Sikh News Discussion – Sikh Federation (UK) raises opposition to death penalty with Prime Minister David Cameron before his visit to India next week and launch a massive international lobby

12 February 2013

The Sikh Federation (UK) has written to UK Prime Minister, David Cameron ahead of his planned visit to India next week.

The letter and other communications by the Sikh Federation (UK) with Ministers at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office have urged David Cameron to raise UK and EU opposition to the death penalty in India.

The opposition to the death penalty has also been raised with French President, Francois Hollande who will be visiting Delhi on February 14-15. This visit will be followed by David Cameron who is also expected to pay his respects at the Harmander Sahib Complex in Amritsar.

Bhai Amrik Singh, Chair of the Sikh Federation (UK) said: ‘The UK and France are two of the five Permanent Members of the United Nations Security Council opposed to the death penalty.  They are expected to voice their concerns in person with the Indian authorities about the worrying and backward trend of the reintroduction of hangings with two in the last three months.’

The letter from Bhai Amrik Singh, Chair of the Sikh Federation (UK), to David Cameron states: ‘The British Sikh community along with many others were alarmed to learn about the latest hanging in India on Saturday. That makes it two hangings in three months and there are worrying signs India has permanently moved backwards as regards the abolition of the death penalty.’

‘The latest hanging is highly provocative and suggests India is signalling a challenge to over 110 nations, including all EU countries, which have rightly turned their back on the barbaric use of the death penalty.’

‘The Foreign and Commonwealth Office has had much correspondence from MPs representing the Sikh community about the plight of Balwant Singh Rajoana and Professor Davinderpal Singh Bhullar in recent years and we fear the politics in India at the present time will mean they could easily go to the gallows in the next few weeks.’

‘We understand you will be in India next week and are also likely to visit the Harmander Sahib (Golden Temple) Complex and sincerely hope you will not shy away from publicly condemning India for carrying out two hangings in the last three months and urge them to immediately reinstate the moratorium against the death penalty.’

In addition, the Sikh Federation (UK) has written to Baroness Stern as Chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group for the Abolition of the Death Penalty and communicated with Fabian Hamilton MP, Chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group for UK Sikhs urging them to also write to David Cameron.

Khalsa Human Rights, the human rights wing of the Sikh Federation (UK) has also issued a letter that can be sent to MPs and MEPs to try and stop the imminent hanging of Professor Davinderpal Singh Bhullar and Balwant Singh Rajoana. Gurdwaras have been urged to get Sangat to sign these letters in large numbers as soon as possible and send to MPs.

The Sikh Federation (UK) has also set in motion activities at the European Parliament in Brussels and at the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva.

Jagtar Singh
London

The Tribune – Rajoana, Bhullar bank on unprecedented appeals

Jangveer Singh, Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, November 21. Unprecedented appeals will decide the fate of Balwant Singh Rajoana, convicted of assassinating former Chief Minister Beant Singh, and Devinderpal Singh Bhullar, a former militant convicted in the bomb blast that injured Maninderjit Bitta besides killing nine others.

Both cases have become emotive issues in Punjab with radical groups, the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) and even Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal demanding clemency for the death row convicts.

While Rajoana is lodged in the Central Jail, Patiala, Bhullar is incarcerated in Delhi. Besides, 14 other death row convicts are lodged in three jails of Punjab. But these convicts still have appeals pending in various courts besides option of mercy petitions.

Four death row convicts have seen their sentences being commuted to life sentences by former President Pratibha Patil earlier this year following a mercy petition, says Inspector General Prisons Jagjit Singh.

Earlier this year, radicals and various Sikh bodies took to the streets after a Chandigarh court sentenced Rajoana to death and fixed the date of hanging for March 31.

Rajoana won a temporary reprieve after Badal met former President Pratibha Patil on the issue. The SGPC filed an unprecedented appeal on behalf of Rajoana. His execution has been stayed till the appeal is processed by the President.

Bhullar’s appeal against his conviction by a lower court was dismissed by the apex court in 2006 and the President rejected his mercy petition in May 2011. He was extradited from Germany in 1995 in the 1993 bomb blast case.

After public petitions and support from political parties, he was given another chance to file a mercy petition.

http://www.tribuneindia.com/2012/20121122/main4.htm

The Tribune – Sikh clergy honours Beant killer Rajoana; SGPC chief lays foundation stone of Bluestar Memorial

Perneet Singh, Tribune News Service

Amritsar, June 6. The Sikh high priests today bestowed the title of ‘Zinda Shaheed’ (living martyr) on Balwant Singh Rajoana, convicted for the assassination of former Chief Minister Beant Singh, on the occasion of the 28th anniversary of Operation Bluestar at the Akal Takht here.

The clergy led by Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Gurbachan Singh presented a plaque, a shawl, a ‘siropa’ and a sword to Bibi Kamaldeep Kaur, Rajoana’s sister, who received the title on his behalf. However, the title was not conferred in the main ceremony, but a couple of hours before it.

Similarly, in an apparent bid to avoid confrontation with “disgruntled” radical groups, the Sikh clergy and SGPC chief Avtar Singh Makkar laid the foundation stone of the Operation Bluestar Memorial in the basement adjoining Gurdwara Thara Sahib in the Golden Temple Complex much before the main programme.

The development took many by surprise since the SGPC had on May 20 held a special ceremony for the launch of ‘kar sewa’ of the memorial. In his address, Giani Gurbachan Singh said the memorial would inspire generations of Sikhs. He also felicitated relatives of those killed in the Army operation. Among them were Isher Singh, son of Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale, Gurmeet Kaur, wife of Bhai Amrik Singh, and Bibi Pyar Kaur, mother of Indira Gandhi’s assassin Satwant Singh.

Later, replying to a media query regarding former CM Captain Amarinder Singh’s opposition to the memorial, Makkar said, “He should not question construction of the memorial. But if he intends to, then he must first explain why he quit the Congress after the Army operation at the Golden Temple in 1984.” The Captain’s mindset has changed after he joined the Congress, he said.

Radical Sikh outfit Dal Khalsa leader Kanwar Pal Singh also wondered how the memorial would disturb peace in the state. “The Congress had attacked the Golden Temple and, therefore, the Captain’s criticism is neither strange nor relevant,” he added.

Differences among Sikh groups over the Operation Bluestar Memorial came to the fore today. SAD (Amritsar) president Simranjeet Singh Mann led the opposition and lashed out at the SGPC for handing over ‘kar sewa’ of the memorial to Damdami Taksal Chief Baba Harnam Singh Khalsa.

Addressing a gathering in front of the Akal Takht, he said the Damdami Taksal was no longer the same organisation once led by Sant Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale. “The Taksal today is openly conniving with the RSS, the BJP and its agent, the SAD,” he alleged.

http://www.tribuneindia.com/2012/20120607/main3.htm