SaintSoldiers.Net was started over 17 years ago with the intention of becoming a media site for all things related to the Sikh freedom movement. At the time there were very few articles and almost no media available. Over the years the site became a popular source for audio and video. In the recent years, not being able to devote as much time to the site it went into a neglected state.
On November 4, 2017, Jagtar Singh Johal (the webmaster of NeverForget84.com) was abducted by the Punjab Police just weeks after his wedding on false charges under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act and Arms act and for various murder charges.
It took 6 months for the Punjab Police to file formal charges against him. It has been over a year since allegations were made by Johal that he was mentally and physically tortured at Bagha Purana Jail. His lawyer advocate Jaspal Singh Manjhpur requested an independent medical examination – which has not been granted till date. Witnesses and officials are often absent from the trial hearings in an attempt to drag out the false cases as long as they can.
We have been watching and observing all this over the last year with utter disgust. We saw a lack of continued media coverage with the exception of KTV and SikhSiyasat and felt we had to start doing our part. NeverForget84.com was taken down several months ago which was the result of the Indian governments intentions to intimidate and silence our voices. Johal was targeted for running NeverForget84.com and to be made an example of for others that speak out against the injustices the Indian government has carried out against Sikhs since the late 1970s.
Our voice will not be silenced and we intend to shift our focus from media to publishing articles in a more timely manner. Wish us luck on the relaunch and spread the message!