DEMONSTRATION IN LONDON - WEDNESDAY, JAN 26TH

[Guest Jahan]

Demonstration on India's Republic Day

India's Republic Day celebrates the day in 1950 when India adopted its Constitution. But what India calls "Republic Day"' is Genocide Day for minorities and nations of South Asia.

See "postcard" below for further information.

Date: Wednesday 26 January 2005

Time: 2-4pm

Location: Outside the High Commission of India, India House, Aldwych, London, WC2B 4NA

Getting to the Indian High Commission:

Car/mini-bus

The Sikh Federation (UK) and local Gurdwaras are arranging transport from many towns and cities e.g. Birmingham, Bristol, Coventry, Derby, East Ham, Gravesend, Leicester, Nottingham, Southampton, Walsall, Willenhall, Wolverhampton etc. Those in and around London - Hounslow, Slough, Southall etc. will mainly be travelling by public transport.

By underground

Nearby stations include

Holborn (Piccadilly and Central Lines)

Covent Garden (Piccadilly Line)

Charing Cross (Northern and Jubilee Lines)

Temple (Circle and District Lines)

By Bus

Some of the buses stopping close to the High Commission include 9, 11, 15, 23, 68, 77, 168.

Please make an effort to attend. Volunteers to distribute "postcards" to those in and around the Indian High Commission should email sikhfederationuk@yahoo.co.uk

[H4RPAL]

Does anyone know the details from Coventry? Which gurdwara is the coach going from?

[Guest Jahan]

Flyer for the protest:

INDIA'S DISGRACEFUL RECORD SINCE GAINING INDEPENDENCE IN 1947

Every year Sikh representatives from across the UK take part in a symbolic protest outside the Indian High Commission in London on India's Republic and Independence Days on 26 January and 15 August respectively. The aim is to highlight our demand for Sikh Independence and the atrocities committed against the Sikhs since 1947.

Partition in 1947 resulted in 40% of all Sikhs becoming refugees and an estimated 500,000 lost their lives. The Sikh homeland - Panjab: the land of the five rivers - changed from a settled and prosperous area to a violent and overcrowded frontier zone.

Promises made to Sikhs prior to independence were quickly forgotten resulting in Sikh representatives refusing to sign the Indian Constitution. Since 1947 the Indian authorities have systematically discriminated against the Sikhs and suppressed all demands for greater autonomy.

In June 1984 the Indian army attacked the Golden Temple Complex and massacred tens of thousands of innocent Sikh pilgrims in cold blood, many with their hands and feet bound, including women and children. This laid the foundation stone for the establishment of an independent sovereign Sikh State - KHALISTAN.

In November 1984 over 20,000 innocent Sikhs were massacred in Delhi and cities throughout India by well-orchestrated mobs under the direct supervision of senior Indian politicians and officials. Successive governments in India have

failed to take any actions against those responsible for the anti-Sikh pogroms of November 1984.

For the last 25-30 years all calls for freedom and independence have been suppressed by the Indian authorities, who have unleashed a rein of terror through the gross violation of human rights. The murder and disappearances of over 250,000 Sikhs since 1984 and the illegal detention and torture of Sikhs are well documented by independent human rights organisations. Virtually none of those responsible for human rights violations - including torture, deaths in custody, extra-judicial executions and "disappearances" of Sikhs have been brought to justice. An atmosphere has been created where Indian government officials believe that they can violate people’s fundamental rights with total impunity.

Why does the Indian Government continue to deny full access to Panjab to the international community i.e. the UN Rapporteur on Torture and international human rights groups, such as Amnesty International?

Why does India fail to recognise the International Criminal Court, which represents a major advance in international justice and the fight against impunity for perpetrators of international crimes?

Why was India recently the only country not to vote in favour of the UN General Assembly resolution on the protection of human rights while countering terrorism?

Why has India defied the international community and ended the long-standing moratorium on the death penalty?

The experiment of Indian independence has failed. Long term stability in the world will only be possible when the nuclear threat is eliminated from the Indian sub-continent and India accepts its international obligations.

An independent sovereign Sikh State

Khalistan is the only solution

Khalistan would provide the much needed stability that is required and the international community would be strengthened by the hard working, honest and resourceful Sikh Nation.

SIKH FEDERATION (UK)

www.sik

hfederation.com

info@sikhfederation.com

Ps, The Kashmiris will also be protesting, same day, same place, but at the earlier time of 12-2pm. So them your support also.

[Jeevan]

WJKK

WKJF

With the Delhi riots of 1984 how much practical help did Sikh Organisation like the SGPC, DSGMC, Akali Dal etc provide to the victims of the ant-sikh riots? Is it true the victims were largely neglected due to their low caste status particulary as they belonged more to the Mazhabi caste?

'The worst affected areas were however far flung, low income colonies like Trilokpuri, Mongolpuri, Sultanpuri and Palam Colony.'

http://www.sikhworld.co.uk/page21.1.html