Which Political Party In The Uk Is More Sympathetic To Sikh Issues?

[mschatha]

Good Evening

In your opinion, which political party do you think is more sympathetic to sikh issues?

Please can you also give a reason(s) for your answer(s).

Thanks in advance for your response(s).

[VanHelsingh]

It might help if the political parties were made aware of Sikh issues!

I've seen Singhs in red turbans supporting Labour as well as Singhs in blue turbans supporting the Conversatives. I doubt they've had the audacity to raise Sikh issues with anyone in their respective parties.

But good point. It's about time Sikhs with concern for the Panth began highlighting Sikh causes and issues instead of cosying up to party members and leaders without any gain for us in any way.

[mschatha]

Hi Kaljugi

Many thanks for your repuy.

However, In your opinion, which UK political party do you think is more sympathetic to sikh issues?

Thanks

[VanHelsingh]

If you'd asked me this question 20 years ago (impossible as I was still in primary school but you know what I mean) I'd have said the Labour party. They were considered the working man's party and were dealing with socialist issues that are traditionally kryptonite to the Tories.

SInce the rise of Tony Blair and his policy of making Labour electable by turning them into Tories in everything but name and image, NONE of the political parties will ever put themselves out for Sikhs. They WILL make the right the noises and try to get us on-side when they visit our Gurughars when there's an election around the corner, but when push comes to shove I don't see any one from any of the parties standing up in Parliament and raising Sikh issues.

Why? Because any Sikh dilemma which needs a solution will automatically put the person asking the question in direct opposition to the Indian government. Why does the British government not want to oppose or question the Indian government? For the same reasons it doesn't like questioning the Saudi Arabians or the Chinese.

As for your question, I'd say there's pockets of sympathy here or there for Sikh issues, but again, not on the scale that would mean our problems were taken on-board and acted upon. Also do you mean Sikh issues in this country or back home in Panjab?

[West London Singh]

This is actually a very good question. I'm surprised the thread has seen little participation and activity. All things considered, I will say the Conservative Party is more sympathetic to the Sikh cause than the Labour Party.

Its a difficult question to answer. Depends on the individual MP. The general rule is that if the local MP is a Labour man or woman who is one of these things : Musilim or very left wing or black...he or she will be willing to listen to Sikh concerns and will be willing to speak up for the Sikhs. However, as evidenced by what the Labour Party has done in the last 5 years in the 2 neighbouring west london constituencies of Hounslow and Southall, which, added together, provide the largest numerical number of Sikhs in the entire country. In both these constituencies, after the death of the sitting MP, the Labour Party have shown their total, 100% unwillingless to select a Sikh MP to stand in what are largely Sikh constituencies. In both constituencies, even though the longest serving councillors and largest number of official candidates were Sikhs, the Labour Party decided to by-pass traditional routes of selection and impose a Hindu Punjabi candidate on the elecorate. It goes without saying that the Sikh electorate in London thus get more aympathy for Sikh issues from their BNP councillor than they do from their 2 Hindu MP's. Our only saving grace in London is down to continous pure luck when it comes to the Mayor, i.e Ken being a left wing renegade whose conscience cannot be whipped by the whips at Westminster and Boris Johnson through the fact that Sikhism runs in the family via his wife's side.

The Conservative Party, on the other hand, and its MP's, are very aware and very supportive of the statistics in this country that show the Sikhs as the nation's most patriotic people, the Sikh stats of home ownership and hard work, and the Sikh links to the British Army. In fact...our proud British Army link is not only our biggest weapon when garnishing support. However, there are among our community, large sections of the youth that are very vocal about rubbishing those links and rubbishing the special bond with the British. These Sikhs (who I would say are now the majority among the youngsters) are basically killing and destroying the one thing that gets us support among the masses.

One of our greatest weapons, when looking for support, is of course Sir Winston Churchill's passionate speech about the respect the nation owes to the Sikhs. The man is a hero of all Conservatives and invoking his name and message is always handy when looking for support from an MP.

So, in conclusion then, I would say at the moment it is the Conservatives who are more our friend. However, if young Sikhs carry on with this suicide policy of rubbishing the proud links with the Army and the union jack, we will soon be left with no friend and supporter at all.

[chatanga]

the SIkh Federation(UK) is the political party that is more sympathetic to sikh issues.

[dalsingh101]

This is actually a very good question. I'm surprised the thread has seen little participation and activity. All things considered, I will say the Conservative Party is more sympathetic to the Sikh cause than the Labour Party.

Personally I think we should face up to the fact that in reality none of them really give a hoot about Sikh political issues when it comes to Panjab itself.

You say the Tories are sympathetic, but notice how when the whole K'stan issue was going on and human rights abuses were rampant in Panjab (during Thatchers era no less), none of them really gave a toss about it.

If anyone, it was pressure via the Clinton administration in the US that helped put India on the spot.

Like I said truth is that no political party really considers Sikh political self expression in India as important. With the way the west has latched onto the rising economy of India today, they aren't likely to jeopardise potentially, lucrative markets for the sake of a minority today - especially giving the way the western economy seems to have gone belly up recently.

[VanHelsingh]

One of our greatest weapons, when looking for support, is of course Sir Winston Churchill's passionate speech about the respect the nation owes to the Sikhs. The man is a hero of all Conservatives and invoking his name and message is always handy when looking for support from an MP.

I've read on various comment pages on the websites of The Guardian & Daily Mail over the years, and under general articles about Sikh issues in England and back home, in the comments of many of these articles there seems to be a concerted effort by - I won't say Hindus but I'm guessing some of it might be - to undermine the rights of Sikhs to wear turbans and kirpans and basically undermining the efforts of our forefathers and our historical relationship with the British.

Comments such as "Why do Sikhs always pull out the chestnut about fighting for the British as if that should somehow mean they are immune to British law when it comes to head-coverings / kirpan. Many other races and religions from the Indian sub-continent fought alongside the Allies and they aren't getting preferential treatment"....and so on.

Then you'll get the average English nob-head chiming in and agreeing with this kind of crap. So WLS you credit the general population a bit too much for their knowledge of their own history, nevermind the contribution made by Sikhs to the success of the British war effort.

The sad fact is many English people simply don't care anymore. They see Asians as one, not as unique and distinct sub-groups. There was a survey last year and it was revealed that some English youngsters think Winston Churchill is the dog from the Churchill insurance adverts. So to hold out hope that these ignorant and bigoted sections of English society will support our cause is inaccurate.

I know you'll say that we should be targetting MPs and not bothering about the general populace, and that's fine but I would say it's impossible to find a modern-day MP who will diverge from the party line. If Cameron decries that no criticism (implied or not) of India should be made no matter what, no MP hoping to climb the ladder of Westminster will dare speak up for Sikhs.

Then should we look at getting a Sikh MP into Parliament? You've seen the likes of Baroness Warsi and the fella who was a prominent MP under Blair's regime (can't remember his name but he was from Yorkshire) and they were painfully following their relevant party policy because it was in the interests of their career and to show a united front for their respective party. I can't imagine a Sikh with the balls to question his own party will ever get far in British politics.

[dalsingh101]

The Conservative Party, on the other hand, and its MP's, are very aware and very supportive of the statistics in this country that show the Sikhs as the nation's most patriotic people, the Sikh stats of home ownership and hard work, and the Sikh links to the British Army. In fact...our proud British Army link is not only our biggest weapon when garnishing support. However, there are among our community, large sections of the youth that are very vocal about rubbishing those links and rubbishing the special bond with the British. These Sikhs (who I would say are now the majority among the youngsters) are basically killing and destroying the one thing that gets us support among the masses.

The problem with what you say is that harking back to the colonial period like it was a blessing makes us look weak and docile. If many apnay fought for the Brits, many also fought against British subjugation - people like Udham SIngh, Bhai Randhir Singh, Bhagat Singh, Sarabha, the Ghadrittes etc - people we remember even today. So what you are saying isn't as black and white as you might like it. Plus frankly, in my experience, many of those who like to rinse out (ਨਿਚੋੜ) the colonial Sikh sepoy experience are commonly the most cringe worthy, sycophantic people about. This is the time (as ever) for independent mindedness, not a ghulaam mentality - towards ANYONE. Psychologically speaking having a subjugated mindset towards ANY people only makes us sheeplike.

For all the rhetoric about the Sikh colonised experience, many liberties were taken by the British that do not get explored as they should. The British introduced false prophecies regarding their rule amongst Sikhs, they cleverly inserted a vow of loyalty towards a British monarch in the Amrit sanskar ceremony - a gross corruption. They tried to turn the practical, weaponry of a Khalsa soldier into harmless, pacifist symbolism. The only strain of Sikh warrior identity they were happy to patronise was one that was subverted purely for their own economic and imperial agenda/objectives - not for the wider well being of our people. They introduced poisonous communalism amongst Panjabis, and then quietly walked off whilst we slaughtered each other, blaming us and totally ignoring their own contribution to what happened - till this day.

The stark and obvious political reality brothers need to grasp is that when we are useful, clever communities will cosy up to us to essentially use us for their own purpose. But once we have fulfilled this purpose we are frequently left to our own devices and none of these so-called 'allies' lift a finger or even open their mouths, when it comes to our own hour of need. Brits have learned that Sikhs (ESPECIALLY Jat Sikhs) can be prey to flattery, like an attention craving, naive 16 year old girl. Our lot need to stop being so easily manipulable by outsiders in that way. Having a fawning, childishly nostalgic view of being colonised only serves to help perpetuate the ghulaam mentality too many Singhs have today. We need a more balanced, and infinitely more fiercely independent appraisal of our role in the globe that doesn't box us as some 'western imperialism storm trooper' icon. Given the poorly thought out, not to mention highly dubious and morally questionable wars Brits have jumped into like imbeciles in recent times, brothers might want to think twice about latching their wagons to these peoples' causes.

One of our greatest weapons, when looking for support, is of course Sir Winston Churchill's passionate speech about the respect the nation owes to the Sikhs. The man is a hero of all Conservatives and invoking his name and message is always handy when looking for support from an MP.

See how long that is going to last in a rapidly changing global world. All things said and done, we need to be observing and making moves in the new world, and the emerging world economies, rather than clinging onto a rapidly declining, morally (and literally) tiny country which clings on to their past reputations in the most unhealthy way. With technology today, we need to be thinking globally, creatively and towards our own agenda - not others.

In any case, start advocating for an independent Sikh state and see how quickly these 'friends' of ours will consider you some fundamentalist, extremist - with friends like these who needs ....etc. etc. etc.

Need to look forward towards our freedom and growth, not backwards towards a period of subjugation. If anything we need to learn the lessons about why we were conquered and make sure such a thing can never happen again in future.

[RebelSingh]

@WestLondonSingh

So, in conclusion then, I would say at the moment it is the Conservatives who are more our friend. However, if young Sikhs carry on with this suicide policy of rubbishing the proud links with the Army and the union jack, we will soon be left with no friend and supporter at all.

hey bro, u and i have had sum gud conversations in the past, but me and u have disagreed on the whole loyalty/british-sikh relationship etc before, and now too. i am indeed one of those who rubbishes our link with brits too.

Then should we look at getting a Sikh MP into Parliament? You've seen the likes of Baroness Warsi and the fella who was a prominent MP under Blair's regime (can't remember his name but he was from Yorkshire) and they were painfully following their relevant party policy because it was in the interests of their career and to show a united front for their respective party. I can't imagine a Sikh with the balls to question his own party will ever get far in British politics.

also i reckon minority bum-lickers like george galloway (who is THE definition of a bum-licker by the way) are the types of person who can make a/if any difference for minorities. This is a man who has dun everything from learnin bangali/islamic phrases to try and get votes in tower hamlets (E.London) with a pathetic party (green party), and actually won elections in bethnal green. He has also recenty now won the elections in bradford west (muslim majority AGAIN), ironically he defeated marsha singh!

these r the types of ppl we need, he has voiced his anger at wars on 'terror', as war on 'islam' etc, and predictably, he has won over the sullahs. after 7/7 bombings he condemned the london bombers, but said this was expected and muslims r the real victims over the world etc. open comments like that, wud please any muslim tbh.

theres a wolverhampton mp whos scottish, and has appeared on sikh channel many times,and has gone 2 panjab more times than i have!! he recently voiced his disgust over the whole rajoana/human rights case with sikhs in india, but he dusnt sadly have the appeal that galloway has.

wat do u guys think?