SIKH FEDERATION (UK) RAISE OPPOSITION TO DEATH PENALTY WITH UK PRIME MINISTER BEFORE HIS VISIT TO INDIA NEXT WEEK AND LAUNCH INTERNATIONAL LOBBY

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SIKH FEDERATION (UK) RAISE OPPOSITION TO DEATH PENALTY WITH PRIME MINISTER, DAVID CAMERON BEFORE HIS VISIT TO INDIA NEXT WEEK AND LAUNCH MASSIVE INTERNATIONAL LOBBY

12 February 2013

The Sikh Federation (UK) has written to UK Prime Minister, David Cameron ahead of his planned visit to India next week.

The letter and other communications by the Sikh Federation (UK) with Ministers at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office have urged David Cameron to raise UK and EU opposition to the death penalty in India.

The opposition to the death penalty has also been raised with French President, Francois Hollande who will be visiting Delhi on February 14-15. This visit will be followed by David Cameron who is also expected to pay his respects at the Harmander Sahib Complex in Amritsar.

Bhai Amrik Singh, Chair of the Sikh Federation (UK) said:

The UK and France are two of the five Permanent Members of the United Nations Security Council opposed to the death penalty. They are expected to voice their concerns in person with the Indian authorities about the worrying and backward trend of the reintroduction of hangings with two in the last three months.

The letter from Bhai Amrik Singh, Chair of the Sikh Federation (UK), to David Cameron states:

The British Sikh community along with many others were alarmed to learn about the latest hanging in India on Saturday. That makes it two hangings in three months and there are worrying signs India has permanently moved backwards as regards the abolition of the death penalty.

The latest hanging is highly provocative and suggests India is signalling a challenge to over 110 nations, including all EU countries, which have rightly turned their back on the barbaric use of the death penalty.

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office has had much correspondence from MPs representing the Sikh community about the plight of Balwant Singh Rajoana and Professor Davinderpal Singh Bhullar in recent years and we fear the politics in India at the present time will mean they could easily go to the gallows in the next few weeks.

We understand you will be in India next week and are also likely to visit the Harmander Sahib (Golden Temple) Complex and sincerely hope you will not shy away from publicly condemning India for carrying out two hangings in the last three months and urge them to immediately reinstate the moratorium against the death penalty.

In addition, the Sikh Federation (UK) has written to Baroness Stern as Chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group for the Abolition of the Death Penalty and communicated with Fabian Hamilton MP, Chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group for UK Sikhs urging them to also write to David Cameron.

Khalsa Human Rights, the human rights wing of the Sikh Federation (UK) has also issued a letter that can be sent to MPs and MEPs to try and stop the imminent hanging of Professor Davinderpal Singh Bhullar and Balwant Singh Rajoana. Gurdwaras have been urged to get Sangat to sign these letters in large numbers as soon as possible and send to MPs. The Sikh Federation (UK) has also set in motion activities at the European Parliament in Brussels and at the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva.

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Please use the word version of the letter if you wish to email your MP. This would be helpful given David Cameron will be going to India next week.

Please use the PDF version to print for local members of the Sangat to complete.

KHR Standard letter for UK Sangat re Bhullar & Rajoana.doc

KHR Standard letter for UK Sangat re Bhullar & Rajoana.pdf

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When you have emailed your MP. Please note on Sikh Sangat the name of the MP you have written to and the date you sent the email.

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12 February 2013

Fiona Mactaggart, Slough

Dominic Grieve, Beaconsfield

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12 February 2013

Fiona Mactaggart, Slough

Dominic Grieve, Beaconsfield

Other MPs sent emails yesterday to contact the UK Prime Minister before he leaves for India include:

Fabian Hamilton, Leeds

Margarett Beckett, Derby South

Chris Williamson, Derby North

Heather Wheeler, South Derbyshire

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Please use the word version of the letter if you wish to email your MP. This would be helpful given David Cameron will be going to India next week.

Please use the PDF version to print for local members of the Sangat to complete.

Monitoring of downloads in the next 48 hours will say much about those on the Sikh Sangat forum in the UK and if they are prepared to take around 5 minutes to write to their MP to help Professor Daviderpal Singh Bhullar and Balwant Singh Rajoana.

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13 February

Mike Gapes MP, Ilford South

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Monitoring of downloads in the next 48 hours will say much about those on the Sikh Sangat forum in the UK and if they are prepared to take around 5 minutes to write to their MP to help Professor Daviderpal Singh Bhullar and Balwant Singh Rajoana.

It has been reported David Cameron will be in India on 18 and 19 February so we need to contact UK MPs as soon as possible so they can put pressure on him.

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13 February

Mike Gapes MP, Ilford South

13 February

Chris White, Warwick and Leamington has been confirmed.

Still very few downloads suggesting Sikhs in the UK on Sikh Sangat are happy to leave it to others to take out 5 minutes to write to their MP even when Sikh lives are at stake.

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http://www.sikhsiyasat.net/2013/02/14/uk-sikh-body-raised-concerns-over-death-penalty-with-uk-pm-before-his-visit-to-india-massive-intl-lobby-launched/

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ਬਰਤਾਨਵੀ ਪ੍ਰਧਾਨ ਮੰਤਰੀ ਨੂੰ ਸਿੱਖਾਂ ਨੇ ਲਿਖਿਆ ਪੱਤਰ

ਭਾਰਤ 'ਚੋਂ ਫਾਂਸੀ ਦੀ ਸਜ਼ਾ ਖ਼ਤਮ ਕਰਵਾਉਣ ਦੇ ਮੁੱਦੇ 'ਤੇ ਭਾਰਤ ਨੂੰ ਰਾਜੀ ਕਰਨ ਦੀ ਕੀਤੀ ਮੰਗ

ਲੰਡਨ, 13 ਫਰਵਰੀ (ਮਨਪ੍ਰੀਤ ਸਿੰਘ ਬੱਧਨੀ ਕਲਾਂ)-ਅਗਲੇ ਹਫਤੇ ਬਰਤਾਨਵੀ ਪ੍ਰਧਾਨ ਮੰਤਰੀ ਡੇਵਿਡ ਕੈਮਰੂਨ ਦੀ ਭਾਰਤ ਫੇਰੀ ਸਬੰਧੀ ਸਿੱਖ ਫੈਡਰੇਸ਼ਨ ਯੂ. ਕੇ. ਨੇ ਇੱਕ ਪੱਤਰ ਲਿਖ ਕੇ ਘੱਟ ਗਿਣਤੀ ਕੌਮਾਂ ਦੀ ਭਾਰਤ ਅੰਦਰ ਸੁਰੱਖਿਆ 'ਤੇ ਚਿੰਤਾ ਦਾ ਪ੍ਰਗਟਾਵਾ ਕਰਦਿਆਂ ਭਾਰਤ ਸਰਕਾਰ ਕੋਲੋਂ ਫਾਂਸੀ ਦੀ ਸਜ਼ਾ ਖ਼ਤਮ ਕਰਵਾਉਣ ਦੀ ਮੰਗ 'ਤੇ ਜ਼ੋਰ ਦੇਣ ਲਈ ਕਿਹਾ | ਭਾਈ ਅਮਰੀਕ ਸਿੰਘ ਗਿੱਲ ਨੇ ਗੱਲਬਾਤ ਕਰਦਿਆ ਕਿਹਾ ਕਿ ਬਰਤਾਨੀਆ, ਫਰਾਂਸ ਯੂ. ਐਨ. ਓ. ਦੇ ਪੰਜ ਸਥਾਈ ਮੈਂਬਰਾਂ 'ਚੋਂ ਹਨ ਜਿਹੜੇ ਫਾਂਸੀ ਦੀ ਸਜ਼ਾ ਦੇ ਖਿਲਾਫ ਹਨ | ਉਨ੍ਹਾਂ ਕਿਹਾ ਕਿ ਭਾਰਤ 'ਚ ਚੁੱਪ ਚਪੀਤੇ ਫਾਂਸੀ ਦੇਣ ਦੇ ਦੋ ਮਾਮਲੇ ਹੁਣੇ ਜਿਹੇ ਸਾਹਮਣੇ ਆਏ ਹਨ, ਜਿਸ ਕਾਰਨ ਸਿੱਖ ਭਾਰੀ ਚਿੰਤਤ ਹਨ, ਕਿ ਕਿਤੇ ਇਸੇ ਤਰਜ਼ 'ਤੇ ਭਾਈ ਬਲਵੰਤ ਸਿੰਘ ਰਾਜੋਆਣਾ, ਪ੍ਰੋ. ਦਵਿੰਦਰਪਾਲ ਸਿੰਘ ਭੁੱਲਰ, ਭਾਈ ਜਗਤਾਰ ਸਿੰਘ ਹਵਾਰਾ ਤੇ ਹੋਰ ਸਿੱਖਾਂ ਨੂੰ ਵੀ ਫਾਂਸੀ ਤੇ ਨਾ ਲਟਕਾ ਦਿੱਤਾ ਜਾਵੇ | ਸਿੱਖ ਫੈਡਰੇਸ਼ਨ ਵੱਲੋਂ ਆਲ ਪਾਰਟੀ ਪਾਰਲੀਮੈਂਟਰੀ ਗਰੁੱਪ ਫਾਰ ਯੂ. ਕੇ. ਸਿੱਖ ਦੀ ਚੇਅਰ ਫੈਬੀਅਨ ਹੈਮਿਲਟਨ ਐਮ ਪੀ ਤੇ ਬਾਰਨਸ ਸਟਿਰਨ, ਨੂੰ ਵੀ ਇਸ ਸਬੰਧੀ ਕਿਹਾ ਹੈ ਕਿ ਪ੍ਰਧਾਨ ਮੰਤਰੀ ਇਸ ਫੇਰੀ ਦੌਰਾਨ ਭਾਰਤ ਅੰਦਰ ਹੋ ਰਹੇ ਮਨੁੱਖੀ ਅਧਿਕਾਰਾਂ ਦੀ ਉਲੰਘਣਾ ਖਾਸ ਤੌਰ 'ਤੇ ਫਾਂਸੀ ਦੀ ਸਜ਼ਾ ਖ਼ਤਮ ਕਰਵਾਉਣ ਦੇ ਮਾਮਲੇ 'ਤੇ ਜ਼ਰੂਰ ਜ਼ੋਰ ਦੇਣ | ਖਾਲਸਾ ਮਨੁੱਖੀ ਅਧਿਕਾਰ ਸੰਗਠਨ ਵੱਲੋਂ ਵੀ ਯੂਰਪੀਅਨ ਸੰਸਦ ਤੇ ਯੂ. ਕੇ. ਸੰਸਦ ਮੈਂਬਰਾਂ ਨੂੰ ਇਸ ਮਾਮਲੇ ਬਾਰੇ ਪ੍ਰਧਾਨ ਮੰਤਰੀ 'ਤੇ ਜ਼ੋਰ ਪਾਉਣ ਦੀ ਅਪੀਲ ਕੀਤੀ ਹੈ | ਭਾਈ ਅਮਰੀਕ ਸਿੰਘ ਗਿੱਲ ਨੇ ਸਿੱਖ ਕੌਮ ਨੂੰ ਬੇਨਤੀ ਕੀਤੀ ਕਿ ਬਰਤਾਨਵੀ ਪ੍ਰਧਾਨ ਮੰਤਰੀ ਵੱਲੋਂ ਇਸ ਮੌਕੇ ਸ੍ਰੀ ਦਰਬਾਰ ਸਾਹਿਬ ਵਿਖੇ ਮੱਥਾ ਟੇਕਣ ਆਉਣ ਦੀ ਪੂਰੀ ਸੰਭਾਵਨਾ ਹੈ ਅਤੇ ਸਿੱਖ ਕੌਮ ਵੱਲੋਂ ਇਨ੍ਹਾਂ ਦਾ ਭਰਪੂਰ ਸਵਾਗਤ ਕੀਤਾ ਜਾਣਾ ਚਾਹੀਦਾ ਹੈ |

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In the first 24 hours emails have been confirmed as sent to the following MPs:

• Jonathan Ashworth (Lab) – Leicester South

• Margarett Beckett (Lab) - Derby South

• John Denham (Lab) - Southampton, Itchen

• Stephen Dorrell (Con) - Charnwood

• Mike Gapes (Lab) - Ilford South

• Edward Garnier (Con) – Harborough

• Dominic Grieve (Con) - Beaconsfield

• Fabian Hamilton (Lab) – Leeds North East

• Liz Kendall (Lab) – Leicester West

• Pauline Latham (Con) – Mid Derbyshire

• Fiona Mactaggart (Lab) – Slough

• Nick Morgan (Con) – Loughborough

• Caroline Nokes (Con) - Romsey and Southampton North

• Chris Skidmore (Con) - Kingswood

• Keith Vaz (Lab) – Leicester East

• Heather Wheeler (Con) - South Derbyshire

• Chris White (Con) - Warwick and Leamington

• Alan Whitehead (Lab) - Southampton, Test

• Stephen Williams (LD) – Bristol West

• Chris Williamson (Lab) - Derby North

Based on telephone and text messages others have emailed in places like Bedford, Coventry and Wolverhampton. Two of the Walsall MPs and three MPs in Gravesend, Dartford and Medway will be emailed tomorrow morning. Please email through details of MPs that have been contacted as MPs will be chased.

Others may have been emailed, but have not been confirmed.

It only takes about 5 minutes to email an MP.

We have not yet heard from those in:

• Birmingham

• Bradford

• Cheltenham

• Doncaster

• East Ham

• Erith

• Glasgow

• Halifax

• Hounslow

• Huddersfield

• Leeds

• Lincoln

• London (various)

• Maidenhead

• Manchester

• Milton Keynes

• Newcastle

• Reading

• Scunthorpe

• Smethwick

• Southall

• Stafford

• Swindon

• West Bromwich

• Windsor

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Three Coventry MPs were also emailed yesterday:

Bob Ainsworth (Lab) – Coventry North East

Jim Cunningham (Lab) - Coventry South

Geoffrey Robinson (Lab) - Coventry North West

Please email your MP TODAY to allow the MP to contact the UK Prime Minister before he leaves for India

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An update on other MPs contacted would be helpful.

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