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SIMRANJIT SINGH MANN, M.P.
Member of the Indian Parliament - From the State of Punjab Parliament is the supreme legislative body of India. Lok sabha (House of the People) is composed of representatives of the people chosen by direct election for five year terms. There are from 530 to 552 members representing 1 billion people, Speaking 1,500 languages and dialects. The population is 80% Hindu, 14%Muslim, 2.4%, Christian, 2% Sikh, 0.7% Buddhist, 0.5% Jains and 0.4% other. One-third of the population lives in poverty. |
Simranjit Singh Mann is the leader of the Sikh's
peaceful struggle in Punjab to achieve an independent homeland, Khalistan.
He has fought tirelessly for social justice for ethnic and religious minorities.
In this pursuit Mr. Mann has been arrested or detained some 30 times but
he has never been convicted.
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Member of Shiromani Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee
The Shiromani Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee (Religious
elected assembly of the Sikhs) popularly known as the SGPC- is a statutory
body constituted under an Act of the Punjab Legislature passed on 9th July
1925. It is invested with certain duties regarding the administration of
Gurdwaras, educational programmes and the propagation of the Sikh faith.
Its Dharam Parchar Committee is specifically meant for the publication
of literature on Sikhism. It has produced a number of books and tracts
on Sikhism in English and modern Indian languages.
| Mr. Mann,
was detained in 1984 after resigning his post as Commandant, of the Central
Industrial Security Force (I.P.S) in Bombay in protest to India's deadly
attack of The Sikhs most sacred shrine Hari Mandir (golden Temple). He
was charged, among other things, with conspiracy to assassinate Prime Minister
Indira Gandhi. He was severely tortured, kept in solitary confinement but
was unconditionally released with all charges dropped after 5 years in
prison. He was released officially "in the interests of the State," in
November 1989 after being elected in absentia to India's Parliament by
an overwhelming mandate in the State of Punjab. Mr. Mann was denied his
legal and constitutional right to enter parliament. Mr. Mann is one of
India's "Nelson Mandelas" a prisoner of conscience.
The remaining Sikh dissenting leadership have been murdered, de-famed, jailed & tortured or live now in exile and would risk death if they were to return to India. Today there are still thousands of Sikhs held in India's prisons with no charges, no bail and no legal representation. In May 1993, while campaigning in support of a candidate during the Jalandhar by-elections, an assassination attempt was made on Mr. Mann by a gunman associated with a politician in the opposition Indian National Congress Party. No charges were ever brought against the alleged gunmen. Mr. Mann has some powerful political enemies. Some of which are suspects by Amnesty International for many serious Human Rights violations such as murder, torture and rape. Mr. Mann has lived behind an Indian Berlin wall since 1990. Mr. Mann was denied a passport on the grounds, that his going abroad would be a threat to the security and integrity of India. After Mr. Mann was elected to the Indian Parliament, the Punjab and Haryana High Court on November 3, 1999, ordered the Union of India and the Passport Office in Chandigarh, to issue a passport to Mr. Mann. With his freedom restored Mr. Mann will be visiting the United States during the Month of April, 2000. One event that he will be attending is the Baisakhi Day celebration and parade (Sikh New Year) at the Sikh Gurdwara Sahib 1930 S. Grant in Stockton, California Sunday April 16, 2000. Stockton is the home of the first Sikh Gurdwara Sahib (Temple) and it was built in the United states in 1915. Map and Directions |
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Mr.
Mann
Elected to Parliament on September 5, 1999. |
Victory
of justice, says Mann - Friday, October 8, 1999
FATEHGARH SAHIB, Oct 7 — Thousands of people and workers of the SAD
(A) today visited the residence of Mr Simranjit Singh Mann at his native
village Talania 2 km from here. There were jubilation and celebrations.
(More)(The
Tribune, Chandigarh, India)
Barnala
let down by hometown - Friday, October 8, 1999
PATIALA, Oct 7 — It is not the victory of Akali Dal (Amritsar) president
Simranjit Singh Mann which is the talk of the town. It is the defeat of
Akali Dal (Badal) senior leader Surjit Singh Barnala which is being talked
about. Residents, however, have a "told you so attitude" while referring
to it. This is because Mr. Barnala has been let down by residents of his
hometown who preferred to side with Mr. Mann and give him a lead of 17,567
votes in this Assembly segment of Sangrur constituency. (More)(The
Tribune, Chandigarh, India)
SAD
humbled in its own citadel - Sunday, October 10, 1999
CHANDIGARH, Oct 9 — The levers of political power in Punjab are in
the Malwa region, which accounts for six of the 13 Lok Sabha seats, which
means 65 of the 117 Assembly constituencies. Even 11 of the 17 districts
fall in that belt.
The outcome of the Lok Sabha poll shows that even in its own citadel — Malwa — the SAD could win just one seat, Ferozepore. The second seat it won falls in Majha; Tarn Taran, which is traditionally an Akali seat.
While the CPI has captured Bathinda, the breakaway Akali faction president Mr. Simranjit Singh Mann, has humbled the SAD’s Mr. Surjit Singh Barnala in Sangrur. The ruling partner, the BJP, could win just one seat, Gurdaspur, while the remaining eight seats have been won by the Congress, which scored a zero in 1998. In the process the SAD’s grip on the levers of political power seem to be slipping. (More) (The Tribune, Chandigarh, India)
Mann's
party to enrol Hindus - Tuesday, October 12, 1999
AMRITSAR, Oct 11 — Mr. Simranjit Singh Mann, president Akali, Dal Mann,
who had caused a flutter by announcing that he would secure ‘Khalistan’
for the Sikhs at Anandpur Sahib on April 13 on the occasion of tercentenary
celebrations of the birth of the Khalsa Panth has now said his party will
enrol Hindus, who will be given a due share in the organizational set up.
(More)
(The
Tribune, Chandigarh, India)
Mann
welcomes Popes visit - Thursday, October 21, 1999
FATEHGARH SAHIB, Oct 20 — Mr. Simranjit Singh Mann, MP and President
of the Shiromani Akali Dal (Amritsar) SAD(A), has welcomed the visit of
Pope John Paul II to India. He criticised Hindu organizations which were
opposing the visit. Talking to The Tribune at Gurdwara Fatehgarh Sahib
after paying obeisance, Mr. Mann said the Pope was a great freedom fighter
and revolutionary and had fought the Russian repression against Poland.
He said he was eager to meet the great man. (More)
(The
Tribune, Chandigarh, India)
Mann
to be issued passport - Thursday, November 04, 1999
CHANDIGARH, NOV. 3. The Punjab and Haryana High Court has directed
the Union of India and the Passport Office, Chandigarh, to issue a passport
to the Shiromani Akali Dal (Amritsar) president, Mr. Simranjit Singh Mann.
(More)
(The
Hindu - India's National Newspaper)
Mann
hails Sonia's appeal on death penalty - Tuesday, November 23, 1999
CHANDIGARH, NOV. 22. The president of the Shiromani Akali Dal (Amritsar)
and member of the Lok Sabha, Mr. Simranjit Singh Mann, has appreciated
the ``humane approach'' of the Congress chief, Mrs. Sonia Gandhi, in seeking
commutation in the death sentence awarded to a woman, Nalini, in the Rajiv
Gandhi assassination case. He has appealed to the President, Mr. K. R.
Narayanan to heed to the appeal and called upon all political parties to
exercise their influence in the ``greater interests'' of the country. (More)
(The
Hindu - India's National Newspaper)
Bhindranwale
to be projected as the Sikh of the century - Tuesday, February 08,
2000
CHANDIGARH, FEB. 7. About half a dozen political and human rights organisations
today announced their decision to jointly organise a function on February
12 to celebrate the 53rd birth anniversary of the militant leader, Sant
Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale, who was killed in a gun battle inside the Golden
Temple complex in Amritsar when the Indian Army moved in to flush out armed
ultras holed up there in June 1984. They have demanded that a public holiday
be declared to allow the Sikh community to participate in the function.
(More)
(The
Hindu - India's National Newspaper)
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Relevant Links:
THE
INDIAN PARLIAMENT
U.S. Library of
Congress Country Study - India - learn about India; ethnicity and
language, caste and class, history, geography, and government
| Punjab Information
Map of Punjab India Human Rights Links Human Rights Watch World Report, 1999 India Policy Institute - hosts a debate on reform of the Indian political system. Shiromani Akali Dal Human Rights Page |
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