As Punjab braces for a bandh on Friday, August 21, over demands for the release of Sikh prisoners, the state government has clarified that schools and colleges will remain open.
The coordinator added that individual schools can take a decision on whether to remain open. Qaumi Insaf Morcha leader Surjit Singh Phul said the bandh will be observed across the state from 7 am to 2 pm on Friday. The Morcha has been demanding parole for Jagtar Singh Hawara, who is serving a life sentence for the assassination of then Punjab chief minister Beant Singh in 1995. On August 15, the group had called for a march towards the Punjab governor’s residence to demand Hawara’s parole and the release of ‘Bandi Singhs’ — a term used for Sikh prisoners convicted for their involvement in militancy during the Punjab insurgency of the 1990s.
Education Secretary Sonali Giri said no instructions have been issued for the closure of educational institutions. Morcha leaders have also appealed to people from all sections of society to support the bandh, according to a PTI report. However, the Ludhiana CBSE coordinator said most CBSE schools in the district are likely to remain closed on Friday.
In a statement, the SAD (Punar Surjit) said the government is not only refusing to release the ‘Bandi Singhs’ but is also attempting to suppress the voices of those demanding their release through force and the registration of cases.
