The appointment of Manmohan Singh as the Prime Minister of India has had and will continue to have a positive impact on issues concerning the Sikh identity. It has been reported by media throughout the world that India now has "the first Sikh and first non-Hindu prime minister". This is an important statement in its own right.
Since 9/11 and the Taliban, the turban has been seen incorrectly by some, as a negative symbol and associated with Muslims. A Sikh Prime Minister in a turban who will travel throughout the world should do much to educate non-Sikhs about the Sikh identity. However, the extent to which Manmohan Singh will actively protect and promote the Sikh identity is questionable given he appears to be failing the Sikhs over the Dastaar issue, concerning Sikh children in French schools.
Another positive aspect of Manmohan Singh's appointment is that he has a "clean" image unlike many politicians in India who are seen as corrupt and in politics for personal gain. His "clean" image comes from the fact that he is not really a politician, but a "bureaucrat" turned politician.
Manmohan Singh is a Sikh, which he can not deny. But the "honeymoon" period is coming to an end and he will now be judged by Sikhs by his actions. Manmohan Singh has yet to prove he genuinely holds power. One of his first actions was to appoint Jagdish Tytler as a Minister which has not gone down well with the Sikhs. Manmohan Singh should recall the impact of November 1984 when he sold his house in Model Town near Delhi University and bought a place instead in Chandigarh, where he felt safer.
In the early 1990s Manmohan Singh represented the Indian Government at the Human Rights Commission in Geneva and denied any atrocities were committed by the authorities in Panjab. Now he is Prime Minister he has the opportunity to put the record straight. His image as a "clean" politician can only be enhanced if he combines this with "honesty" and allows Amnesty International and the UN Rapporteur on Torture access to Panjab, which they have been denied for the last 20 years.
Those that suggest that the appointment of Manmohan Singh as the Prime Minister has in some way reduced the damage and hurt caused to the Sikh psyche by the events of 1984 and the widespread human rights abuses that followed are mistaken. The Sikhs will never forget the events of 1984 and will ensure justice is delivered. Justice can only be delivered when Sikhs in the Indian sub-continent are able to freely exercise their right to self-determination. The Sikh Federation (UK) believe this will ultimately result in the establishment of an independent sovereign Sikh State of Khalistan.
