Saturday, March 18th 2023: Punjab Police adopted authoritarian measures shutting down the Internet, lockdown and blockade of communication channels across Punjab and went on a manhunt to hunt down and arrest Bhai Amritpal Singh Ji Khalsa and his associates without any reason.

Bhai Amritpal Singh Ji Khalsa is a public figure with a huge following in Punjab who is fighting on various issues of people such as drugs, justice, corruption and the issue of sovereignty of Punjab and bringing back Sikhi and fighting for the Panth.

This is not the first time the Indian State has issued draconian measures to suppress Sikh voices by violating human rights, aiding and organizing the 1984 Sikh Genocide and imposing President's Rule and use of military force, restricting media presence and shutting down all means of communication with the outside world thereby isolating Punjab and carrying inhumane rape, torture and extrajudicial killings during 1984-95 which continued till 2005. A lot of them still haven't received justice yet.

Sikhs are dealing with a lot of issues facing the Panth, the release of Scottish National Jagtar Singh Johal illegally detained in India who was forced to fake a blank confession facing torture in jail, the release of Bandi Singhs who have completed their jail terms but still behind bars till date, mass migration of youth in Punjab, drug, education, healthcare and lots of other issues. The current Hindu nationalist government led by BJP backed by the extremist Hindutvi organization RSS has a track record of mistreatment of minorities and governing by anti-democratic authoritarian measures and had used similar tactics earlier in 2020-2021 to suppress the farmer's protest by similar means. 

Punjab Police says 78 people were arrested but Bhai Amritpal Singh Ji escaped, this does not seem to match up and people fear the possibility that a fake encounter can take place without anyone knowing. In the late 1990s Punjab Police led by KPS Gill committed crimes against humanity by spreading manipulation and lies to cover up fake encounters of hundreds of thousands of innocent people which impacted countless families across Punjab and continue to haunt people till date. Police Stations were mass rape centers, women were called for various excuses, taken advantage of and raped. Even police officers who refused to cooperate were killed. One of the prominent Sikh Human Rights activist Jaswant Singh Khalra who gathered global attention by publishing his research papers on thousands of illegal killings and secret cremations was abducted in broad daylight infront of his house and disappeared in April 2002 which was caught on camera by Rajiv Singh Randhawa, a journalist with Punjabi Tribune who was present at that time.

There have been multiple protests and demonstrations in Punjab by the people seeking for Bhai Amritpal's illegal manhunt and possible arrest. Sikhs in India and all around the world view this as a violation of free speech and human rights and calls for the immediate release of Bhai Amritpal Singh Ji Khalsa and his associates.