Annual International Sikh Convention - Organised By The Sikh Federation (Uk)

[JagtarSinghKhalsa]

**JUST A FEW DAYS TO GO**

[JagtarSinghKhalsa]

**JUST A FEW DAYS TO GO**

See story at top of page 6 of the Punjabi Daily in Canada

http://www.punjabidaily.com/00print/140910.pdf

[JagtarSinghKhalsa]

There will be many actions emerging from the Annual International Sikh Convention organised by the Sikh Federation (UK) and taking place on Sunday 19 September at Guru Nanak Sikh Gurdwara, Sedgley Street, Wolverhampton.

One of these actions will be to ensure you get your MP in the UK to join the All Party Parliamentary Group for UK Sikhs when MPs return to Parliament in October.

The members that joined the group when it was re-launched at the end of July 2010 were as follows:

Labour MPs

1 Hamilton, Fabian (Lab) Leeds North East

2 Gapes, Mike (Lab) Ilford South

3 Spellar, John (Lab) Warley

4 Greenwood, Lilian (Lab) Nottingham South

5 Hopkins, Kelvin (Lab) Luton North

6 Vaz, Keith (Lab) Leicester East

7 Reynolds, Emma (Lab) Wolverhampton North East

8 Soulsby, Peter (Lab) Leicester South

9 Mactaggart, Fiona (Lab) Slough

10 Williamson, Chris (Lab) Derby North

11 Mahmood, Shabana (Lab) Birmingham, Ladywood

12 McCarthy, Kerry (Lab) Bristol East

13 Dakin, Nick (Lab) Scunthorpe

14 Cryer, John (Lab) Leyton and Wanstead

15 Mahmood, Khalid (Lab) Birmingham, Perry Barr

16 Lloyd, Tony (Lab) Manchester Central

17 Watson, Tom (Lab) West Bromwich East

18 McDonnell, John (Lab) Hayes and Harlington

19 Denham, John (Lab) Southampton, Itchen

20 Sharma, Virendra (Lab) Ealing, Southall

21 Beckett, Margaret (Lab) Derby South

22 Cunningham, Jim (Lab) Coventry South

23 Keen, Alan (Lab) Feltham and Heston

24 Hendrick, Mark (Lab) Preston

25 McFadden, Pat (Lab) Wolverhampton South East

Labour Lords

26 Lord Diljit Rana

27 Lord Greville Janner

Conservative MPs

28 Nokes, Caroline (Con) Romsey and Southampton North

29 Uppal, Paul (Con) Wolverhampton South West

30 Morgan, Nicky (Con) Loughborough

31 Holloway, Adam (Con) Gravesham

32 Hollobone, Philip (Con) Kettering

33 Scott, Lee (Con) Ilford North

34 Leslie, Charlotte (Con) Bristol North West

Liberal Democrat MPs

35 Hemming, John (LD) Birmingham, Yardley

36 George, Andrew (LD) St Ives

37 Williams, Stephen (LD) Bristol West

The target is to double the membership of the APPG for UK Sikhs by the end of October.

[JagtarSinghKhalsa]

Politicians from each of the main political parties who have been confirmed they will be speaking at the Annual International Sikh Convention at Guru Nanak Sikh Gurdwara, Sedgley Street, Wolverhampton on Sunday 19 September include:

* Lee Scott MP, Parliamentary Private Secretary to Secretary of State for Transport

He is expected to make the formal announcement for the coalition Government on issues such as respect for the dastaar at airports

* Emma Reynolds MP, Secretary of the All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for UK Sikhs

She is expected to touch upon some of the issues set out in the letter from Fabian Hamilton MP, the new Chair of the APPG for UK Sikhs on key priorities and other issues

* Shadow Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills - Rt Hon Pat McFadden MP

* William (The Earl of) Dartmouth MEP (UK Independence Party)

He is an excellent speaker. UKIP has been very supportive in Europe on Sikh identity issues given the strong Anglo-Sikh heritage. UKIP has also been prepared to challenge the Indian government on human rights issues and support self determination

* Rob Marris, the former Chair of the APPG for UK Sikhs

He has been specially invited and will be speak about leading the group for 5 years and will be given a Lifetime Achievement Award for his services to the British Sikh community – we will be revealing at the Convention the veiled 'threats' former Indian Minister Jagdish Tytler made to him when he forced him to be dropped from the delegation to visit the UK

[JagtarSinghKhalsa]

The Sikh Federation (UK) was set up in September 2003 and each year at the annual convention in September it releases a highlights booklet. This is approximately a 45 to 50-page report that sets out in some detail the activities of the organisation in the last 12 months.

To our knowledge no other Sikh organisation in the UK has since its inception provided such transparency about its activities.

Tomorrow the Sikh Federation (UK) will be releasing its 7th booklet.

The cover of the 2009-10 booklet and a message from the Chair, Bhai Amrik Singh on the back of the booklet is attached below.

Please attend the Annual International Sikh Convention tomorrow (Sunday 19 September) at Guru Nanak Sikh Gurdwara, Sedgley Street, Wolverhampton.

Booklets disappear very quickly so attend and pick up your copy of the 2009-10 booklet.

The booklet also includes some actions for the coming year where individual Sikhs can assist in on going activities and campaigns concerning:

- the 2001 Census;

- the release of Professor Davinderpal Singh Bhullar

etc.

SF 2010 Booklet_Preview.pdf

[GuruIshq]

Sikh Federation needs to do more to get the word out that these conferences are more than just about raising money especially amongst the elder community. People wanna see variation as well. Not just the same old people, same old speeches, same old imagery, same old set up as every single other year.

I think all your focus seems to be on targetting the youth which is fine. But I tell you, biggest influence - directly or indirectly - for a lot of youth, are their parents.

Just a suggestion. Oh and get off Sikh Channel as well coz its getting way too boring. A lot of youth around here - me included - call it feddies channel. You might think thats good, but trust me... it isnt.

[SikhRoots]

Photos on sikhroots.com and on our flickr account