Amritsar Sahib, Punjab (KP) - Sikh Organizations have expressed outrage against the airing of a TV story on Zee TV labeled "Desh Dharoh", criticized the over reaction by the Punjab Police and blamed the private TV network for causing unecessary paranoia.
Representatives of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee, Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC), Dal Khalsa, and other organizations blamed Zee TV for attempting to create disharmony in the social and political environment of Punjab. DSGMC has threatened to take legal action against the private broadcasting company.
Interviews and images of various leaders and officials on Zee TV
In New Delhi, several members of the Indian parliament met Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil, and sought a probe into what provoked a TV channel to run a story on the Khalistani movement at this moment.
"We requested the Home Minister to order an investigation into what was the immediate provocation behind such a news report" Singh, a former Chief of the National Commission for Minorities (NCM), told PTI after meeting Patil.
In a separate move, senior Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC) member Manjit Singh, President of Delhi's Shiromani Akali Dal (Panthic), said he has filed a complaint with the NCM on the news report he alleged has portrayed Sikhs as separatists. "The news story, mostly composed of material dug up from archives, was in fact disparaging to the Sikh community," he said.
The overzealous reporting in "Desh Dharoh" flashed images of dozens of Sikh individuals including Shingara Singh Mann of France, who is spearheading the ‘Right to Turban’ campaign, Dr. Gurmeet Singh Aulakh, Dr. Paramjit Singh Ajrawat, Gurmit Singh Khalsa all from USA, among others and attempted to portray them as ‘terrorists’ by implication.
According to a statement released by Dr. Ajrawat, of the Anti-Defamation Sikh Council, “Such a libelous statement maligns countless Sikhs who are loyal citizens of the two countries, serve in the armed forces, and contribute to the wealth welfare of society. Moreover, following 9/11, many Sikhs became victims of hate crimes, assaulted, and even killed, because they were mistaken for Arabs.”
The statement further states: “…that the Sikh Nation's identity and religion including that of Christians, Muslims and others are not safeguarded in India. When Hindu leadership advocates Hinduvta (Hindu Way of Living) and Hindu Rashtra (Hindu State) as National Mandate, their claim goes unchallenged and they are celebrated as national heros by the Indian media and majority Hindus. But when the Sikhs and others talk freedom they are automatically labeled as terrorists and punished to that effect.”
“The recent arrests of Sikh Leadership including S. Simranjit Singh Mann and leaders of Dal Khalsa for staging a peaceful demonstration for self determination and freedom of Khalistan, is yet another reminder of Indian State's continued repression against its minorities.”
Meanwhile, Zee TV, now under pressure from all sides, has given a lukewarm 'apology' to the Sikh community for airing the program. For details read :
http://www.panthic.org/news/125/ARTICLE/2321/2006-03-12.html
