Jalandhar: US-based North American Punjabi Association (NAPA) has applauded the Government of India and Prime Minister Narendra Modi for removing the names of 36 Sikhs settled overseas from the “secret blacklist” maintained by the government.

NAPA executive director Satnam Singh Chahal said this was a welcome decision by the Government of India that a blacklist maintained by the Central government imposing visa restrictions on Sikhs settled abroad had been pruned.

Chahal said the blacklist of Sikhs residing abroad was prepared at different levels by security agencies, and was maintained by the government on mostly the Sikhs who were allegedly involved in subversive or anti-India activities abroad. Such Sikhs, whose names figure in the blacklist, were barred from visiting India.

The Tribune (tribuneindia.com, Mar 31, 2016)