The Sikh Federation (UK) in collaboration with Sikh organisations throughout Europe yesterday organised the first ever European Sikh Lobby Day. With around 150-200 Sikh delegates from across Europe the SIKH FREEDOM LOBBY was expected to be a major step in pushing for greater freedoms for Sikhs. 2. The Federation had pre-arranged around forty separate meetings with UK MEPs with delegates from each region. They were hoping to cover the following four freedom issues: • the freedom of Professor Davinderpal Singh Bhullar and other Sikh political prisoners languishing in Indian jails • the freedom of Sikhs in Europe to practice their faith • the freedom to expose the genocide of Sikhs in 1984 and the widespread abuse of human rights in India • the freedom for Sikhs to exercise their right to self determination On the eve of the lobby the Federation became increasingly concerned that practising Sikhs, some 95% of those attending, may be denied access to the European Parliament because of one of their five essential articles of faith the 'Kirpan'. Neena Gill the only MEP with a Sikh background took up the issue with the Secretary General. Initially the organisers were told by those responsible for security that as Sikhs had pre-arranged meetings with individual MEPs they would have no difficulties entering the EU Parliament provided names of those attending were provided in advance. Around 125 names of Sikhs who were known to be attending were provided the day before the lobby. However, as Sikhs started arriving at the EU Parliament from around 11.30am to meet their elected representatives they were told a decision was made late last night by the Secretary General to deny practising Sikhs the right to enter Parliament unless they were prepared to remove the Kirpan as they were there in relatively large numbers. Several hours of chaos resulted with UK MEPs furious and embarrassed that they were not being entrusted to sign in small groups of Sikhs who had arranged to meet with them. MEPs were totally unaware of the decision to deny people that had elected them the right to meet with them in Parliament. A Federation spokesman said: 'this was a complete fiasco with the EU Parliament denying Sikhs their democratic right to meet and lobby MEPs inside a building they pay for through their taxes'. For some Sikhs the discrimination did not stop there. As several tried to fly back late last night from Belgium to the UK they were stopped by security and told they would only be allowed to fly if they were willing to remove their turbans so they could be inspected. Sikhs were more than willing for security staff to use hand held scanners to examine their turbans as is the case in all other major airports of the world. Jaspal Singh one of the Sikhs caught up in this said: 'To ask a Sikh to remove the turban is highly offensive and for this to be happening in Brussels of all places is something that should not be tolerated. One of the other Sikhs with Jaspal Singh who makes regular trips to Brussels working for the EU who wished not to be named said: 'A similar incident happen to me six months earlier, a written complaint was made at the time to the head of security to provide a copy of the so-called new rules at Brussels airport relating to the Sikh turban and provide an explanation of why hand held scanners could not be used for the Sikh turban that would avoid causing serious offence. No reply had been forthcoming and now the same incident was occurring without explanation.' A further written complaint was made this morning by the two Sikhs who were forced to miss their flights last night. They learnt that many other Sikhs have made written complaints about their treatment and the UK Government had now also raised the matter. The Sikhs affected have vowed to take this issue up with MEPs who said they would take this up with the Belgium authorities at the highest level. Bhai Amrik Singh, the Chairman of the Sikh Federation (UK) said: 'the EU has thrown Sikhs a challenge that we shall rise to. The EU should be about tolerance and valuing diversity, not racism. In a few weeks time we will be back in Brussels in even greater numbers to see if Europe lives up to the freedoms that tens of thousands of practising Sikhs died for in the two World Wars. Events like these are also leading many in the Sikh Diaspora to conclude the Sikhs must have their own sovereign state so governments and countries around the world can appreciate and value what the Sikh Nation has to offer.

Back To Media Library