Media Library - Federation's response to developments in India

Sikh activists from in and around Slough are preparing to give a different kind of reception to the Indian High Commissioner when he holds a public meeting in Slough Town Hall tomorrow evening (Friday 16 June). He will be appearing between 7-8pm and aims to discuss dual nationality.

Sikhs from a number of local organisations in and around Slough are expected to be in attendance at the public meeting and have vowed to challenge the Indian High Commissioner on India's treatment of the Sikhs during the question and answer session.

A spokesman for the Sikh Secretariat who has been organising Sikh activists behind the scenes said: 'We wish to challenge the Indian High Commissioner face to face and in public. We will be doing this in an organised and professional manner and have been careful not to publicise what we have planned until the last minute. This was necessary as there was a danger he would cancel fearing being embarrassed by our questions. In the dual nationality debate we will be setting out why Sikhs should reject India and its nationality and that Sikhs should be pushing for outright independence with international support.'

'We will be highlighting how the Indian state has totally failed the Sikhs. They have reneged on the promises made to the Sikhs before we led the struggle for independence. They promised that Sikhs would be given full rights in India and that no law would be passed without consulting Sikhs.'

'At the Lahore session of the Congress Party on December 31, 1929 it was stated "...in future, the Congress shall accept no constitution which does not meet with the satisfaction of the Sikhs". However, when the Indian constitution was written Sikhs refused to sign it as Article (Dhara) 25 declared Sikhism as part of Hinduism.'

'Article 25 alone and the lack of legal recognition of Sikhs in India is enough for us to reject India and its nationality. The Indian High Commissioner should be ashamed to show his face in a town such as Slough, which has a large Sikh population.'

''We will also be reminding him and others present that the Indian State has the blood of thousands of innocent Sikhs and other minorities on its hands and it is insulting for him to ignore this and talk about dual nationality as though nothing has happened. India must be bought to account for the genocide of Sikhs in 1984.'

'We will ask him how he has the nerve to ask British Sikhs to agree to dual nationality when the likes of Balram Jhakhar, the former speaker in the Indian Parliament said: "To preserve the unity of India, if we have to eradicate 20 million (2-kror) Sikhs, we will do so".

A local spokesman for the Sikh Federation (UK) said: 'we urge Sikhs and other minorities in the South East to turn up and challenge the Indian High Commissioner. He should be left in no doubt that Sikhs reject India and will not rest until we achieve our freedom.'

WHY SIKHS SHOULD REJECT INDIA AND ITS NATIONALITY

1. The Indian state has totally failed the Sikhs.

2. The leadership at the time of independence reneged on the promises made to the Sikhs, despite Sikhs contributing far beyond their numbers during the struggle for India's independence.

3. Despite being less than 2% of the population out of 2,125 martyrs, 1,550 were Sikhs; out of 2,646 political prisoners deported to the Andaman Islands, 2,1467 were Sikhs; out of 127 sent to the gallows, 92 of them were Sikhs; and in the first Indian Liberation Army of 20,000, Sikhs numbered 12,000.

4. The Indian leadership promised that Sikhs would be given full rights in India and that no law would be passed without consulting Sikhs.

5. At the Lahore session of the Congress Party on December 31, 1929 it was stated "...in future, the Congress shall accept no constitution which does not meet with the satisfaction of the Sikhs".

6. However, when the Indian constitution was written Sikhs refused to sign it as Article (Dhara) 25 declared Sikhism as part of Hinduism.

7. The refusal to recognise and accept the distinct Sikh identity in the Constitution were later perpetuated in the ensuing legislation called the Hindu Code i.e. Hindu Marriage Act 1955, Hindu Succession Act 1956, Hindu Adoption and Maintenance Act 1956 and Hindu Minority and Guardianship Act 1956.

8. Soon after the advent of independent India V B Patel the then Home Minister of India sent a circular to the officers in the high echelon of the state that 'Sikhs are a nation of criminals and be treated as such.'

9. Straight after independence the government of India systematically and continuously acted to suppress the Sikhs in their political and religious affairs and weaken them economically.

10. Sikhs should learn from the past that the Indian state and its leadership can not be trusted as regards Sikh interests.

11. For the last 30 years all calls for freedom and independence by Sikhs in India have been suppressed by the Indian authorities, who have unleashed a rein of terror through gross violation of human rights.

12. Virtually none of those responsible for these human rights violations - including torture, deaths in custody, extra-judicial executions and "disappearances" of Sikhs have been brought to justice.

13. India is denying the Sikhs their lawful right to self determination and has demonstrated by its oppressive actions that the international community, its members and institutions have an obligation to act.

14. Today the flame of freedom continues to burn brightly in the hearts of Sikhs, not least because of the lack of justice for the murder and disappearance of over 250,000 Sikhs since 1984. Sikh political prisoners continue to be held in India without charge and trial. However, our struggle to regain our lost sovereignty remains stronger than ever.

15. Sikhs in the Diaspora should if they are true to their faith and community reject India, its constitution and nationality. In the UK some 70-80% of Sikhs have British nationality and should reject outright the notion of Indian dual nationality. Without doubt dual nationality will leave Sikhs with less protection from the UK Government than they are currently entitled to when abroad, especially when in India.

INDIAN HIGH COMMISSIONER FAILS TO SHOW AT PUBLIC MEETING BUT SENDS REPRESENTATIVE

On Sunday 11 June a representative of the Indian Welfare Society announced at Sri Guru Singh Sabha Gurdwara, Slough that the Indian High Commissioner would be holding a public meeting at the Town Hall on Friday 16 June between 7-8pm to discuss dual nationality. This was confirmed by Slough Town Hall officials in the Press and Communications Office on Tuesday 13 June.

However, today the Sikh Secretariat has learnt that the Indian High Commissioner will not be taking part, instead Rajat Bagchi, the Minister for Co-ordination at the High Commission of India is hoping to attend. Sikh activists from in and around Slough announced last night they would be challenging the Indian High Commissioner on India's treatment of the Sikhs during the question and answer session. Also the Sikh Secretariat late last night informed representatives of other minority communities that have faced persecution in India of the visit. Many are saying the Indian High Commissioner was scared of facing the 'music'.

Sikh activists and other minority communities have confirmed they will be continuing with their challenge to the Indian High Commission representative at the public meeting this evening as it does not change the issues they wanted to raise.