Nine Sikhs arrested as strike slows city

Press, 29 February 1984, Page 10

Nine Sikhs arrested as strike slows city

NZPA-“New York Times” New Delhi The Indian capital, New Delhi, was partly shut down as more than 3000 paramilitary troops went on duty during a general strike called by a Hindu group yesterday. The Hindu strike was called to protest against violence by Sikh militants. At the same time leaders of the Akali Dal, the Sikh political party, symbolically burnt or tore up a section of the Indian constitution that lumps Sikhs with Hindus for purposes of religious identification. Five people were arrested

for burning copies of the constitutional article in New Delhi and four others were seized for tearing up copies of the nearby state of Punjab, the Sikh homeland. All nine people, were charged with insulting the national honour. If convicted, they could be sentenced to up to three years in prison. The Sikhs are pressing for greater autonomy for Punjab, and official recognition of their religion. The general strike, called by the Bharatiya Janata Party, a Right-wing Hindu group, was largely effective

in the New Delhi business sector. Most markets and stores were shut, as were most schools. Policemen cordoned off Sikh temples and the Parliament building. Four Akali Dal leaders were unable to get to New Delhi from Punjab because the authorities had sealed off all transport routes against them. A fifth Akali Dal leader from Punjab was smuggled into a New Delhi Sikh temple in a truck. He and four other Sikh leaders burnt their copy of the constitution inside the temple and

were arrested as they emerged. The paramilitary forces were deployed because of fears that serious violence in the capital would force the Government’s hand to take more drastic and repressive action against the growing violence in the last two weeks in Punjab. During that time, at least 80 people have been killed in Punjab and the neighbouring state of Haryana, which has a Sikh minority. Nearly 300 people have been killed since August, 1982 when the Sikh drive for autonomy began.