Sikhs Meet The Mayor Of London

[JagtarSinghKhalsa]

SIKH FEDERATION (UK)

www.sikhfederation.com

sikhfederationuk@yahoo.co.uk

PRESS RELEASE

Friday 22 July 2005

SIKHS MEET THE MAYOR OF LONDON AND GET DOWN TO BUSINESS

Sikh representatives have met with the Mayor of London, Ken Livingstone to discuss a range of important issues relating to the Sikh community. Informed commentators believe the meeting organised and facilitated by the Sikh Federation (UK) and the outcomes represent one of the most positive developments for British Sikhs in the last 30 years.

Ken Livingstone is probably the second most important politician in the UK after the Prime Minister and has shown by his willingness to support the Sikh community that Sikhs can work with politicians at the highest levels to secure lasting benefits for Sikhs in this country.

The Sikh Federation (UK), the first and only Sikh political party in the UK, and the Sikh Secretariat lead on Sikh issues taken up at the political and Parliamentary level. Much of the ground work for the meeting had been carried out by the Federation and Sikh Secretariat months before the meeting. The meeting was therefore businesslike and focused on reaching formal agreements surrounding several key issues.

Naturally the meeting began with a briefing on the implications for the Sikh community of the terrorist attacks in London on 7 July. It was pointed out to the Mayor that Sikhs had been extremely disappointed by the lack of acknowledgement by senior politicians for attacks on Sikhs due to their identity. Ken Livingstone's own words were repeated to highlight how Sikhs had been ignored.

The Press Release reproduced below and issued earlier today is self explanatory. The Mayor has made clear that attacks on Sikhs and their religious institutions are totally unacceptable and will not be tolerated. In the meeting he also asked the Sikh representatives taking part in the meeting to convey his apologies to Sikhs for his oversight when he gave his first interview in Singapore and did not mention Sikhs.

One of the most important announcements by the Mayor concerns his assurances and promises on separate recognition of monitoring of Sikhs. Immediately after the one-hour meeting with Sikh representatives he was to see the Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Ian Blair and promised to urge him to also separately recognise and monitor Sikhs as a separate ethnic group. The Mayor said he was also happy to make the case to the Government to change the Statutory Code of Practice relating to the Race Relations (Amendment) Act that would require all public bodies to monitor Sikhs.

At the meeting with the Mayor the Sikh Federation (UK) had the support of representatives of different Sikh organisations regarding specific issues and concerns raised. For example, Bibi Balvinder Kaur, Chair Sikhs In England and Sikh Women’s Alliance made clear their activities in support of the London Olympic bid for 2012 and opposition to the Paris bid due to restrictions on religious freedoms in France. The Sikh Federation (UK) mentioned their lobbying and letters to all IOC members with specific targeting of around 50 members. These activities were noted approvingly by the Mayor and reflected in his thanks in his Press Release.

The Mayor indicated the Olympics in London 2012 should allow him to support a major international Sikh event to be organised in the 4 year period running up to 2012. Young Sikhs (UK) who were also represented in the meeting are to set up a project team to work up a series of options with initial ideas being developed and presented at the Young Sikhs (UK) Conference at Leicester University on 20 August 2005.

In the context of hosting the first ever Sikh Identity Conference the Mayor said he would welcome a special feature in the Londoner newspaper on the Sikhs - their philosophy, history, identity and contemporary issues.

The Mayor went much further than expected on a possible legal challenge to safeguard the right to religious freedoms in France. He has instructed his staff to get a legal opinion from leading lawyers on whether he can challenge the French authorities on behalf of Londoners. For example, he indicated he was keen to look into the possibility of supporting a legal challenge by a turban wearing Sikh police officer or teacher who is currently denied by French law and practices the right to work in France without compromising his or her fundamental right to religious freedoms.

The final issue covered at the meeting was a pledge by the Mayor about those involved in genocide and human rights abuses against minorities like the Sikhs not being welcome in London and facing possible prosecution under UK law. At a time when exclusion lists are being drawn up in the UK this sends an important and clear message to the international community about what may happen to those involved in torture, disappearances and genocide of Sikhs in India. The Mayor was shocked to learn that Amnesty International and the UN Rapporteur on Torture are still denied access to Panjab and indicated his desire to visit Amritsar provided the Indian authorities do not object to his presence.

Gurmukh Singh, as the Administrative Secretary to the British Sikh Consultative Forum (BSCF) represented at the meeting the views, issues and concerns raised by diverse Sikh organisations participating in the BSCF. A specific plea was made on behalf of the Transport for London Sikh Association who continue to experience a lack of equal opportunities. A number of actions were agreed in this and in a related context that should allow Sikh representation at senior levels in decision making bodies to improve.

Gurjeet Singh

National Press Secretary

Sikh Federation (UK)

Mayor of London

News release

www.london.gov.uk

GLA/2005/ 371

Friday 22 July 2005                                             FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Mayor meets Sikh leaders

London Mayor Ken Livingstone has met with representatives of the British Sikh community. Following the meeting the Mayor issued the following statement:

'I have met with representatives of the British Sikh community and thanked them for their enthusiastic support for the successful London 2012 Olympic bid.  Sikhs helped in a number of ways to ensure the success of our bid, for which I am truly grateful.

'The Sikh community in London and indeed throughout the UK make a vital contribution to life in the capital through their hard work and honesty.  I pay tribute to the Sikh community who have been very vocal in unequivocally condemning those responsible for the terrorist atrocities committed against innocent civilians in London on 7 July and thank them for being at the forefront in paying their respects and condolences to the victims.

'Given the excellent standing of the Sikh community and their contribution, I have been appalled to hear reports of race hate crimes and assaults against Sikhs in London, other parts of the UK and in several cities in other parts of Europe.  A number of Gurdwaras have been firebombed and vandalised by a small minority of racist bigots.  I have no hesitation in condemning attacks against Sikhs and their religious institutions.  These attacks against Sikhs are totally unacceptable and those responsible will be caught and prosecuted.

'My staff have been working with representatives from the Sikh community to encourage public bodies to recognise and monitor Sikhs as a separate and distinct ethnic minority for the purposes of the Race Relations (Amendment) Act.  I have therefore agreed that the Greater London Authority, Transport for London and the London Development Agency will start to monitor the provision of public services to Sikhs as a separate ethnic group.

'I will also be actively encouraging individual London Boroughs, the Metropolitan Police and other public bodies in London to follow our lead by offering the same protection and fair treatment afforded to other ethnic minorities. 

'The meeting also touched upon my opposition to laws and practices in France and other parts of Europe that are denying Sikhs, Muslims and other faith communities the right to freely practice their religion.  The Sikh community have informed me they may persuade a turban wearing police officer working for the Metropolitan Police to launch a legal challenge against the law and practices in France as turban wearing Sikhs are prevented from working as police officers in France.  I am prepared to fully support a campaign by any Londoner who wishes to work in France who is denied his or her fundamental right to religious freedoms.

'I am aware the French law not only deprives Sikh children the right to education while at the same time practising their faith, but also impacts on Sikh public employees.  In France, Sikhs with turbans are being denied IDs wearing their turbans, they are unable to take up "public sector" jobs, such as, lecture at university or become police officers, teachers, and so on.  The law in France prevents Sikhs in the EU from freely working there and is a clear breach of one of the fundamentals of the 1957 Treaty of Rome that established the freedom of movement of labour.

'Given the challenges faced by the Sikh community I have agreed to host the first ever Sikh Identity Conference, which I hope can be arranged later this year.  I will be inviting Government Ministers and senior policy makers across the public sector to take part in the conference that is designed to increase awareness and understanding of the Sikh identity and the importance of recognising and separately monitoring Sikhs.

'My meeting with the Sikh community also covered the visit to London of those involved in genocide and human rights abuses against minorities like the Sikhs.  I would like to make it totally clear that those involved in torture, disappearances, and genocide are not welcome in London. The conviction this week of Faryadi Zardad in London should send a message across the world to those involved in human rights abuses that the UK authorities will take firm action against those involved in torture.' ENDS

MEDIA ENQUIRIES: Press information is available from Ben McKnight on 020 7983 4071 / 07881 501 920 (numbers not for publication)

GENERAL PUBLIC/NON-MEDIA ENQUIRIES: Call the Public Liaison Unit at the Greater London Authority on 020 7983 4100

DUTY PRESS OFFICER: For out-of-hours media enquiries, please call 020 7983 4000

[JagtarSinghKhalsa]

Thank you for putting it on SS News.

The Indian press are just waking up to the full implications of yesterday's meeting.

[Ranz_Killa]

[JagtarSinghKhalsa]

London mayor meets Khalistanis, wants to visit Punjab

By Dipankar De Sarkar, London : London Mayor Ken Livingstone said he wants to visit Amritsar after a group of British Sikhs, including supporters of Khalistan, told him of alleged human rights violations in Punjab.

Representatives of the British Sikh community who met him Friday said the mayor was "shocked" to learn that Amnesty International and the UN Rapporteur on Torture are denied access to Punjab.

The meeting was held in the backdrop of attacks on gurdwaras in Britain following the July 7 terror bombings in London - part of a backlash whose racist perpetrators Livingstone said must be caught and punished.

Members of the pro-Khalistani Sikh Federation, who attended the meeting, said in a statement Saturday that Livingstone "indicated his desire to visit Amritisar provided the Indian authorities do not object to his presence".

Federation spokesman Jagtar Singh described the meeting as "one of the most positive developments for the British Sikh community in the last 30 years" and said it was also attended by members of the Sikh Secretariat, a group of professionals who include people who do not support the demand for Khalistan.

Separately, Livingstone also said that those involved in human rights abuses against Sikhs were not welcome in London.

Friday's meeting, he said, covered "the visit to London of those involved in genocide and human rights abuses against minorities like the Sikhs".

"I would like to make it totally clear that those involved in torture, disappearances, and genocide are not welcome in London," Livingstone said, adding that the conviction this week of Afghan warlord Faryadi Zardad in London should send a message across the world to those involved in human rights abuses that the British authorities will take firm action against those involved in torture.

A London court sentenced Zardad, who lives in south London, to 20 years in prison after finding him guilty of torture and hostage-taking.

Jagtar Singh said the issue was raised in the context of a visit to London by some years ago of Indian police officers who included "specific individuals who have court cases pending against them in India."

He said he will host - probably later this year - the first ever Sikh Identity Conference "to increase awareness and understanding of the Sikh identity and the importance of recognising and separately monitoring Sikhs".

Sikhs - along with Jews - have been recognised as a separate racial group in Britain since 1983, when the House of Lords ruled in favour of a Sikh man whose son was being told by his school not to wear a turban to school.

The British government is now bringing in a separate law that will outlaw discrimination against all religious groups, not just Sikhs and Jews.

IANS

[indian press, puts its own spin on the story]

[Singh_Shiromani]

Well Done Sikh Feds, carry on with the superb work your doing!

[amorphous_singh]

A bit later than I had planned due to activities elsewhere - but here goes. A few more pictures from the meeting with the Mayor.

The Sikh delegation outside City Hall prior to the meeting.

Surely there're not having a discussion about the appropriate footwear to wear to such a meeting.

Actually thats exactly what there're doing :-)

No sandals were harmed in the making of this very significant and positive development with the Mayor.

[amorphous_singh]

Group shot of delegation; kindly taken by a passing American tourist!

[amorphous_singh]

The Mayor has the most amazing view right over Tower Bridge.

This shot is taken from his office window - and he didnt even think it was a cheeky request :-)

[incidently higher resolution versions of all of the above are available on request - just in case; these ones are reduced to 640x480 to save on image size]

[amorphous_singh]

After the conclusion of a very succesful meeting. Hey how come the others are walking so fast! Thats them in the distance.