ARE DIASPORA SIKHS SUFFICIENTLY POLITICALLY MATURE

[JagtarSinghKhalsa]

UK SIKHS EXPECTED TO MAKE INDIA'S ANTI-SIKH ATTITUDE AN ELECTION ISSUE

The Sikh Federation (UK) are urging Sikhs across the UK in the next four weeks to not only raise issues of concern to them at a local, national and European level, but also global issues. India's attitude towards minorities, such as the Sikhs and its pressure to prevent support for issues concerning minorities living in countries such as the United States, Canada, the UK and Europe is expected to feature as an issue in the forthcoming General Election, which has just been announced for 5 May 2005.

Sikhs are being advised to highlight to UK politicians the unacceptable behaviour of India towards minorities and highlight the danger of right wing Hindu fanaticism to global stability and world peace. A Federation spokesman said: "UK politicians are to be reminded of the extremely backward reaction by Indian politicians, the Indian press and right wing Hindu extremists against minorities, such as the Sikhs and countries like the US, Canada and the UK if they are seen as providing support".

As the General Election was announced Amrik Singh, the Chair of the Sikh Federation (UK) issued a press statement saying:

"British Sikhs need to think very carefully about specific issues that are important to them. For example, issues relating to the protection and promotion of the Sikh identity and the separate recognition and monitoring of Sikhs to ensure the Sikh community in the UK receives improved public services that meet our specific needs."

"Sikhs that have been pressuring the UK Government since the last General Election on the Sikh identity and issues such as the separate recognition and monitoring of Sikhs have found that the Indian Government has been actively lobbying against the Sikhs. We must tell all UK politicians that it is unacceptable that the Indian Government is interfering in internal British matters that are denying Sikhs their legitimate rights."

A Federation spokesman who has just returned from a meeting with Sikhs in Europe has warned: "It should come as no surprise that the Indian Government is upset with Sikhs living in the US, Canada, Australia, the UK and the rest of Europe when we highlight human rights abuses perpetrated by the Indian authorities and demand our legal right to self determination. However, it will come as a huge shock to Sikhs throughout the world that India, led by Manmohan Singh, is in fact encouraging foreign Governments to create additional problems for Sikhs living abroad, concerning the Sikh identity, so our lobbying resources are deflected away from the treatment of Sikhs in India over the last 25 years."

The Federation spokesman added: "We have information from very reliable sources at the highest levels of government in the UK and in Europe which shows that India has not been trying to help Sikhs over the turban issue in France and other parts of Europe, but has behind the scenes been promoting further difficulties for Sikhs as regards the Sikh identity."

"It is understood that following 9/11 the Indian authorities decided this was an ideal opportunity to sidetrack the limited resources available to the Sikh Diaspora. The appointment of Manmohan Singh as Prime Minister added another dimension, but the ideal camouflage to push the same anti-Sikh policy. Sikhs need to become far more politically aware and wake up to the extreme tactics of the Indian regime and the depths they will sink to. Our plea is every Sikh, including those in the Indian subcontinent should remember the chilling words from 1984 of Balram Jakhar, a former Indian Cabinet Minister and Speaker of the Indian Parliament - 'To preserve the unity of India, if we have to eradicate 20 million Sikhs, we will do so'

Amrik Singh concluded the press statement by saying "It is the duty of every Sikh wherever he or she lives to recognise the grave threat we face and apply maximum political pressure to protect the Sikh Nation from all such challenges."

Gurjeet Singh

National Press Secretary

Sikh Federation (UK)