana' photo and we are working extra time", said a flex maker.
Members of Sikh organizations are coming to streets against the upcoming hanging of Rajoana and unsheathed swords too are coming out. After the petition of Lawyers for human rights was rejected by Punjab and Haryana high court on Wednesday, the anger started boiling.
The protests were carried out at Mansa, Barnala, Sangrur, Lehragaga and some other places on Wednesday. The protesters also raised pro Khalistan slogans apart from demanding the converting of hanging into life imprisonment.
The protesters blocked the Mansa-Barnala road at Joga for over two hours. SAD(A) general secretary Gursewak Singh Jawaharke and SGPC member Gurpreet Singh Jhabbar led the protesters. "The Punjab government must come forward in passing a resolution against the execution and plead the case at the highest echelons so that execution of Rajonana could be stopped", said Jawaharke. The Sikhs will not sit back if the execution was carried out, he said.
Members of Sikh organizations marched to DC office at Barnala from Gurdwara Pargatsar and handed over memorandum against the execution. Such protests were carried out at Sangrur and Lehragaga as well. We will not tolerate hanging of Rajoana and will not sit back if government went ahead with it(execution), said Ranjit Singh of SAD(A).
"We are getting big orders of kesri cloth and feeling unable to supply it. We have placed orders with the cloth manufacturing unit to send it at the earliest", said a Barnala shopkeeper. "People are coming forward for getting prepared flex posters with Rajoana' photo and we are working extra time", said a flex maker.
Members of Sikh organizations are coming to streets against the upcoming hanging of Rajoana and unsheathed swords too are coming out. After the petition of Lawyers for human rights was rejected by Punjab and Haryana high court on Wednesday, the anger started boiling.
The protests were carried out at Mansa, Barnala, Sangrur, Lehragaga and some other places on Wednesday. The protesters also raised pro Khalistan slogans apart from demanding the converting of hanging into life imprisonment.
The protesters blocked the Mansa-Barnala road at Joga for over two hours. SAD(A) general secretary Gursewak Singh Jawaharke and SGPC member Gurpreet Singh Jhabbar led the protesters. "The Punjab government must come forward in passing a resolution against the execution and plead the case at the highest echelons so that execution of Rajonana could be stopped", said Jawaharke. The Sikhs will not sit back if the execution was carried out, he said.
Members of Sikh organizations marched to DC office at Barnala from Gurdwara Pargatsar and handed over memorandum against the execution. Such protests were carried out at Sangrur and Lehragaga as well. We will not tolerate hanging of Rajoana and will not sit back if government went ahead with it(execution), said Ranjit Singh of SAD(A).
