Friday, May 3, 2013

Sarabjit Singh: The victim of political games


Imprisoned for last 23 years, in an enemy country, surrounded by fellow inmates, who are always ready to swoop on him at the slightest clue or provocation, living with the curse of a (possible) mistaken identity, the life of Indian prisoner named Sarabjit Singh has been thorny enough to be injured at the mere thought of it. 

As I am discharging my thoughts through my keyboard, this gentleman Sarabjit lies on the ground to be cremated at Bikhiwind, a village situated 23 kms from Amritsar in Punjab. This martyr of India was brutally assaulted in a jail in Pakistan – a country in which lives fade and fall much faster than the petals of flower on a windy day. This incident has brought tempest as far as the relationship between the two countries are concerned.

Sarabjit was one such unheeded pain, beating mutely in the soul of India. The silence just got louder, when a group of his jail mates with knives, iron rod and other sharp metal objects pounced on him in Pakistan`s Kot Lakhpat jail. Having suffered serious skull fractures made him stay at Jinnah Hospital for a couple of days. This dreadful incident symbolizes the fault lines in our country’s policy on its citizens in Pakistani jails.

Sarabjit’s only hope was his sister - Dalbir Kaur and the incessant prayers of his sister and two daughters for the last 23 years.

His sister continued campaigning painlessly for her brother’s release for more than two decades, and has left no stone unturned in striving for her brother’s release. Her voice fell in deaf years, both in India and Pakistan. She kept her tiring and exhausting efforts on by running post to pillar for her brother, but of no avail.   

I feel touched when the news channels write in bold red, ‘Sarabjit is Dead.’

No one knows the truth of Sarabjit’s life. Not me, nor you.

The fact to focus on is, even if he was one of the spies working for Indian government, shouldn’t our government rethink its strategy on spies and other innocents who go astray near Indo-Pak border and end up meeting indescribable fates? Because there are many more Sarabjit’s in Pakistani jail’s who are fighting hard to come back to India.

Rest in Peace, Martyr Sarabjit Singh !

(PS: The views expressed by me are PERSONAL)

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