Sikh Federation (UK) – Two-day European lobby focusing on human rights violations in India proves huge success

26 January 2013

A Sikh Federation (UK) team returned this week from a two-day lobby in Brussels. Two meetings took place with the European Commission and UK representatives had separate meetings with 10 different UK MEPs.

One of the meetings with the European Commission was with staff working for Siim Kallas, the Vice-President and European Commissioner for Transport to discuss respect for the Sikh turban and airport security (this has been reported separately).

At the other meeting the Sikh Federation (UK) led a 14-member European-wide delegation of Sikhs to meet with five key staff working for Baroness Catherine Ashton, the Vice-President of the European Commission and High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy. These staff work for the European External Action Service (EEAS), the EU’s diplomatic service set up in December 2010.

This meeting was the third such meeting with the European Commission organised by the Sikh Federation (UK) in recent years to discuss EU relations with India, the death penalty and human rights abuses in India with those responsible for human rights and day-to-day dealings with India on behalf of the EU. There was a frank exchange of views on a wide-range of issues and the meeting was appreciated by both sides given the quickly developing situation in India.

Using the example of mass protests by the younger generation in Punjab in support of Balwant Singh Rajaona and more recently against the treatment of women a view was expressed that the events of the last 12 months have shown India is far more unstable than many had previously been prepared to accept.

It was pointed out that in recent weeks the world media has drawn attention to the criminalisation of politics in India, a failing judicial system that allows the rich and powerful to escape justice for serious crimes and problems such as drug addiction in Punjab that the Indian State is deliberately allowing or worse still promoting.

The fact that one third of the members of the Indian Parliament have either been convicted or arrested and charged with serious criminal offences, such as murder, rape, kidnapping, robbery and extortion was not lost on those the Sikh delegation were meeting.

Staff at the European Commission working for Baroness Catherine Ashton were clearly far more receptive to the idea that there are systemic failings in the workings of the Indian State and unless there is radical reform issues like the treatment of women, minorities and the huge gap between the rich and poor could result in the break-up of India. Given the importance of EU trade with India, in the present economic climate, it was suggested the EU may need to look at the distinct possibility of a different scenario that could include the existence of a separate Sikh homeland.

In the meetings that took place with the European Commission and UK MEPs the following specific human rights issues were discussed:

- on-going death row cases of Davinderpal Singh Bhullar and Balwant Singh Rajaona who have been in prison for 18 and 17 years respectively

- alse arrest and torture in September 2012 of opposition leaders Kulbir Singh Barapind, an elected member of the SGPC and Daljit Singh Bittu who have both chosen the path of political engagement

- 10-year imprisonment of 93-year old Dr Assa Singh and 11 others, many in their 60s and 70s, in November 2012 for the Ludhiana bank robbery some 25 years ago using circumstantial evidence under the infamous TADA legislation, widely condemned by Amnesty International and the United Nations Human Rights Council and supposedly abolished in 1995

In addition, whilst reference was made to the lack of justice following the genocide of Sikhs in June and November 1984 and the visit of Kamal Nath to EU countries certain cases were highlighted where Sikhs have been killed in the last two years. The significance of the Sikh media in raising awareness within the Sikh Diaspora, in particular the 1 million Sikhs in Europe and the 1 million Sikhs in Canada and the USA was not lost on officials and politicians listening. The five cases highlighted were:

- Illegal police detention, torture and beating to death of Shaminder Singh Shera in January 2011

- arrest, torture and mysterious death in police custody of Sohanjit Singh under mysterious circumstances in March 2011

- apprehension, torture by police and killing of Veer Singh in January 2012

- death due to serious burns of Kulwant Singh in Central Amritsar Jail in February 2012, he had previously been admitted to hospital with life threatening injuries as a result of police torture

- 18-year-old Jaspal Singh was killed by police bullets in an unprovoked firing during a peaceful protest in March 2012

Various separate meetings took place with UK MEPs that explored with each one depending on their specific roles how they could assist the Sikh community in exposing the human rights abuses highlighted. This included two party groupings who can speak in debates to raise issues, members of various delegations, including the India delegation and South Asia delegation and members of sub committees such as the one for human rights. Some agreed to raise parliamentary questions and others said they could use their various positions to raise matters on behalf of Sikhs.

MEPs that held meetings in alphabetical order were: Stuart Agnew, Phil Bennion, Derek Clark, Roger Helmer, Jean Lambert, Linda McAvan, Edward McMillan-Scott, Bill Newton Dunn, Peter Skinner and Charles Tannock.

Jagtar Singh
London

Sikhs win and exercise the right to wear kirpans when entering the European parliament in Brussel / Bruxelles to meet MEPs

24 January 2013

The Sikh Federation (UK) started to organise the mass lobbying of MEPs by visiting them at the European Parliament in Brussels around eight years ago.

Around 250 Sikhs from across Europe attended the first ever lobby and after initially agreeing to allow Amritdhari Sikhs to wear the Kirpan when entering the main European Parliament building this decision was reversed on the morning of the first lobby.

UK MEPs informed Sikhs taking part in the lobby this restriction was as a direct result of pressure on the Secretary General responsible for administration from the Indian Ambassador based in the European Parliament by suggesting a ban on the Kirpan was appropriate.

The Indian authorities did not want Sikhs lobbying about human rights abuses in India e.g. the case of Professor Davinderpal Singh Bhullar, or issues related to the Sikh identity and were prepared to go to extreme lengths to try and stop Sikhs lobbying by asking for the Kirpan to be banned.

Given the opposition from India the Sikh Federation (UK) encouraged Sikhs to take a stand by organising an annual lobby at the European Parliament in Brussels.  Initially the Sikh Federation (UK) organised venues adjacent to the Parliament building so MEPs were encouraged to meet Sikhs from across Europe.  However, in addition smaller groups of Sikhs, including Amritdharis wearing the Kirpan, successfully entered the European Parliament following pressure from MEPs setting a precedent that this was possible.

UK MEPs continued to exert pressure and this resulted in a large conference room holding around 300 being made available each year in the Eastman Building of the European Parliament complex where Sikhs were allowed to wear the Kirpan. However, very few MEPs other than those from the UK were prepared to leave the main European Parliament building to speak in the inconveniently located Eastman Building.

The issue remained that large numbers of Amritdhari Sikhs could not freely enter the main European Parliament building to meet MEPs for pre-arranged meetings so Sikhs have been protesting each year.  One year Sikh men, women and children protested with MEPs by holding a peaceful sit down protest blocking two of the three entrances to the main European Parliament building.  This attracted considerable media attention and highlighted the issue and created pressure for change.

In recent years the Sikh Federation (UK) has not been arranging large lobbies, but instead sending Sikhs to speak at events or meet MEPs as necessary.  This was also in part as Sikhs in many mainland European countries have been unable to establish the sorts of links Sikhs have had with UK MEPs.

However, in the last 12 months the Sikh Federation (UK) has been establishing its own network across Europe and setting up sister organisations to get Sikhs more active in engaging with politicians.  The two-day lobby organised by the Sikh Federation (UK) at the start of this week was therefore the first test of the working of this set up.

The Sikh Federation (UK) appealed to its contacts in Italy, Germany, France, Belgium etc. to keep numbers to around five representatives from each country.  This was deliberate as the Federation wanted a much more focused lobby with around a dozen meetings over the two days and to test whether Sikhs could exercise the right to enter the European Parliament (and European Commission) in relatively large numbers while wearing their Kirpans.

The Sikh Federation (UK) is delighted to announce that Sikhs having taken a robust stand on the wearing of the Kirpan when entering the European Parliament and European Commission buildings have in effect had the restriction on the Kirpan removed for pre-arranged meetings when it is known who will be in attendance.  Behind the scenes work involving MEPs, especially in the last 12 months with those responsible for security, meant that all turban wearing Sikhs – Amritdhari or not were fully respected and had all security waived when entering the European Parliament and at the two European Commission meetings.

Sikh federation
sikhfederationuk@yahoo.co.uk

Brussel Luxemburgplein 29/04/2012 – Balwant Singh Rajoana must not hang !

Demonstration near European Parliament
One Waremme Singhani, One unknown lady and One Man in Blue