Sikhs freed

Press, 13 March 1985, Page 10

Sikhs freed

NZPA-Reuter New Delhi The Indian Prime Minister, Mr Rajiv Gandhi, has taken his first main step to end the crisis in Punjab state by releasing Sikh political leaders. The Home Minister, Mr S. B. Chavan, said yesterday that the eight leaders freed included Harchand Singh Longowal, president of the Sikhs’ main political party, the Akali Dal, and Jagdev Singh Talwandi, who heads a rival party faction. Mr Longowal and several other leaders were arrested shortly after troops stormed the Sikhs’ holiest shrine, Amritsar’s Golden Temple, in June to root out extremists sheltering there. Mr Gandhi’s conciliatory move on his biggest domestic problem was made hours after he met senior Cabinet colleagues. On Sunday he asked a Cabinet panel set up to explore a way out of the Punjab stalemate to make specific proposals by today when a new session of Parliament starts. Mr Chavan said the latest peace move was unilateral and not in response to an Akali Dal threat to launch a fresh protest campaign from April 13 if several demands, including an investigation of nation-wide anti-Sikh rioting in November and the release of jailed Sikh militants, were not conceded.