The Committee For Coordination On Disappearances In Punjab

In response to the above developments, a coordinating committee was formed to a) develop a voluntary mechanism to collect and collate information on disappeared people from all over the state of Punjab and to ensure that the matter of police abductions leading to extrajudicial executions and illegal cremations proceeds meaningfully and culminates in a just and satisfactory final order, b) evolve a workable system of state accountability, and to build up the pressure of public opinion to counter the government's bid for immunity, c) lobby for India to change its domestic laws in conformity with the UN instruments on torture, enforced disappearance, accountability, compensation to victims of abuse of power, and other related matters, and d) initiate a debate on vital issues of state power and its distribution and to work for a shared consensus on these matters with communities and organizations all over India.

The Committee for Coordination on Disappearances in Punjab came formally into existence on 9 November 1997 when, in a meeting held in Chandigarh, the following human rights organizations and political groups decided to join hands:

Committee for Information and Initiative on Punjab

Punjab Human Rights Organization

Movement Against State Repression

World Human Rights Protection Council

Human Rights and Democracy Forum

Lawyers for Human Rights

Khalra Action Committee

Bhartiya Kisan Union

Akali Dal (Wadala)

Akali Dal (Mann)

Akali Dal (Panthik)

Punjab Janata Morcha

Bahujan Samaj Party

Internationalist Democratic Party

Sikh Students Federation (Mehta/Chawla)

Babbar Akali Dal

Akal Federation

World Sikh Council (joined subsequently)

Those who joined the Committee in their individual capacity were: Dr. Sukhjit Kaur Gill, Baba Sarabjot Singh Bedi, Sukhjinder Singh, Mokham Singh, Gurtej Singh, Gurdarshan Singh Dhillon, Dalbir Singh, Col. (rtd) Bhagat Singh, Jaspal Singh Siddhu, Maj. Gen. (rtd) Narinder Singh, Gurdip Singh (editor Az Di Awaz), Gurbachan Singh (editor Des Punjab) and Joginder Singh (editor Spokesman).