Kesri Lehar Early Day Motion 296 House of Commons UK

[S4NGH]

http://www.parliamentlive.tv/Main/Player.aspx?meetingId=12646&wfs=true

11:30 to 14:00, the Kesri Lehar Campaign, Early Day Motion 296, discussed in the House of Commons UK at 11:30am on 28/02/2013.

[S4NGH]

http://www.parliamentlive.tv/Embed/GeneralEmbed.aspx?meeting=12646

[ks55]

not sure what this will achieve - great getting 100000 signatures - but real issue is the UK is in DEBT and has no real power or say in the world. Cameroon went to India and came back with nothing - nothing.name me one thing he came back with?

It's great we got together and did this but deep down i feel this effort won't go anywhere as the UK is not the UK of ol their soft and hard power is weakened dramatically in the world - but this is just my opinion.

But above all lets hope the childish indian governement won't hang Bhullar Sahib and Rajonaa - i doubt if it would happen with a sikh being as prime minister - rememeber this sikh was made to apologize by the hindu government to the sikh - no hindu leader has ever done that - but they got a sikh to do it - so for a sikh to have a sikh hanged - doubt it won;t happen.

Secondly whaht are sikhs in canada doing inthis regard - i know sikhs in America are kicking butt - but candaians what are they doing?

[lsingh]

The debate involved several MP's and they discussed several issues regarding Professor Bhullar, Bhai Rajoana and human rights in Punjab and India. Many MP's and the public are now aware of issues regarding Sikhs (televised on Sangat and Parliament TV) . The petition was useful in that MP's equate this to votes (118,000 signed) up till now MP's thought only a few people took interest. The Government responded in the debate that they had taken up the Death Penality with India when the PM visited India recently, which was good to hear. Lots of good work done today and now that Sikh isues are known around the world its harder for India to carry out Killings that are hidden from the world.

As for Manmohan he is not in charge its Sonia who decides.

Coverage in the Independent

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/labour-mp-john-mcdonnell-urges-india-to-end-the-death-penalty-8515066.html#

Labour MP John McDonnell urges India to end the death penalty

Elizabeth Barrett, Tim Sculthorpe

Thursday, 28 February 2013

The British Government should use "every mechanism of communication" to urge India to end the death penalty, a Labour MP has said.

John McDonnell said Britain was "uniquely placed" with its shared history with India to urge its government to halt executions and sign up to the UN Convention opposing the death penalty.

Introducing a backbench business Commons debate on the Kesri Lehar petition to abolish the death penalty in India, the MP for Hayes and Harlington paid tribute to the campaigners, many of whom sat watching the debate in the public gallery.

He said that last year when the "first inkling" was received that India was considering ending its eight year moratorium on implementing the death penalty, members of the Punjabi community in the UK, especially the Punjabi Sikhs came together and launched the campaign.

They secured more than 100,000 names on their petition to abolish the death penalty and address other human rights concerns.

Mr McDonnell said "fears were compounded" when in November 2012 India ended its moratorium and carried out an execution, with a hanging taking place in February this year.

In December 2012 the UN voted for the fourth time for a resolution calling for a global moratorium on executions and while 111 countries voted for, India voted against.

He argued there was a "real risk" that with more than 400 people on death row in India and 100 more sentenced to death each year, many more executions were likely to follow unless action was taken.

He said: "First of all we need to recognise the historical relationship between India and Britain means that the UK Government is uniquely placed to urge the Indian government to end the death penalty.

"Therefore I'm calling on the UK Government to use every forum, every mechanism of communication established with India both formal and informal, to press the Indian government to halt the executions now and then to sign up to the UN Convention opposing the death penalty.

"I wrote to the Prime Minister before his recent visit to India to urge him to raise this issue with the Indian government and I hope that the minister can report back on that, and the continuing pressure that successive governments now across party have been placing upon the Indian government."

Mr McDonnell urged Britain to raise the issue with European partners to seek a joint representation from all of Europe to India on the subject.

He also said Britain should work with other countries to raise this call within the UN, adding: "With a UN Human Rights Council meeting imminent this is an ideal time to place this back on the UN agenda."

He appealed to India to "embrace humanity by ending the state killing once and for all".

The Backbench Business motion, signed by a cross-party group of MPs, states: "That this House welcomes the national petition launched by the Kesri Lehar campaign urging the UK Government to press the Indian government to sign and ratify the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court and the UN Convention against Torture and other Cruel, Inhumane or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, which encompasses the death penalty, with the result that India would abolish the death penalty and lift this threat from Balwant Singh Rajoana and others."

Foreign Office Minister Hugo Swire said the death penalty "undermined human dignity" and said the British Government continued to aspire to its global abolition.

He told the Commons: "Use of the death penalty in India is a complex issue and it continues to be the subject of much debate across Indian society.

"It was disappointing India's de facto moratorium on the death penalty which had existed for over eight years ended with the hangings of Mohammad Ajmal Kasab and Mohammad Afzal Guru last November and February this year respectively.

"Kasab and Guru were convicted of very serious crimes, involvement in the Mumbai attacks in 2008 and the 2001 attack on the Indian Parliament. It is important to remember the impact such acts of terrorism have on the people of India.

"Notwithstanding this, it remains the British Government policy to oppose the death penalty in all circumstances as a matter of principle. I hope the Indian government re-establishes a moratorium on executions in line with the global trend towards the abolition of capital punishment."

Mr Swire said he had reiterated the Government's position to the Indian administration last week when he accompanied Prime Minister David Cameron to the country.

And he said the India-EU Human Rights Dialogue would present a further opportunity.

The minister added: "They listened to what I had to say, was aware of our consistent position, and stressed to me the very real fear in India created by these acts of terrorism."

Shadow foreign office minister John Spellar said: "I congratulate Kesri Lehar for their campaign.

"Uniting the community, whatever their views may be, and also gaining very wide public awareness of the issues we are discussing today.

"I also reaffirm the united determination of this Parliament on all sides to secure justice for the Sikh community of the Punjab."

PA

[lsingh]

You can watch the TV debate on the BBC below

http://www.bbc.co.uk/democracylive/house-of-commons-21616579

BBC

28 February 2013 Last updated at 14:26 Help

MPs from across the House have united to urge India to bring an end to its use of the death penalty.

The backbench business debate on 28 February 2013 focused on a petition launched by the Kesri Lehar campaign, calling on the Indian government to sign and ratify the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court and the UN Convention against Torture and other Cruel, Inhumane or Degrading Treatment or Punishment.

The debate on 28 February 2013 was led by Labour's John McDonnell, who argued there was a "greater sense of urgency" following India's recent resumption of executions.

The hanging of Mohammad Afzal Guru in New Delhi on 9 February was the second in India in three months after an eight-year hiatus, according to Amnesty International.

Mr McDonnell said the eight-year moratorium had "led us into a false sense of security" and "many more executions are likely to follow unless action are taken".

He paid tribute to the efforts of the Sikh and Punjabi communities in particular, who, he said, "have an abiding sense of injustice to which there's been no proper redress".

Conservative MP Mark Pritchard emphasised that "India is a close friend of the UK and friends can be candid" before asking the Indian government to start the process of abolishing the death penalty.

Lib Dem Simon Hughes said he understood that India might see removing the death penalty as a "sign of weakness" but pointed out that it had been in force since independence and had failed to prevent atrocities and acts of terrorism.

He described capital punishment as "undermining democratic principles and values and undermining international credibility".

Labour MP Seema Malhotra spoke of her own family's experience of violence and unrest in the Punjab and of the need for India "to stop human rights abuses facing all its minorities".

Foreign Office Minister Hugo Swire confirmed he had "reiterated" the UK's opposition to the death penalty when he accompanied David Cameron on a recent visit to India.

Mr Swire stressed that "the death penalty undermines human dignity and there is no conclusive evidence of its deterrent value" and branded the end of the eight-year moratorium "disappointing".

Shadow Foreign Office minister John Spellar acknowledged that "India has suffered grievously from terrorism" and went on to say "execution would not end terrorism but would damage the reputation of India".

[JagtarSinghKhalsa]

Kesri Lehar will be disappointed in the turnout from MPs. No MPs from Bristol, Cardiff, Derby, Leicester, Milton Keynes, Nottingham, Newcastle, Reading, Southampton etc. Some of these towns send coaches.

Given around 70 MPs specifically signed Early Day Motion 296, why did only 1 in 5 of these 70 MPs turn up and speak in the debate they asked for?

[ks55]

Kesri Lehar will be disappointed in the turnout from MPs. No MPs from Bristol, Cardiff, Derby, Leicester, Milton Keynes, Nottingham, Newcastle, Reading, Southampton etc. Some of these towns send coaches.

Given around 70 MPs specifically signed Early Day Motion 296, why did only 1 in 5 of these 70 MPs turn up and speak in the debate they asked for?

That was due to the by election going on at the same time - mps' were buys all over the shop -- the timing was not good at all

[JagtarSinghKhalsa]

That was due to the by election going on at the same time - mps' were buys all over the shop -- the timing was not good at all

The by election in Eastleigh was one factor for fewer MPs in attendance and speaking. However, each of the three main parties probably had a team of no more than 8-10 MPs each, for a few hours each, in Eastleigh at the time of the debate. I do not think all MPs from all the cities/towns named would have been in Eastleigh. For example, Labour knew they had no chance of winning so other than local MPs in the South they would NOT have been in Eastleigh. Simon Hughes, Deputy Leader of the Liberal Democrats, who arguably had the most to lose in Eastleigh, made an excellent point in the debate, that the debate was important so afterwards he would be going to Eastleigh.

Kesri Leher should ask all the MPs that signed the EDM asking for a debate why they did not turn up at the debate they asked for. Suspect no more than 5-10% of these were in Eastleigh, such as those from Bristol and Southampton, at the time of the debate. Remember for debates you usually only get a two or three day notice and not the likes of two weeks because of the half term break for MPs so if these MPs were committed (like Simon Hughes) they could have taken part.

We kept getting John McDonnell MP on the Sangat TV advert organised by Kesri Leher saying MPs must pack out the main Chamber in the House of Commons. The Kesri Lehar working group were constantly suggesting up to 100 MPs may take part. Gurnam Singh last Friday on Panth Time on Sikh Channel said at least 60-70 MPs were expected. The Sikh Federation (UK) who have organised many debates in the past were the only ones who were realistic and said all along they expected 25-30 MPs to be present.

For all the hype around Kesri Lehar on TV the turnout of MPs from certain towns/cities was extremely disappointing. For example, we kept hearing that the coach from Derby was full and all four Gurdwaras had come together and made announcements. Chris Williamson MPs name was specifically mentioned by Kesri Leher on TV as one of those taking part in the debate (along with a few others who never turned up). Chris is the Secretary of the All Party Parliamentary Group for the Abolition of the Death Penalty, but even he did not turn up. Did the coach load from Derby not check that none of their MPs was going to take part in the debate? This could equally be said for Leicester, whilst one of the MPs supporting was in India, what about the others. Keith Vaz showed his face in the chamber and disappeared!

Will the Kesri Lehar working group learn from this and build on the positives, but also recognise where they came up short?

[JagtarSinghKhalsa]

Just going through Hansard from yestrday:

Ask: We should ask the Kesri lehar Working Group why did John McDonnell MP water down the petition signed by over 118,000. Although he said at the start of the debate the motion replicated the petition. This is not the case.

He specifically dropped reference to:

i) Balwant Singh Rajoana being ‘released from jail’; and

ii) ‘the release all political prisoners, prisoners of conscious and prisoners who have been imprisoned without a trial.’

[ks55]

Just going through Hansard from yestrday:

Ask: We should ask the Kesri lehar Working Group why did John McDonnell MP water down the petition signed by over 118,000. Although he said at the start of the debate the motion replicated the petition. This is not the case.

He specifically dropped reference to:

i) Balwant Singh Rajoana being ‘released from jail’; and

ii) ‘the release all political prisoners, prisoners of conscious and prisoners who have been imprisoned without a trial.’

something really dont smell right - dal wich kala kala