NEW YORK, USA—US-based Human rights body ‘Sikhs for Justice’ has announced to take the legal dispute over the Satluj Yamuna Link -(SYL) Canal into the International Court of Justice situated in Hague (Netherlands). The Sikhs for Justice is ready to submit an application for ‘Punjab Water Referendum-2017’ on the SYL-Canal issue.

In a press note shared with Sikh24, legal advisor S. Gurpatwant Singh Pannu has said that sorting out the SYL-Canal dispute in favor of Punjab was no more in hands of political parties of Punjab. He further said that if Punjab masses will support his initiative for ‘Punjab Water Referendum-2017’ by voting then he would be able to present the SYL-Canal issue in a fair manner before the International Court of Justice.

“The voting lines for ‘Punjab Water Referendum-2017’ will start from December”, he added.

The International Court of Justice (ICJ) is the principal judicial organ of the United Nations (UN). It was established in June 1945 by the Charter of the United Nations and began work in April 1946. The seat of the Court is at the Peace Palace in The Hague (Netherlands). The Court’s role is to settle, in accordance with international law, legal disputes submitted to it by States and to give advisory opinions on legal questions referred to it by authorized United Nations organs and specialized agencies.

It may be recalled here that the Supreme Court of India had given its verdict against Punjab on November 10, annulling the Punjab Termination of Agreements Act-2004 which was passed in 2004 by the Punjab assembly. The Apex Court had said that the Punjab state assembly doesn’t possess any right to annul a two sided agreement.

Although at the behest of Punjab government, the Revenue Department of Punjab has de-notified the land, acquired for SYL-Canal, to it’s original owners.

There is still, however, panic among Punjab masses as the central government could deploy paramilitary forces at anytime, to complete the portion of SYL-Canal in Punjab.