CHANDIGARH: A lecture delivered against racism in Kenia has changed the course of Joginder Singh’s life and his case is of the extreme dedication of 92-year-0ld man and failure of justice system. Ever since his petitions were filed at various forum and remained for continuously 40 years. He went back to memory lane and said that time the UK authority cracked down on political activists.
In 1952 he went to Nairobi where British Consulate advised him to go to UK where government would provide him job and rehabilitation. In UK he worked as cashier in Her Majesty Custom but resigned and joined Royal Air Force. The air force had declared him ‘unfit for defence services but fit for civil services’.He had also served in the Secretariat of Common Wealth.
Despite his fitness, he was sent to mental hospital because of political vendetta. There he was administered harmonial drugs which had adversely affected his body and he lost control over his body. Medical treatment administered to him was an effort to declared him psycho. Now he could not stand on his feet for long.
The Royal Court of Justice, UK has set aside the judgement of 1986 but he continued to fight for justice which is still going on. For proper treatment he went to Russia, Switzerland, Denmark and came to India in 1977. He is living in one room accomodation In Mohali has a scores of files and documents to show the insensitivity of the authority that may be. Scores of files did not lead to anything but grows layers of dust. These documents have turned to ‘raddi’ to sell for a few coins as at this stage he could not do more on his own. “Inefficiency and improper delivery of justice are slowly instilling the notion of inability of authority in the people’s mind, ’ says Joginder Singh.
He claimed that he was baptise in a church and married to a farm labourer who had already five children without his knowledge. The British known for its justice system but he regretted for injustice meted to him. He admitted that people of England were good but ‘politics’ play havoc with the system. ‘delayed justice is no justice at all, ’ he feels. “My case seems to be pretty insignifcant in the eyes of authority but it meant for the world, ” says he and added no one can carry on with the hope for more than 40 years.
Since then he submitted scores of representation to the UK government and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs India but either these were thrown into the dust bin or rejected. At present he is getting 387 pounds as old as pension and 98 pounds for civil services he rendered. The old man would die waiting for his right to justice and authority fails to credit his hard work.
The most disturbing part of the story is--he is living in a one room accomodation In Mohal I in Punjab waiting for his last breath. One of his daughters putting her bright career in the service of her father. She is also living within to take care of his father all the time. After him, for Chandni is only left with coming to terms with a dream that now lies in tatters. She said that we must not allow ourselves to become like the system we oppose and added that no one felt these striking feelings.
End part of the story tells that old is not gold at all.