Follow Up Actions - Worldwide Candle Lit Vigils

[JagtarSinghKhalsa]

Follow up actions - Worldwide Candle Lit Vigils

We need to increase political pressure on the Indian Government.

Sikhs in the Diaspora can best achieve this by pushing politicians where they live. MPs in the UK have reacted to the Candle Lit Vigils by tabling the Early Day Motion below:

EDM 1394 - PROFESSOR DAVINDERPAL SINGH BHULLAR

17 January 2006

That this House urges the President of India to intervene in the case of Professor Davinderpal Singh Bhullar, who was deported from Germany in 1995 contrary to Article 3 of the European Human Rights Convention and who has been facing a sentence of death in India since 2001, despite the serious doubts expressed by many, including human rights bodies and the most senior judge on the bench in his trial, about the manner in which his conviction was obtained including the use of torture; and urges the United Kingdom Government to do all it can in conjunction with the German Government and the European Union in making representations to the Indian Government to secure justice in this case.

7 UK MPs - John McDonnell, Rob Marris, Martin Caton, Derek Wyatt, Lynne Jones, Peter Bottomley and Ronnie Campbell have already signed the EDM.

Write, email, fax and ring your MP and ask him/her to sign EDM 1394 and write to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office urging them to take relevant actions in conjunction with the German Government and other members of the European Union. The EDM will remain open until November 2006.

You may wish to use tha facility www.faxyourmp.com

Note: Around 150 MPs (Government Ministers and PPSs) are unable to sign EDMs due to Parliamentary protocol.

It should be possible for Sikhs in Canada, USA and other countries to approach politicians in the countries where they live and urge their respective Governments to exert pressure on the Indian authorities.

If we all did this where we live a considerable amount of pressure could be exerted.

A Written Declaration is also to be tabled in the European Parliament with regards to Professor Davinderpal Singh Bhullar. This will enable Sikhs in the 25 Member States to urge MEPs to sign the Written Declaration when it is released. The Written Declaration will only be available to sign by MEPs for 90 days. MEPs should also be encouraged to write to their national governments and the Indian authorities.

To coincide with the additional issue raised by Sikhs protesting in Panjab MPs in the UK have also raised the following Early Day Motion:

EDM 1383 - BEHAVIOUR OF THE INDIAN POLICE

16 January 2006

That this House expresses its deep concern at the recent examples of brutal behaviour of the Indian Police in the eviction of Punjabi farmers from their farms in Kashipur in the State of Uttaranchal, in their violent attack on the protesting vegetable merchants in the old fruit market in Amritsar, and the beating to near death of Sukhvinder Singh Sukha at Phagawara; and calls upon the Government to express formally its condemnation to the Indian High Commission.

[Nirvair S Khalsa]

Admin Jee,

Benti to please put this topic as a sticky, so that we do not leave it at the Candle Virgils, but now keep the sangat aware and keep pushing all politicians to sign the EDM's.

Thanks in advance.....

Vaheguroo Jee Kaa Khalsa, Vaheguroo Jee Kee Phateh!!!

P.S. lol I just looked at the Tribune Punjab Page (http://www.tribuneindia.com/2006/20060120/punjab1.htm#1) and the headlines read "Acquitted Bhullar to get rank of DGP" and I thought OMG...no wayy...but then read on to realise it's someone else.

[anjaan]

EDM 1394 - PROFESSOR DAVINDERPAL SINGH BHULLAR

17 January 2006

That this House urges the President of India to intervene in the case of Professor Davinderpal Singh Bhullar, who was deported from Germany in 1995 contrary to Article 3 of the European Human Rights Convention and who has been facing a sentence of death in India since 2001, despite the serious doubts expressed by many, including human rights bodies and the most senior judge on the bench in his trial, about the manner in which his conviction was obtained including the use of torture; and urges the United Kingdom Government to do all it can in conjunction with the German Government and the European Union in making representations to the Indian Government to secure justice in this case.

let's pray we can do this!

and ya a sticky would be good!!!

[Heera Singh]

i was wondering, is Germany doing nething to put pressure on India?... since it WAS their mistake, they should be taking some sort of action and living up to their mistake... this is also their responsibility..

[singhni84]

Every now and then, I sit in on a class at my University called Political Action. This week, the lecturer was a woman who was an assistant to the Executive Director for Amnesty International. She spoke about the overall ineffectiveness of online petitions. They don't really procure positive results.

Everyone is using them for every cause, but online petitions are largely ineffective. It takes two seconds to add your signature but no further effort is required. Why would any government/legislative/judicial body take it seriously and be compelled to act on it? There's no pressure, nothing that shows you REALLY care. If YOU don't care, why should they? Most online signatories don't even include a real name or address to begin with.

We're becoming too reliant on these online petitions but we're effectively selling out our causes. This is why Amnesty International and others who aim for real results initiate letter-writing campaigns. It takes time to compose and mail a letter and it costs you something, but it shows more interest and dedication to a cause than just having your name appear on a list of other names, and that too only electronically.

It is a POWERFUL message when a government receives hundreds and thousands of letters from people all over the world. It may seem "old school" in the face of electronic petitions in this day and age, but the old letter is still one of the best change-inducing tools for political action.

People may have heard of a book called "Letters from a Nut". It's this guy who writes absolutely ridiculous letters to companies mostly in America, asking totally crazy questions. But because he's written a letter...a PROPER formal letter, he not only gets responses, but SERIOUS responses. His effort compells action. If we want action, we need to compell those we're presenting our causes to to care. But first, we have to show that we ourselves care.

Protests and vigils are good. We can surely do more than that though.

[Heera Singh]

I agree with bhenji... i think what we should do is get all the Gurdwara's in the cities to have a place where local sangat can sign a petition.. in toronto there's thousands of people goin to the gurdwara weekly... i'm sure most would sign the petition ... there could be announcements about what the petition is for.. this would also educate the local sangat (mostly elders) as to what is going on and what we are doing to fight the animosity... this mite also encourage them to take part in doing seva to help the cause.. this could also help organizations such as ENSAAF or FATEH raise funds needed to do projects... i think there should also be a 'presentaion' of some sort once or twice a month so people don't forget bout wha's goin on.. there's always new issues arising, so this way the sangat can be kept updated... this could also influence non-amritdhari's to maybe get on the path... i know many monay who are very passionate about the crap tha's goin on back in india... some have takin the initiative to learn more about what's goin on, how they can help, and have started comin to the gurdwara more often...

small things like this can REALLY make a difference... i think maybe COSS and Sikh Students Federation could make a really big impact on local sangat.. they have very knowledgeable people who are also brilliant speakers.. many of them are also amritdhari gursikhs... when people see amritdhari youth who are 'fighting' for the panth and tryin to help their fellow sikhs, it makes them happy.. and it makes them wanna help out too... it encourages them to take part in these sort of activities... a lot of people (mostly elders) feel that there's nothing that can be done, so they don't bother tryin to do nethin to help fix wha's goin on back in India... i've heard even my own family (aunts, uncles, grandparents) speak about the autrocities that they and their families faced years ago.. but they say 'what can you do... i's too messed up back there.. we can't do nething' etc.. etc.... people need to know that something CAN (and WILL) be done ...

btw... nebody have ne info for my previous post.. the question about Germany??

bhul chuk maaf

Vaheguru Jee Ka Khalsa, Vaheguru Jee Kee Fateh!!

[JagtarSinghKhalsa]

Follow up actions - Worldwide Candle Lit Vigils

We need to increase political pressure on the Indian Government.

Sikhs in the Diaspora can best achieve this by pushing politicians where they live.  MPs in the UK have reacted to the Candle Lit Vigils by tabling the Early Day Motion below:

EDM 1394 - PROFESSOR DAVINDERPAL SINGH BHULLAR

17 January 2006

That this House urges the President of India to intervene in the case of Professor Davinderpal Singh Bhullar, who was deported from Germany in 1995 contrary to Article 3 of the European Human Rights Convention and who has been facing a sentence of death in India since 2001, despite the serious doubts expressed by many, including human rights bodies and the most senior judge on the bench in his trial, about the manner in which his conviction was obtained including the use of torture; and urges the United Kingdom Government to do all it can in conjunction with the German Government and the European Union in making representations to the Indian Government to secure justice in this case.

7 UK MPs - John McDonnell, Rob Marris, Martin Caton, Derek Wyatt, Lynne Jones, Peter Bottomley and Ronnie Campbell have already signed the EDM.

Write, email, fax and ring your MP and ask him/her to sign EDM 1394 and write to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office urging them to take relevant actions in conjunction with the German Government and other members of the European Union.  The EDM will remain open until November 2006.

You may wish to use tha facility www.faxyourmp.com

Note: Around 150 MPs (Government Ministers and PPSs) are unable to sign EDMs due to Parliamentary protocol.

It should be possible for Sikhs in Canada, USA and other countries to approach politicians in the countries where they live and urge their respective Governments to exert pressure on the Indian authorities. 

If we all did this where we live a considerable amount of pressure could be exerted.

A Written Declaration is also to be tabled in the European Parliament with regards to Professor Davinderpal Singh Bhullar.  This will enable Sikhs in the 25 Member States to urge MEPs to sign the Written Declaration when it is released.  The Written Declaration will only be available to sign by MEPs for 90 days.  MEPs should also be encouraged to write to their national governments and the Indian authorities.

To coincide with the additional issue raised by Sikhs protesting in Panjab MPs in the UK have also raised the following Early Day Motion:

EDM 1383 - BEHAVIOUR OF THE INDIAN POLICE

16 January 2006

That this House expresses its deep concern at the recent examples of brutal behaviour of the Indian Police in the eviction of Punjabi farmers from their farms in Kashipur in the State of Uttaranchal, in their violent attack on the protesting vegetable merchants in the old fruit market in Amritsar, and the beating to near death of Sukhvinder Singh Sukha at Phagawara; and calls upon the Government to express formally its condemnation to the Indian High Commission.

147504[/snapback]

http://www.sikhsangat.com/index.php?showtopic=16588&hl=

See associated posting of India's reaction.

This should make Sikhs in the Diaspora more resolved in highlighting the injustices against the Sikhs since Indian independence and shows the lengths they are prepared to go to silence Sikhs living abroad that are peacefully and democratically campaigning for an independent sovereign Sikh State, Khalistan.

[GurSa Singh]

Waheguru Ji Ka Khalsa Waheguru Ji Ki Fateh!

There will be a Keertan Darbar tommorrow in East London following on from the candle light vigils held worldwide. Beanti to all the sangat, please try and come down. We will show some videos and will have some speakers too.

[JagtarSinghKhalsa]

Waheguru Ji Ka Khalsa Waheguru Ji Ki Fateh!

There will be a Keertan Darbar tommorrow in East London following on from the candle light vigils held worldwide. Beanti to all the sangat, please try and come down. We will show some videos and will have some speakers too.

147640[/snapback]

Please try and attend

[Tera]

It gives you the option of sending a message to my Local MP (1 listed) or my Local MEP (5 listed).

Should i send this message urging them to sign the EDM 1394 to all of them?