June 1984 Remembrance March & Freedom Rally In Central London - Update

[JagtarSinghKhalsa 229]

Sunday 9 June 2013

Assemble from 11am at Temple Place (near Temple tube station)

March through London (Strand, Trafalgar Square, Whitehall, Parliament Square) and finish with rally next to UK Parliament

Organised by the Federation of Sikh Organisations (FSO) & Gurdwaras

Contact your local Gurdwara about transport arrangements for Sangat to arrive between 11am and 12 noon

(Coach drop off point (11am): Victoria Embankment near Temple tube station WC2R 2PH)

(Coach pick up point (5pm): Victoria Embankment near Westminster tube station SW1A 2JH)

For further information ring 07938 633554 or 07968 335588

Also visit: https://www.facebook.com/SikhFederationUK

For route of the Remembrance March use: http://binged.it/18eJoKx

[LegalSingh 128]

Wow. :respect: The days of Indian rule in Punjab are surely numbered. 29 years. Each and every year the numbers just get bigger and bigger. Don't know how many were there today.....some put the figure at 80,000. 80,000 Sikhs united in openly calling for Khalistan. Its the first time I'd seen this. It used to be that there were just a handful of older men calling for Khalistan, with most worried about being denied an Indian visa oif they did so openly. But today, virtually every man, woman and child was united in Khalistan. You gotta hand it to the UK sangat. Other countries get 100,000 for nagar kirtans but even then these are organised as fun events with music and dance. What we had today was 80,000 people in unison shouting for Khalistan. Amazing :respect:

[singh135 241]

Dhan Dhan Kalgidhar de Shere Deke

[JagtarSinghKhalsa 229]

Wow. :respect: The days of Indian rule in Punjab are surely numbered. 29 years. Each and every year the numbers just get bigger and bigger. Don't know how many were there today.....some put the figure at 80,000. 80,000 Sikhs united in openly calling for Khalistan. Its the first time I'd seen this. It used to be that there were just a handful of older men calling for Khalistan, with most worried about being denied an Indian visa oif they did so openly. But today, virtually every man, woman and child was united in Khalistan. You gotta hand it to the UK sangat. Other countries get 100,000 for nagar kirtans but even then these are organised as fun events with music and dance. What we had today was 80,000 people in unison shouting for Khalistan. Amazing :respect:

Police at the end confirmed numbers were 15-20% higher than last year. Route was quite good. Good to see Panj Pyare at Whitehall, 10 Downing Street, Houses of Parliament etc. Would be great if some could post photographs.

Last year the police said numbers were up by 30% on the previous year.

The turnout was amazing - considering event was organised late (last 2/3 weeks), Sikh Channel did very little to promote the event.

Could have had many more banners and placards, more megaphones needed and those to make speeches on route to tell non-Sikhs what was happening and what we were remembering. Entrance to stage should have been better controlled and more co-ordinated speeches in English.

Meeting to take place in early July to plan for 30th anniversary. Everyone should start to think of ideas to make start (hopefully in Hyde Park), march (through London) and freedom rally at the end a huge success.

[JagtarSinghKhalsa 229]

See photos on:

https://www.facebook.com/SikhFederationUK#!/SikhFederationUK

[LegalSingh 128]

Police at the end confirmed numbers were 15-20% higher than last year. Route was quite good. Good to see Panj Pyare at Whitehall, 10 Downing Street, Houses of Parliament etc. Would be great if some could post photographs.

Last year the police said numbers were up by 30% on the previous year.

The turnout was amazing - considering event was organised late (last 2/3 weeks), Sikh Channel did very little to promote the event.

You know what veer ? Today was like an epiphany moment for me. It is foolish to try and understand Waheguru's will but today I think I did. For example, often I used to wonder why in our history we had suffered so much.....What if Aurungzeb was never born etc. But the truth is that if Aurungzeb was never born or we never went through so much suffering, Sikhi as we know it would not have come into being. Our character, and the message that shines through, could only have come into being because of the suffering.

Same with the suffering since 1984. I used to keep asking myself what Waheguru's plan was when, for the last 30 years, nobody was paying any attention to our pain. But today, on seeing and hearing the new young generation, I felt I understood Waheguru's will. You saw for yourself today how there is a new very young generation of UK born Sikhs, many of whom who are moneh, with intense Khalistani pride, an intense desire for justice, and a fantastic realisation of how to get it done. This new generation of very young Sikhs is simply awesome. To get to this stage we had to go throiugh 30 years of pain. There was no other way. His plan is masterful.

I mean just look what we had today. The most inspirational - motivational speeches came from little youngsters. We had people shouting Khalistan Zindabad that would never have done so a year or two ago....and they did it with so much passion. We had white English speakers such as members of parliament openly mentioning the word Khalistan, saying how important it was if we desired justice.

I truly sensed today that the wind of change is here. I truly believe that the little Sikhs today are gonna achieve something that neither we nor our parents could. They really are awesome.

[simran345 2,501]

Wow. :respect: The days of Indian rule in Punjab are surely numbered. 29 years. Each and every year the numbers just get bigger and bigger. Don't know how many were there today.....some put the figure at 80,000. 80,000 Sikhs united in openly calling for Khalistan. Its the first time I'd seen this. It used to be that there were just a handful of older men calling for Khalistan, with most worried about being denied an Indian visa oif they did so openly. But today, virtually every man, woman and child was united in Khalistan. You gotta hand it to the UK sangat. Other countries get 100,000 for nagar kirtans but even then these are organised as fun events with music and dance. What we had today was 80,000 people in unison shouting for Khalistan. Amazing :respect:

yes so good to see so many people together, youngsters too so little kids with so much knowledge.

[Pappi9 351]

more pics

https://www.facebook.com/solarider/media_set?set=a.10151439947896884.1073741828.528866883&type=1

[genie 1,637]

Year by year it gets bigger thats the thing with Sikh morcha's they dont get smaller like most people's protests....the Sikhs are unique in this.

And the thing is if we keep educating the youth, if we keep using brain instead of braun we will manage to achieve our goal of Khalistan and out of the enslavement of hindutva extremists in india. If we spread the respect and love for each other as 1 family we will fight as 1 family. The enemies of Sikhism namely the indian brahimwad establishment and paki islamo-fascists doesnt want that.... they want your attention diverted into petty secterian and jathabandi matters.

We are in a war, and we are the soldiers of waheguru in this war...only few instances in life is this war physical but mostly its intellectual and spiritual war against enemies of Sikhism.... a war we must and will succeed in if waheguru wills it.

[JagtarSinghKhalsa 229]

Police at the end confirmed numbers were 15-20% higher than last year. Route was quite good. Good to see Panj Pyare at Whitehall, 10 Downing Street, Houses of Parliament etc. Would be great if some could post photographs.

Last year the police said numbers were up by 30% on the previous year.

The turnout was amazing - considering event was organised late (last 2/3 weeks), Sikh Channel did very little to promote the event.

Could have had many more banners and placards, more megaphones needed and those to make speeches on route to tell non-Sikhs what was happening and what we were remembering. Entrance to stage should have been better controlled and more co-ordinated speeches in English.

Meeting to take place in early July to plan for 30th anniversary. Everyone should start to think of ideas to make start (hopefully in Hyde Park), march (through London) and freedom rally at the end a huge success.

Generator caught fire at the start of the rally in the Millbank. This meant the first hour was lost with no sound system. Some Singhs improvised and got generator and sound working.

Just to let the Sangat know - Manvir Singh (from Slough) who had hired and transported the generator asked those at 10 Downing Street (Kesri Lehar group) if their generator could be used - they flatly refused!

[Pyara 288]

An inspiring picture from yesterday on this link.

http://www.demotix.com/node/2136872?lbclear=73

[JagtarSinghKhalsa 229]

An inspiring picture from yesterday on this link.

http://www.demotix.com/node/2136872?lbclear=73

This is also a historic picture.

http://www.demotix.com/photo/2136866/sikhs-remember-june-1984-massacres-national-rally-london

[JagtarSinghKhalsa 229]

The Remembrance March and Freedom Rally is getting bigger each year - despite some showing less or no interest.

What lessons should we take from this . . .

Initiially individuals like Parminder Singh Bal and Jaswant Singh Thekedar (and those linked to them) started to boycott this event and have not been attending for several years. Certain Gurdwaras e.g. Sri Guru Singh Sabha, Southall have at times only partially supported the event, but have had to change their minds due to pressure from the Sangat.

In the last two years the Sikh Channel has shown limited interest - shown very few adverts, Promos, did not cover the event live this year etc.

Those that are a bit cleverer have been asking what is the purpose of the event, what does it achieve . . . and failed to understand the sentiments of many of those who attend.

In the first 24 hours after the Remembrance March and Freedom Rally that took place on Sunday 9 June many have been commenting on the excellent turnout, the need to have the rally in Trafalgar Square with the large screen, to carefully control those speaking from the stage and what they speak about. Many would prefer fewer speakers and more in English.

But there has also been specific comments on those who have pushed the event in previous years, but decided NOT to attend the event this year.

There may be many reasons why some could not attend, but youngsters in particular have been commenting on groups claiming to represent the youth or who work with the youth who not only did not attend but also FAILED to raise awareness through their own web sites, Facebook pages etc. Please raise your concerns with them directly.

Next year is the 30th anniversary of June 1984 and Novemnber 1984 - we should put aside any differences and show a united effort in making the events linked to 1984 a success.

We should put the ISSUE before PERSONALITIES.

[MiddxSingh 27]

Few thoughts:

It is good that numbers were larger this year but I believe there was a mistake by organisers, although not really their fauly. The rally should've been at trafalgur sq which is a prime location where outside public can see what's going on. This rally last sunday was abit out of the way and not a "prime" location compared to traf sq. Apparently indian gov did cleverness and got traf sq booked earlier in advanced to hold a hindu function so that we could not have out rally there. However our organisers should have also used some intelligence and moved back or forward the march/rally by a week. Let us not give in to their cleverness, if they manage to book traf sqaure before us, then just do it another week!

The previous years have been excellent, with the initial meet up point also being in a prime location - a good march through main streets of london then finishing at traf sq. Even if turn out is increasing it wont matter if the area of the rally is out of the way from such a great prime location as traf sq.

So please organisers go back to the initial meeting point, march and rally! We cannot get a better location.

[JagtarSinghKhalsa 229]

Few thoughts:

It is good that numbers were larger this year but I believe there was a mistake by organisers, although not really their fauly. The rally should've been at trafalgur sq which is a prime location where outside public can see what's going on. This rally last sunday was abit out of the way and not a "prime" location compared to traf sq. Apparently indian gov did cleverness and got traf sq booked earlier in advanced to hold a hindu function so that we could not have out rally there. However our organisers should have also used some intelligence and moved back or forward the march/rally by a week. Let us not give in to their cleverness, if they manage to book traf sqaure before us, then just do it another week!

The previous years have been excellent, with the initial meet up point also being in a prime location - a good march through main streets of london then finishing at traf sq. Even if turn out is increasing it wont matter if the area of the rally is out of the way from such a great prime location as traf sq.

So please organisers go back to the initial meeting point, march and rally! We cannot get a better location.

Plan is for Hyde Park to T Square next year - although some are already causing issues by direct approaches and saying booked without licence, public liability insurance, stewarding plan, risk assessment, TMO. T Square was booked for whole of June. Police were at one point suggesting 12 weeks (3 months later). June event was critical in prime location - although not ideal.