Hawara Urges Peace, Chandigarh Police Stops ‘Quami Insaf Morcha’ March

August

2026

Panjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann met Panjab Governor Gulab Singh Kataria seeking a 10-day parole on humanitarian grounds for pro-Khalistan separatist Jagtar Singh Hawara who is currently serving life imprisonment at Delhi’s Tihar and Mandoli jails. Hawara was convicted as a conspirator in the 1995 assassination of the 12^th Chief Minister of Panjab Beant Singh. Hawara's octogenarian mother is very ill, hence the request for parole. In a departure from his earlier stand when he opposed Hawara’s parole, Bharatiya Janata Party leader, former union minister, and Beant's grandson Ravneet Singh Bittu, thanked the Governor 'for sending a positive report'. On 13 Aug, seeking regular parole, Hawara declined Delhi Prisons Department’s two-day custody parole offer to meet his mother. Custody parole is a short-term, supervised release of a convicted prisoner from jail. An armed police escort stays with the inmate the entire time as they attend urgent family events. A senior police officer said, 'He’s a high-risk prisoner and we have to deploy staff with him. Top officials will take a final call on whether he’ll be given custody parole or normal parole.' Meanwhile, the Quami Insaf Morcha (Community Justice Front, QIM) seeking the release of Bandi Sikhs (Sikh prisoners)—who have been incarcerated for prolonged periods—and Hawara, had proposed a march from Sahibzada Ajit Singh (SAS ) Nagar to the Panjab Governor's residence. The Morcha has been maintaining a protest site along the Sector 52-53 Chandigarh-YPS Chowk stretch since 7 Jan 2023. Interestingly, on 13 Aug evening, Hawara released a two-minute edited video, apparently shot inside the prison, appealing to his supporters to strictly follow the directions of the Morcha leaders, and ensure that the protest remains peaceful. He said, 'I appeal to all those participating in the march being organized by the Quami Insaf Morcha to ensure that it remains peaceful. The Morcha has been continuing at the Chandigarh-Mohali border for four years. It is your duty to ensure that no untoward incident occurs on 15 Aug (India's Independence Day).' However, when the march tried to breach and bring down police barricades at the SAS Nagar-Chandigarh border, police used water cannons and tear gas to stop them. The protesters resisted the police action and resorted to stone-pelting, resulting in clashes. QIM has given a Panjab bandh (closure) call for 21 Aug (earlier coverage).