Us Court Issues Summons To Manmohan Singh

[Mehtab Singh]

JALANADHAR: Less than 20 days after securing summons from a US court against Congress president Sonia Gandhi for protecting perpetrators of the 1984 massacre of Sikhs, New York-based rights group Sikhs For Justice has now secured summons from a federal court in Washington DC against Prime Minister Manmohan Singh for his alleged role in sanctioning big amounts as cash rewards for Punjab cops involved in the counter-insurgency operations the early 90s, as well as protecting those involved in the 1984 Sikhs massacre.

The rights violation case "SFJ v. Manmohan Singh" has been assigned to US District Judge, James E. Boasberg. The plaintiffs have 120 days to serve the summons and complaint to the PM who will be in Washington this week to meet US President Obama.

SFJ's legal advisor Gurpatwant Singh Pannun has revealed that because it will be very difficult to serve summons on the PM through the regular process given the tight security around him since he will be attending a summit with US President Obama at the White House, an emergency motion will be filed with the Washington Federal Court for leave "to effect alternative means of service" by allowing the rights group to deliver the summons to White House staff and members of the Prime Minister's security detail while he is here.

The human rights violation lawsuit against PM Manmohan Singh has been filed by SFJ under Alien Tort Claims Act (ATCA) and Torture Victim Protection Act (TVPA) for funding several counter-insurgency operations in Punjab resulting in more than hundred thousand Sikhs being killed extra-judicially by Indian security forces.

The plaintiffs in the class action human rights violation law suit against PM Manmohan Singh are seeking compensatory and punitive damages for the torture and extra-judicial killings at the hands of the security forces. Under ATCA and TVPA, the US federal courts have jurisdiction over cases of human rights violations even though violations have occurred on foreign soil as in this case.

The September 25th complaint filed before Washington DC District Court alleges that Manmohan Singh's culpability in the crimes of torture and extra-judicial killings of Sikhs started in 1991 when he became finance minister.

Manmohan Singh approved and financed, as head of the finance ministry, the infamous practice of "cash rewards" to members of security forces for killing Sikhs through extra-judicial means often in "staged and fake encounters" to curb the Sikh rights' movement in Punjab, the complaint further alleges.

The 24 page complaint alleges that during his tenure as PM (2004-present), Manmohan Singh has actively shielded and protected the members of his political party who were involved in organizing and carrying out genocidal attacks on the Sikh population in November 1984 resulting in the death of more than 30, 000 members of the community.

Ravi Batra, the New York-based attorney who represents the Congress Party in a similar case filed against it by the SFJ, termed it as a publicity gimmicks.

"SFJ's 'red carpet' welcome, a lawsuit against Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, the leader of a free, independent and sovereign nation, is headline grabbing while insulting law, decency and common sense," Batra said, according to PTI.

Sikh groups are also holding a "Justice Rally" on September 27 in front of the White House during the Obama-Singh meeting. The rally is supported by Sikh organizations and management committees of gurdwaras across the United States and Canada.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Sikh-rights-violation-case-US-court-issues-summons-to-Manmohan-Singh/articleshow/23087474.cms

[Mehtab Singh]

And to make us look like confused fools in front of the world, here is one of our own doing the honors...




http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/nri/us-canada-news/US-Sikhs-want-Manmohan-Singh-to-be-their-identity-torchbearer/articleshow/23072736.cms?

US Sikhs want Manmohan Singh to be their identity torchbearer

JALANDHAR: Racist attacks on Sikhs sporting turbans in US are becoming frequent as they are being mistaken for Muslims. US-based Sikhs feel that since very few Muslims in their country wear turbans, they become vulnerable to racist attacks and now they have urged Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to take up the issue of lack of awareness among majority US citizens with President Barack Obama during their meeting on September 27.

The attack on Columbia University professor Dr Prabhjot Singh by racists and calling him "Osama' in New York's Harlem area has once again underlined the issue of mistaken identity of Sikhs. Incidentally, this attack happened less than two weeks after the first-ever nationwide public perception assessment of the Americans Sikhs, titled "Turban Myths," showed 70% of the countrymen misidentify those sporting turbans as Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist or Shinto. The study was conducted by Stanford University researchers and sponsored by Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund (SALDEF).

SALDEF noted that nearly all turban-wearers in the US adhered to Sikhism. The study also showed that nearly half of Americans believe "Sikh" is a sect of Islam. More associate the turban with Osama Bin Laden than with named Muslim and Sikh alternatives.

"The attacks have been continuing even as killing of Sikhs in a gurdwara in Wisconsin in August 2012 had highlighted their distinct identity as a key issue. The community got attention of the entire national media. However, it appears that wrong perceptions about Sikh identity still persist in a large population of Americans as turban is still leading to association with Muslims," said California resident and North American Punjabi Association (NAPA) executive director Satnam Singh Chahal.

NAPA chairman and US citizen for around four decades, Dalwinder Singh Dhoot, said there had been few attacks on Muslims as very few of them wear turbans in America. NAPA leaders demanded that Indian PM being a Sikh, it was great occasion to create awareness about the identity of the community during the summit meeting.

"Rather, the turban wearing Sikh PM should also become our identity ambassador during his visit to US," NAPA leaders said.

All India Sikh Students Federation (AISSF) president Karnail Singh Peermohammad had already raised similar demand, seeking PM's intervention in the issue.

Just after the attack on Dr Prabhjot, Sikh Coalition programme director Amardeep Singh said what happened was not in a vacuum. "Here in New York City, we regularly receive reports that Sikh school children are called 'Bin Laden' or 'terrorist' by their classmates and sometimes endure physical violence," he said.

[AJ111]

Dr. Manmohan Singh is the most respected and famous Sikh in the world.

His image is the positive counter to the terrorist Bin Laden image being suffered by Sikhs in the USA yet this is how US Sikhs repay him.

How disgraceful !

[BoleSoNihal]

Dr. Manmohan Singh is the most respected and famous Sikh in the world.

His image is the positive counter to the terrorist Bin Laden image being suffered by Sikhs in the USA yet this is how US Sikhs repay him.

AJ111 how ignorant you are... do you actually think politicians 'deserve' fame and respect?

Manmohan Singh is NOT the most respected and famous Sikh in the world. Besides Sikh Guru's there are many, many more Sikhs that are more famous and respected...

I would question whether Manmohan Singh is actually a Sikh? When/ where did he take amrit? does he carry the articles of faith? does he do simran/ nitnem/ path? Also, what sangat is he part of? He is a 'politician' that has personally done little to aid the Sikhs and is a congress puppet.

Further, he has been unable to use his considerable power and influence to stop attacks in the USA and deal with Dastar issues in Canada, France and elsewhere.

Sikhs had high hopes for Manmohan Singh, but he has shown his true colors. If he were replaced, would anyone notice?

Manmohan Singh looks weak, malleable and lacks conviction, and appears to be everything Sikhs are not...

[acsap]

Manmohan is Sonia's lapdog. He has done nothing for Sikhs; in fact, he has awarded cabinet positions for people who are responsible for Sikh Genocide. He is a same kind of Sikh as KPS Gill. To call these people Sikh is insulting Sikhs.

[Sikhistan]

NAPA is naastic organization and a two man show. They have no backing nor any presence in California but always find a prominent space in news, which to me is bit fishy.

Manmohan Singh is probably the most clean and educated person out of India's political circle but when it comes to his personal responsibility for Sikh kaum, I have to rate him 0%.