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.
However, the Ludhiana CBSE coordinator said most CBSE schools in the district are likely to remain closed on Friday. 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.
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.
SAD (Punar Surjit) Calls for Bandh to Demand Release of Imprisoned ‘Bandi Singhs’
The SAD (Punar Surjit) has condemned the government’s refusal to release the ‘Bandi Singhs,’ individuals who have completed their sentences but remain incarcerated. In a recent statement, the party accused the government of using force to silence those advocating for their release, including the registration of legal cases against activists.
To press their demands, party leaders and supporters plan to collaborate with the public in a bandh aimed at increasing pressure on the authorities for the release of these long-imprisoned individuals.
