British Sikhs To Oppose Any Narendra Modi Visit To Uk

[JagtarSinghKhalsa]

British Sikhs to oppose any Narendra Modi visit to UK

By PTI | 29 Aug, 2013, 09.06PM IST

LONDON: British Sikhs have expressed opposition to any proposed visit by Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi to the UK.

The Sikh Federation (UK) has joined Muslim groups like the Council of Indian Muslims UK (CIM-UK) in their boycott following an invitation for Modi to visit Britain by some Indian groups of the country's two main political parties earlier this month.

"We welcome the fact that the UK government has not invited Modi, but oppose the tiny minority of pro-Indian Labour and Conservative MPs led by Barry Gardiner, the Labour MP from Brent North, and Sailesh Vara, the Conservative MP from North West Cambridgeshire, who have recently sent Modi invitations and want him to address UK MPs," said Amrik Singh, chair of the Sikh Federation (UK).

The federation, a non-governmental organisation registered as a political party in the UK, claims that Modi has shown "animosity and hatred" towards minorities in India, including Sikhs, Christians and Muslims.

"Sikhs in the UK will lobby UK MPs who return to Parliament in early September and the UK government to oppose Modi's visit, not only because of his involvement in the violence in Gujarat in 2002 but because of his recent discrimination of Sikh farmers in Kutch district by trying to have them evicted," Singh said.

"It demonstrates his policy to make Gujarat, and eventually India, a Hindu state with no place for minorities," he added.

The move comes after CIM-UK in an open letter addressed to the UK government ministers and political party leaders expressed "utter disgust" over an invitation for the chairman of the BJP's national election committee.

The UK government, like the US, had distanced itself from Modi in the aftermath of the 2002 Gujarat riots until late last year when the British high commissioner to India, James Bevan, made diplomatic overtures towards the Gujarat chief minister.

[JagtarSinghKhalsa]

See negative comments by Modi supporters in various Indian newspapers

http://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/Europe/British-Sikhs-to-oppose-any-Modi-visit-to-UK/Article1-1114727.aspx

http://www.firstpost.com/world/british-sikhs-to-oppose-proposed-modi-visit-to-uk-1070759.html

[JagtarSinghKhalsa]

Original Press Release by the Sikh Federation (UK)

SIKHS WILL JOIN OTHERS TO OPPOSE MODI IF HE TRIES TO VISIT THE UK

London
26 August 2013

The Sikh Federation (UK) has said it will join others to oppose the visit to the UK of Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi one of the most controversial pro-Hindu politicians who has shown through his actions his animosity and hatred towards minorities in India, including Sikhs, Christians and Muslims.

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

‘We welcome the fact that the UK Government has not invited Modi, but oppose the tiny minority of pro-Indian Labour and Conservative MPs led by Barry Gardiner the Labour MP from Brent North and Sailesh Vara, the Conservative MP from North West Cambridgeshire who have recently sent Modi invitations and want him to address UK MPs.’

Inviting Modi is showing support for right wing Hindu extremism. A report produced by the British High Commission in India that was leaked to the BBC stated the violence in Gujarat in 2002 far from being spontaneous, was planned, possibly months in advance, carried out by an extremist Hindu organisation with the support of the state government and had all the hallmarks of ethnic cleansing.

Foreign Office Ministers have made clear in the past and with respect to the likes of Jagdish Tytler and Narendra Modi ‘. . . our policy is clear that entry shall be refused for immigration purposes or to any individual who may present safety or security risk; where their presence in the United Kingdom would not be conducive to the public good; or if there is independent, reliable and credible evidence that they have committed human rights abuses . . .’

In the last few weeks Modi and the Gujarat Government have been exposed for targeting Sikh farmers in Kutch District in Gujarat. The Modi government first confiscated land measuring over 20,000 acres in Kutch by invoking the Bombay Tenancy and Agricultural Lands Act, 1958 and ‘evicted’ Sikh farmers. Sikh farmers from Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan, who had settled in Kutch after the Indo-Pak war of 1965, were among those affected when the Gujarat government confiscated the land. Sikh farmers were first moved to the Kutch District to not only make the land cultivable but also help guard the country’s border.

Around 5,000 Sikhs have cultivated the land in Kutch District for around 50 years and transformed this barren land bordering Pakistan into expensive farmland. Over the last few years they have been systematically targeted by the Gujarat Government and the land mafia. Two years ago, as farmland prices shot up, the State government after confiscating land then barred Sikhs from either selling, or taking loan or subsidy on their land under the Act. It also stopped issuing certified copies of land records. The farmers challenged the order in the Gujarat High Court. After a five-day hearing, a three-Judge Bench ruled in favour of the farmers, stating that there was no mention in the Act that Gujaratis alone could own agriculture land and that the Act only forbade non-farmers from owning land. However, the Gujarat government has filed an appeal in the Supreme Court against the order that is listed for hearing on 27 August.

Bhai Amrik Singh added:

‘Sikhs in the UK will also lobby UK MPs who return to Parliament in early September and the UK Government to oppose Modi’s visit not only because of his involvement in the violence in Gujarat in 2002, but because of his recent discrimination of Sikh farmers in Kutch District by trying to have them evicted that demonstrate his policy to make Gujarat and eventually India a Hindu state and no place for minorities.’

Gurjeet Singh
National Press Secretary
Sikh Federation (UK)

[Mehtab Singh]

The more this happens, the lesser his chances to become PM of India. But you never know, maybe this is what he wants, maybe this is what will cause his victory? Only time will tell.

[Mehtab Singh]

See negative comments by Modi supporters in various Indian newspapers

http://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/Europe/British-Sikhs-to-oppose-any-Modi-visit-to-UK/Article1-1114727.aspx

http://www.firstpost.com/world/british-sikhs-to-oppose-proposed-modi-visit-to-uk-1070759.html

Yeah, step on the accelerator!!! BRING IT ON! Well done to the Singhs! All these years I got tired of hearing Sikh-hating Indians say "If you're so passionate about Khalistan why don't you come down to India and say what you have to say?" Well here is their answer! If Sikhs can't go to India and place their demands, they won't let any Indian politician set foot on the land the Sikhs made their home either. If Sikhs are blacklisted in India only because they demand justice, lets get all those ministers blacklisted who have blood on their hands as well!

[Ranjeet01]

It will be interesting to see how Modi would react if the Shiv Sena and other Marathi parties declare that they want the Gujeratis to leave Mumbai.

[JagtarSinghKhalsa]

ਨਰਿੰਦਰ ਮੋਦੀ ਨੂੰ ਯੂ. ਕੇ. ਸੱਦਣ ਵਾਲੇ ਐਮ. ਪੀ. ਦੇ ਦਫ਼ਤਰ ਸਾਹਮਣੇ ਰੋਸ ਮੁਜ਼ਾਹਰਾ 9 ਨੂੰ

ਸਿੱਖ ਫੈਡਰੇਸ਼ਨ ਯੂ. ਕੇ. ਵੱਲੋਂ ਵੀ ਸਮਰਥਨ ਦੇਣ ਦਾ ਐਲਾਨ

ਲੰਡਨ, 30 ਅਗਸਤ (ਮਨਪ੍ਰੀਤ ਸਿੰਘ ਬੱਧਨੀ ਕਲਾਂ, ਪਰਵਿੰਦਰ ਸਿੰਘ)-ਗੁਜਰਾਤ ਦੇ ਮੁੱਖ ਮੰਤਰੀ ਨਰਿੰਦਰ ਮੋਦੀ ਦੀ ਯੂ. ਕੇ. ਫੇਰੀ ਦਾ ਮਾਮਲਾ ਯੂ. ਕੇ. ਵਿਚ ਪੂਰੀ ਤਰ੍ਹਾਂ ਗਰਮਾਇਆ ਹੋਇਆ ਹੈ | ਇਸ ਸਬੰਧੀ 9 ਸਤੰਬਰ ਸੋਮਵਾਰ ਨੂੰ 11.30 ਵਜੇ ਮੋਦੀ ਨੂੰ ਯੂ. ਕੇ. ਸੱਦਣ ਵਾਲੇ ਗਰੁੱਪ ਦੇ ਲੀਡਰ ਐਮ. ਪੀ. ਬੈਰੀ ਗਾਰਡੀਨਰ ਦੇ ਵੈਂਬਲੀ ਦਫ਼ਤਰ ਸਾਹਮਣੇ ਮਨੁੱਖੀ ਅਧਿਕਾਰਾਂ ਲਈ ਕੰਮ ਕਰਨ ਵਾਲੇ ਵੱਖ-ਵੱਖ ਸੰਗਠਨਾ ਵੱਲੋਂ ਭਾਰੀ ਰੋਸ ਮੁਜ਼ਾਹਰਾ ਕੀਤਾ ਜਾ ਰਿਹਾ ਹੈ | ਇਸ ਰੋਸ ਮੁਜ਼ਾਹਰੇ ਨੂੰ ਸਿੱਖ ਫੈਡਰੇਸ਼ਨ ਯੂ. ਕੇ. ਵੱਲੋਂ ਵੀ ਭਰਵਾਂ ਸਮਰਥਨ ਦਿੱਤਾ ਜਾ ਰਿਹਾ ਹੈ | ਸਿੱਖ ਫੈਡਰੇਸ਼ਨ ਯੂ. ਕੇ. ਦੇ ਭਾਈ ਅਮਰੀਕ ਸਿੰਘ ਗਿੱਲ ਨੇ ਕਿਹਾ ਕਿ ਸਿੱਖ ਭਾਈਚਾਰੇ ਵੱਲੋਂ ਵੀ ਇਸ ਰੋਸ ਮੁਜ਼ਾਹਰੇ ਵਿਚ ਸ਼ਮੂਲੀਅਤ ਕੀਤੀ ਜਾਵੇਗੀ | ਗੁਜਰਾਤ ਵਿਚ ਸਿੱਖ ਕਿਸਾਨਾਂ ਨਾਲ ਧੱਕਾ ਹੋ ਰਿਹਾ ਹੈ | ਉਨ੍ਹਾਂ ਕਿਹਾ ਕਿ ਗੁਜਰਾਤ ਵਿਚ ਘੱਟ ਗਿਣਤੀ ਕੌਮਾਂ ਨਾਲ ਧੱਕਾ ਹੋ ਰਿਹਾ ਹੈ, ਬਿ੍ਟਿਸ਼ ਹਾਈ ਕਮਿਸ਼ਨ ਦੀ ਇਕ ਰਿਪੋਰਟ ਵਿਚ ਵੀ ਕਿਹਾ ਗਿਆ ਹੈ | ਸਾਲ 2002 ਦੇ ਗੁਜਰਾਤ ਦੰਗੇ ਯੋਜਨਾਬੱਧ ਤਰੀਕੇ ਨਾਲ ਹੋਏ ਸਨ | ਭਾਈ ਗਿੱਲ ਨੇ ਇਹ ਵੀ ਕਿਹਾ ਕਿ ਸਤੰਬਰ ਦੇ ਸ਼ੁਰੂ ਵਿਚ ਪਾਰਲੀਮੈਂਟ ਦੀ ਕਾਰਵਾਈ ਸ਼ੁਰੂ ਹੋਣ ਤੋਂ ਪਹਿਲਾਂ ਮੋਦੀ ਦੀ ਫੇਰੀ ਦੇ ਵਿਰੋਧ ਵਿਚ ਲਾਬੀ ਕੀਤੀ ਜਾਵੇਗੀ |