Sikhs pay respects to victims of 9/11 and 7/7 Over 10,000 Sikhs from across the UK attended the third Convention of the Sikh Federation (UK) at Guru Nanak Sikh Gurdwara, Sedgley Street, Wolverhampton and paid their respects to the victims of 9/11 on the 4th anniversary and reflected on the mistaken targeting of Sikhs following 9/11 and the 7/7 London bombings. Sikhs called on the Government to look closely at issues of concern to Sikhs and not simply focus all their efforts towards communities with 'problems'. The key note speakers at the Convention were Patrick Mercer OBE MP, the Shadow Minister for Homeland Security and Alex Salmond MP, the Leader of the Scottish National Party. They expressed their gratitude for the Sikh community in being a model community that is hard working and reflected on the immense contribution of Sikhs throughout the world. UK Sikhs to increase political clout with massive increase in membership of political parties The Sikh Federation (UK) has been leading the way to ensure Sikhs increase their political activism and networking. Many successful events e.g. Sikh Lobby Days of Parliament and related initiatives e.g. Parliamentary debates, Parliamentary Questions, Early Day Motions etc. have resulted. To coincide with the Convention the Federation announced it has entered into partnership with the three mainstream political parties to encourage Sikhs to take up membership of political parties in much larger numbers. The Chairman of all three mainstream political parties - Rt. Hon. Ian McCartney MP, Rt. Hon. Francis Maude MP and Simon Hughes MP (President) - are collaborating with the Federation to try and convert the Sikhs reputation of honesty and hard work into greater political representation over the next decade and beyond. In the past Sikhs have focused on ensuring better political representation by those they have elected. Their was no better example than However, every politician speaking said whilst it was important to ensure pressure was maintained to ensure Sikh issues were taken up by politicians from across the political spectrum it was inexcusable that practising Sikhs had not yet entered the Commons and Lords to take these issues up directly. Liz Lynne MEP for the Liberal Democrats in the West Midlands spoke of the need to extend this also to the European level. The Federation's work with each of the main parties is now helping open the door for articulate young practising Sikhs to come forward and enter the Commons and Lords and bring a new meaning to 'Raj Kerga Khalsa'. UK Government urged to have proper consultation and address Sikh concerns Rob Marris MP, the Chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group for UK Sikhs spoke of the campaign on behalf of the Sikh community to ensure its interests and concerns are properly addressed by the UK Government. He will set out some of the key areas where MPs from across the political spectrum are working in partnership to ensure Sikh concerns are registered and acted upon by the UK Government. These include proper consultation, protecting the right of Sikhs to freely practice their faith, separate recognition and monitoring of Sikhs, appropriate representation of Sikh issues in the EU and on the international stage, justice for Sikhs for 1984 and raising human rights concerns with the Indian Government. UK Government urged to use its Presidency of the EU to defend the Sikh identity In recent years the visible Sikh identity has been increasingly challenged and threatened in the UK and in other parts of the EU. Sikhs meeting to mark the 4th anniversary of 9/11 feel let down by the UK Government in that it has not adequately acknowledged and tackled race hate crimes against Sikhs and their religious institutions. Also increased security concerns since 9/11 have unfairly affected Sikhs in many walks of life, from security cleared airport workers to members of the public trying to obtain public services in government buildings. Sikhs who travel and live in other parts of Europe are increasingly facing religious discrimination. The UK Government has not done enough to represent the rights of Sikhs to practice their faith, whether it is in the context of France, Belgium or EU regulations imposed on the UK against its wishes. The Sikh Federation (UK) will also be announcing at the Convention that a major Sikh Identity Conference will be hosted on 29 November by Ken Livingstone, the Mayor of London. The conference at City Hall in London will have the largest ever gathering of Ministers and policy makers for a Sikh event and is expected to result in a major shift in government policy and attitude towards the Sikh community. Call for international action to get Sikhs justice for 1984 Politicians from all the main political parties attending the National Sikh Convention are expected to declare the recent apology for the 1984 anti-Sikh pogroms by Manmohan Singh, the Indian Prime Minister as too little too late. The politicians whilst welcoming the apology, which admits the state and the Congress was at fault and directly responsible for the killing of innocent Sikhs will call for international action to bring justice to the Sikhs. Politicians are expected to reveal the UK Government is now likely to support a UN inquiry into the events of 1984. The Federation are pushing for the investigation to look at the failure of successive Indian Governments to take action and ensure those responsible for the indiscriminate killings of Sikhs are prosecuted. Politicians call on India to release all Sikh political prisoners The Sikh Federation (UK) has been lobbying for the release of all Sikh political prisoners held without trial or held under false or fabricated charges in Indian jails. Politicians are expected to urge the UK Government to urgently address the problem of long term imprisonment without trial in India. Rob Marris MP, the Chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group for UK Sikhs is expected to reveal the UK Foreign Office has disclosed there are approximately 225,000 in Indian prisons awaiting trial, which is equivalent to 74% of the total prison population. Recent media reports have also highlighted the cases of five people held without charge or trial for over thirty years (54 years in one case). UK Government to be urged to deny entry to Indian politicians, police officers, army personnel involved in genocide and human rights violations Patrick Mercer OBE MP, the Shadow Minister for Homeland Security, is expected to back calls by the Sikh Federation (UK) and Ken Livingstone, the Mayor of London, that the UK Government should include those implicated in the anti-Sikh pogroms of November 1984, torture, disappearances, fake encounters and elimination of human rights activists on an 'exclusion' list of those responsible for 'crimes against humanity'. This will prevent them from visiting the UK. Liz Lynne, a Liberal Democrat MEP is expected to announce UK MEPs will form an alliance against those involved in 'crimes against humanity' to extend the UK policy of exclusion across Europe. The Sikh Federation (UK) has argued action by governments in Europe against those responsible for 'crimes against humanity' is essential in the fight against terrorism. Party leader gives support for the Sikhs right to self determination and an independent state Alex Salmond MP, the Leader of the Scottish National Party, will be addressing over 10,000 Sikhs at the National Sikh Convention this weekend and is expected to address the issue of not only the Sikhs right to self determination, but also support their campaign for an independent sovereign Sikh State. Liz Lynne MEP is also expected to repeat the Liberal Democrats support for the Sikhs right to self determination and the Sikhs campaign to regain their lost sovereignty.

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