Amritsar/ Ludhiana (November 3, 2010): Schedules of several trains across Punjab have gone awry in the wake of various Sikh organizations joining hands for a state-wide shutdown. Trains such as the Amritsar Shatabdi, Garib Rath and the Jammu Mail are among the trains running hours behind schedule.

Leaders and activists of various Sikh organizations, including Dal Khalsa, Khalsa Action Committee, SAD (Panch Pardhani) and AISSF sat on railway tracks on Wednesday in protest against the lack of progress in legal cases linked to the 1984 Sikh Genocide even after 26 years.

At Amritsar, shouting slogan against the Indian Government for denying justice to the victims of the Sikh massacre, the activists blocked the railways tracks. Latter they were arrested by the police. Those arrested include KAC Convener Bhai Mohkam Singh, Dal Khalsa leaders Harcharanjit Singh Dhaami and Kanwarpal Singh Bittu, Baba Baljit Singh Daduwal and AISSF President Karnail Singh Peermohammad.

Similarly, railway tracks were blocked by Sikhs led by SAD (Panch Pardhani) leader Bhai Baldev Singh Sirsa at Fatehgarh Choorian. Police belonging to three police districts was able to arrest Sikhs here after heated verbal exchange, who are reported to have been released latter.

Reports suggest that there is mixed response to shut down call in Jalandhar, Phagwara, Ludhiana, Bathinda, Fridkot, Firozepur, Patiala, Fatehgarh Sahib, while Amritsar largely remained close. Many towns in Punjab observed near complete shut down and impact of shut down call was considerable in rural and remote areas also.

It may be recalled that in November 1984, following the assassination of then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, armed mobs set fire to Sikhs, their homes, shops and business across the length and breath of India, in an organized and systematic manner. Several thousand Sikhs were killed in that pogrom, and now, even after 26 years, many Sikhs are of the unanimous view that justice has passed the relatives of those eliminated.