On the eve of the birthday of Bhai Gajinder Singh, a Sikh revolutionary who, despite his advancing age and ill health is seeped in the spirit of Sikh freedom, The World Sikh News editor Jagmohan Singh writes an Open letter to him acknowledging the pain he is undergoing in his current state of near-prison life and his status as a stateless person. Yet, he asks him to celebrate his birthday, and each day of his life, even though he is physically living in ignominy. He should have the cool satisfaction that his dreams are being lived by the generation next with gusto, glory, and determination, not only in his homeland Punjab but also in the rest of the Sikh world.

MY DEAR GAJINDER SINGH JI, HEARTIEST GREETINGS FROM THE HOMELAND PUNJAB on your birthday on the 19th of November, which ironically coincides with the birth anniversary of the late Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, with whom you had a face-off near Dera Bassi on the Chandigarh-Ambala road when she had come there to deliver a speech in December 1971. You set the pace and direction of your work there which you have continued since then.

My heart reaches out to you with a blend of respect and melancholy. As you mark another year, it pains me deeply to acknowledge the long shadow cast by exile that hovers over your life. It is a stark reminder of how we, as a community, have stumbled in our efforts to right the wrongs faced by revolutionaries like yourself, who remain stateless, not by choice but by the harsh whims of political tides and legal challenges.

You, who chose to hijack a plane not with the power of arms but with the might of thought and pen, to shine a light on the Sikh quest for sovereignty, find yourself in circumstances resembling a prison.

Pakistan’s fear of another killing like that of Paramjit Singh Panjwar in Pakistan or Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Canada has inadvertently imprisoned a mind that soars freely in the heights of idealism and the depth of poetic expression.

Your life, a tapestry of unwavering conviction, weaves through it the aspirations for Sikh freedom. Be it the silent walls of confinement or the vast skies of Punjab that you so dearly miss, know that your essence, your work, and your sacrifices are ingrained in the hearts of those who share your dream.

It is in recognition of your life of conviction and dedication, that the highest temporal body of the Sikhs -Akal Takht Sahib, bestowed on you the title of “Sikh Warrior in Exile” in 2020.

The Dal Khalsa, a movement birthed from your vision, nurtured by the contributions of your colleagues and you, the daunting stretches of jail terms you endured, and your relentless voice for Sikh sovereignty will forever be etched in our collective memory and will always be cherished.

As you stand as a beacon for many, let the light of your life’s path guide and inspire us. Your regular interaction with the world through Facebook gives you an opportunity to share your past and your vision for the future, notwithstanding your dreary life and position.

Pakistan’s fear of another killing like that of Paramjit Singh Panjwar in Pakistan or Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Canada has inadvertently imprisoned a mind that soars freely in the heights of idealism and the depth of poetic expression.

It may seem like a solitary journey at times, but rest assured, the path you have set is not untrodden. There are footsteps that follow, some seen, many unseen, tracing the routes you have charted with such conviction. The current Dal Khalsa leadership, while celebrating 42 years of your exile, early this year, boldly asked the Government of Pakistan to grant you asylum and shift you to the historic Nankana Sahib.

You have completed your prison terms and it has been established even in the courts of India in the cases of your colleagues Satnam Singh Paonta Sahib and Tejinder Pal Singh that the judicial principle of double jeopardy applies and you cannot be harassed or detained any further anywhere.

Unquestionably, you are a stateless individual as recognized by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. It may not be wrong to say that you were born stateless because though born in your own homeland Punjab, which at the time of your birth was under subjugation.  Since you chose to challenge that status, even though you have changed territory, your status remains the same.

It is a unique situation, perhaps not touched so far by the UNHCR. There is no easy solution but instead of being called a stateless citizen, it may not be wrong to use the nomenclature of a world citizen for you; as for you, the world is a large canvas in which you desire a small chunk wherein your aspirations get an expression.

You are not alone, for your ideals live on, resonating with the beats of countless hearts that beat for the very freedom you speak of. Some of these beats are silent and not vocal but be assured that they are there. The verse of your revolutionary poetry still continues to inspire many.

Celebrate your birthday, Gajinder Singh Ji. Celebrate -for every day is a testimony to your courage, for every poem you wrote, for every thought you provoked, and for the indomitable spirit that even the toughest chains could not bind. You are not alone, for your ideals live on, resonating with the beats of countless hearts that beat for the very freedom you speak of. Some of these beats are silent and not vocal but be assured that they are there. The verse of your revolutionary poetry still continues to inspire many.

May the years ahead bring you Chardikala, and may you witness the dawn of your aspirations, for you have sown the seeds of a revolution that transcends the confines of geography and time!

With deepest respect, solidarity, and fraternal love,

Jagmohan Singh