It has been over two years since 84-year-old Bapu Surat Singh Khalsa began his hunger strike to free Sikh political prisoners in Punjab. He remains confined at Dayanand Medical College and Hospital in Ludhiana, where he has now been force-fed for over 600 days.
With the help and determination of sangat, supporters, and Sikh organizations worldwide, 18 prisoners have been released, and long-serving prisoners such as Professor Devinderpal Singh Bhullar and Bhai Gurdeep Singh, received parole for the first time in decades.
Since the beginning of the hunger strike, numerous awareness campaigns have taken place all over the world. There have been rallies, protests, blood donations, and art exhibitions to help inform the world of the ongoing human rights violations occurring today in Punjab.
Bapu Surat Singh's hunger strike will be approaching another significant milestone later this year. On 11 October, 2017, Bapu Surat Singh will have completed 1,000 days of hunger.
To help commemorate this day and his ongoing commitment for human rights, everyone around the world is encouraged to send artwork inspired by this hunger strike and Sikh political prisoners, in any medium (painting, sketch, poem, song, knitting etc.), to help raise awareness. This work, alongside previous artwork that has already been submitted, will be used in any future exhibitions and posted online on social media.
Please submit your work and a short bio (name, location, what inspired your piece, and any personal social media handles that you would like included in the post) by Wednesday 13 September, 2017 to: [email protected]
Any questions or concerns may also be sent to the same email address.
For the latest updates, please follow:
Twitter: @bapusuratsingh
Facebook: /bapusuratsingh
Instagram: sangharsh_jaari_hai
Website: www.freesikhprisoners.com
Free Sikhs ~ [email protected]