Worldwide Day Of Protest

[JagtarSinghKhalsa]

Please make sure Candle Light Vigils are mentioned at as many Gurdwaras as possible.

Find out about your nearest vigil.

[JagtarSinghKhalsa]

Kashipur incident a bad oven for Punjabi and Sikh farmers

It needs a permanent solution along with Constitutional guarantee

It was way back in 1998 when the International Human Rights Organisation (IHRO) had asked the Shiromani Akali Dal (Badal) to withdraw its support to the Vajpayee government, in case it did not exclude Udham Singh Nagar district from the proposed Uttaranchal state, while  suggesting the Centre to legislate Udham Singh Nagar district and its adjoining Terai areas, included in Rampur, Pilibhit, Shahjahanpur, Lakhimpur Kheri districts of UP, as a union territory where minorities, including the Sikhs, could live peacefully and feel safe as they have been facing various troubles during the past. The IHRO had also urged in a letter to Atal Behari Vajpayee to exclude Udham Singh Nagar from the proposed Uttaranchal Pradesh. This, the IHRO had said, would definitely promote the integrity of the BJP, otherwise bracketed communal and extreme right-winger party by many people and political groups. But this suggestion fell on their deaf years. Not only that, its coalition partner SAD (Badal) clandestinely connived with BJP leadership, whose brainchild was Uttaranchal state, in their “mission” and ditched the Sikh and Punjabi farmers. It needs no elaboration, and that was the reason why Parkash Singh Badal had sold his land from near Bazpur in Udham Singh Nagar, now included in Uttaranchal Pradesh. Thus, Badal betrayed the farmers of that area just to please the BJP leadership for his personal and political gains. 

Now the eviction of Punjabi and Sikh farmers from about 1200 acres of farmland near Kashipur, declared surplus, following a Supreme Court order, has flared up into a bristly issue.  It has opened up underlying wounds for residents, who originally did not favour joining Uttaranchal when the state was carved out of Uttar Pradesh five years ago. The Supreme Court had delivered its judgment last year. It had held that the said land was ceiling surplus and asked the Uttaranchal government to get it vacated from M/s Escorts Farms Ltd. Factually, this land was taken over by about 250 Punjabi families over 30 years ago when it was declared Ceiling Surplus by the Commissioner. At a rally in held at Kashipur, Harbhajan Singh Cheema, MLA, has said, “When the state was formed we accepted our fate and even announced that we are one state but the eviction has betrayed us.” Protests were held by Sikh and Punjabi youth who blocked roads and held up trains over the weekend. They also protested the ban on the Nagar Kirtan procession that was held on Guru Gobind Singh’s Parkash Purab. The agitating leaders said it was not just an issue of Sikh farmers but of the entire Terai region. “Such an action is what we had feared five years ago,” thundered a former MP, B S Bhunder, while reminding the audience that the sacrifice of Sikh farmers had been forgotten when they turned the jungles of Terai into money-spinning crop-growing lands.

Simranjit Singh Mann, President Shiromani Akali Dal (Amritsar), condemned the recent tragic incidents, which took place in the state of Uttaranchal. Mann asked the Centre Government to intervene in this matter and help the Sikh farmers. He asserted that the atrocities committed against Sikh in Kashipur were preplanned. Whereas this event caused many to loose their properties, including houses and businesses, many were left physically injured. Simranjit Singh Mann also expressed grief that the current Punjab Chief Minister, Amarinder Singh, has failed to do anything for the betterment of the Sikh community of Uttaranchal.

Though many organizations have sent commissions to investigate this matter, very little substantial actions have been taken so far to help the troubled Sikhs. Some have been noted as using this incident as a tool for political gain while others use it as an occasion to cast blame on the Congress party. The controversy over eviction, seemed ended on January 9, following a compromise thrashed out at an emergency high-level meeting. Officials of the Uttaranchal Government, an 11-member Bharti Kisan Union delegation and BJP MLAs of the area, along with Punjab Congress men, tried to sort out the matter. That all evicted families, irrespective of the size of their land holdings, would be given compensation. The same was agreed upon by the Uttaranchal Chief Minister. Earlier the Uttaranchal Government had offered 3.5 acres to farmers with land holding of less than 5 acres. These were just 103 families while the affected families were 251 in number. Another 39 people had built houses. Under the compromise formula, all married members of a land-owning family would get 3.5 acres each. The 39 people whose houses were demolished would get actual compensation. The meeting had been convened after the chief of the BKU, Mohinder Singh Tikait threatened to forcibly take possession of 1200 acres and hand it over to the farmers.

This formula did not work well with the affected people. They rejected the compromise as conspiracy to ditch the rest of the farming community in future. During this resentment, the Punjab Rights Forum (PRF) decided to standby the affected families and held an emergency meeting of its constituents on Thursday at Circuit House, Ludhiana. The meeting was attended by SAD (A) president SS Mann, SAD (Longowal) president Prem Singh Chandumajra, SKD chief Bhai Daljit Singh, BKU leaders Pishora Singh and Balbir Singh Rajewal, besides representatives of human rights groups and other social organisations, including Damdami Taksal. The PRF has decided to protest against the eviction on January 17 at all district headquarters in Punjab. A team of PRF high command will visit Kashipur, meet affected people and decide the next course of action there and then. Meanwhile, the high profile team of the Rights Forum will meet Uttaranchal chief minister and Governor to suggest ways and means in order to give justice to the farming community. Let us all express our sympathy and solidity with the uprooted farmers and make efforts to reach at logical conclusion of the matter that needs a permanent solution with constitutional guarantee.

D S Gill

Chair IHRO

Note: The protests on January 17 at all district headquarters in Punjab will be co-ordinated with the Worldwide Candle Light Vigils.

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Rights Forum announces plan for Kashipur Sikhs

Express News Service

Ludhiana, January 12: The Punjab Rights Forum has announced its plan of action for the Kashipur Sikhs. According to the plan, a deputation of the Forum to be led by Surinderpal Singh of Shiromani Khalsa Dal will leave for Kashipur on January 17 to assess the situation. On January 19, a high-profile delegation of the Forum will meet the Governor and the Chief Minister of Uttaranchal.

The press meet was addressed by Simranjeet Singh Mann, president, Shiromani Akali Dal (Amritsar). Also present were Charanjit Singh Lohara, district president, SAD (A); Prof Jagmohan Singh, general secretary, SAD (A); Daljit Singh Khalsa, president, Shiromani Khalsa Dal; Kanwarpal Singh Bittu, general secretary, Khalsa Dal; Daljit Singh, vice-president, Khalsa Dal; Mandhir Singh, president, Sikh Students Federation; Pichhora Singh, president BKU (Ekta); Rajinder Singh, Shiromani Khalsa Panchayat; D.S. Gill, convener, International Human Rights Organisation; Jagjit Singh Chouhan, president, Khalsa Raj Party; Prem Singh Chandumajra, president SAD (Longowal); Balbir Singh Rajewal, BKU (Ekta); and Justice A.S. Bains (retired), chairperson, Punjab Rights Forum.

Addressing the gathering Mann said, ‘‘Sikhs have not been able to forget the Partition, Sikh riots of 1984 and now this has happened. For this, Parkash Singh Badal has to share the major part of the blame for it was during his term as chief minister that he allowed the transfer of Udham Singh Nagar from Uttar Pradesh to Uttaranchal.’’

The leaders also rejected the offer of the Uttaranchal government to give three and a half acres of land each to the displaced families. ‘‘We demand that the Land Ceiling Act should not be implemented and that till the time we are able to find out an amicable solution to this problem, it should remain as such,’’ said Prof Jagmohan Singh, who said that on January 17, the Forum will hold protest rallies at all district headquarters to demand respite for Kashipur Sikhs, release of the Sikh boys detained in jails and abolishing the death penalty.

[JagtarSinghKhalsa]

UK CANDLE LIGHT VIGILS - FORMAT

SIMPLE

1. Light candles - encourage non-Sikhs to light candles

2. Handout pre-printed postcards to non-Sikhs

It was suggested back in early December that for each vigil you have a banner

'Release Sikh political prisoners and end the death penalty in India'

and placards that read:

'Light a candle to show the importance of life, freedom and your opposition to the death penalty'

Additional banners or placards should be appropriately worded.

Note: It is important the local media is invited and cover the vigil in the local press, on local radio and if possible regional television. The Press Release at the following link can be used.

http://www.sawaddinews.com/17jan.html

Nothing more is required.

OTHER OPTIONS

Some may have made arrangements for speeches, simran and a sound system.

If any MP, MEP or prominent non-Sikh attends they may be asked to speak on Professor Davinderpal Singh Bhullar, the release of Sikh political prisoners or an end to the death penalty in India.

If speakers from the Sikh community are necessary they should keep things short, relevant and to the point.

At the end someone should also thank all those that have attended.

Some may also have made arrangements for refreshments.

[JagtarSinghKhalsa]

wat abut Coventry???

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Heard today that

COVENTRY is now on . . .

Still waiting for details.

Believe it will be outside the Coventry Town/City Hall between 5-7pm.

For further information contact: Bhai Satnam Singh 07868 757987

[Young Sikhs UK Birmingham]

Would anybody have any spare banners or placards for Birmingham??? PLEASE??? :'(

Please contact on 07751 843 742 if you have! Thanks alot!

[Khalsa Fauji]

Gurfateh!!

Im sure i read that theres 1 planned for reading, is there???

Gurfateh!!

[veerkhalsa]

Gurfateh!!

Im sure i read that theres 1 planned for reading, is there???

Gurfateh!!

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Nearest Vigil organised to Reading is SLOUGH between 5-7pm outside QueensMere Shopping Centre in Town Centre

[veerkhalsa]

Waheguru Ji Ka Khalsa

Waheguru Ji Ki Fateh

Just a small request, please take photos during the Vigil and email them to sikhfederationuk@yahoo.co.uk with details town/city and country

Thanks

Waheguru Ji Ka Khalsa

Waheguru Ji Ki Fateh

[Young Sikhs UK Birmingham]

URGENT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! HELP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Would anybody have any spare banners or placards for Birmingham??? PLEASE???

Please contact on 07751 843 742 if you have! Thanks alot!

[JagtarSinghKhalsa]

URGENT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! HELP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Would anybody have any spare banners or placards for Birmingham??? PLEASE??? 

Please contact on 07751 843 742 if you have! Thanks alot!

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Can someone pick up from Bedford tonight or tomorrow, ifi so contact Harjinder Singh 07845 139136.