London, UK (KP) - It has come to light in the past few days that a meeting has taken place between a Sikh businessman from the UK and Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. Sources have revealed that a meeting took place on 29 April when a "Memorandum" was handed to Manmohan Singh setting out issues concerning the Sikh community in the UK. The Sikh businessman has been named as Gurmail Singh Mahli from Southall and is thought to have been the messenger who agreed to convey the Memorandum and its contents.
Monitoring of Sikhs by public bodies in the UK
It has been revealed that the Memorandum urges Manmohan Singh to support Sikhs living in the UK to receive proper recognition and fair treatment as regards employment, resources and public service provision by UK public bodies.
The specific request that has been made is for the UK Government to be urged to change the statutory Code of Practice relating to the Race Relations (Amendment) Act 2000 to ensure Sikhs are separately monitored for public service provision and employment by public bodies, such as schools, hospitals, local authorities, Government Departments etc.
Sikhs have been legally recognised as an ethnic/racial group following the Mandla v Lee case in the House of Lords in 1983 and have the cross-party support of over 200 UK MPs on this issue. However, UK policy and decision makers in public bodies continue to ignore this important legal precedence for over past 20 years.
It is understood a demand has been made that Manmohan Singh makes a public statement of support for British Sikhs and exert direct pressure on the UK Prime Minister to recognise this important right for Sikhs living in the UK.
It has been previously though in UK Sikh Community that the reason the UK Government has not recognised Sikhs as separate entity is due to pressure by previous Indian Governments. It is therefore thought that direct pressure applied by Indian Government with regards to this matter could see a direct change in policy by UK Government and see Sikhs monitored as a separate entity in UK.
Raising awareness about Sikhs
The Memorandum has also set out the background issue by explaining that since 9/11 Sikhs, as the most visible minority in the UK, have become the innocent victims of "mistaken identity". The UK Government has taken very limited positive actions in raising the awareness of the general public, those employed in the public sector and EU partners about the importance of the Sikh identity.
Due to a lack of knowledge, proper understanding and respect for Sikh articles of faith the number of incidents of difficulty continues to increase - especially in an EU context. A lack of proper consultation with practising Sikhs that are able to properly articulate the complex issues involved is adding to concerns within the community.
It was further explained that the UK Home Office recently announced it will be drawing up a code of practice concerning the wearing of Kirpans by Sikh employees. It is important for the Home Office to consult Sikh organisations that represent grassroots opinion and the views of Amritdhari Sikhs. Government Ministers and officials continue to ignore such organisations, but instead deal with individuals who provide inappropriate advice and remain unaccountable to Sikh grassroots.
In the Memorandum Manmohan Singh was urged to encourage the UK Government to try and ensure the code of practice extends to all Sikh articles of faith and to all Sikhs - employees and members of the public that also experience difficulties. It was further suggested that the UK Government undertake a major project across government in conjunction with the Sikh community to develop a strategy to address and find solutions to issues concerning the safeguarding of the Sikh identity and articles of faith.
Rights of French Sikh children
The Memorandum explained the banning of "ostensible signs of religion" from public schools is causing huge problems for Sikhs in France. The issue is not confined to schools but also affects public employees. Sikhs with turbans are not able to have IDs wearing their turbans, lecture at University or become police officers, teachers etc. This has an impact on the right of Sikhs in Europe to freely travel and work in France. Similar difficulties are being experienced by Sikhs to freely practice the Sikh faith in other parts of Europe.
The Memorandum said: "We understand you will be meeting with the French President in July 2005 at the G8 Conference in Scotland and the French law will be formally reviewed by September. The Sikh Diaspora in the UK, Canada, US and Germany are urging G8 leaders to raise this issue with you and the French President at the G8 conference with a view to removing all restrictions on Sikh articles of faith.
A UK source has explained Sikhs in Germany and Canada are understood to have already raised the issue in the context of the G8 conference with Chancellor Shroeder in Germany and Prime Minister Paul Martin in Canada. Specific approaches in the same context are underway in the UK with the re-election of Prime Minister Tony Blair and Sikhs in the US are planning to raise the matter with President George Bush before he departs for the UK for the G8 conference.
Punjab Issues
The Memorandum explained that British university research has shown that unless urgent remedial action is taken, Panjab will become a desert by the year 2030, leading to tremendous environmental damage. The question of Panjab river waters touches on the future survival of Panjab as an agricultural state; and concerns the Sikh diaspora with strong family links in Panjab. This issue needs to be settled in accordance with international riparian laws, and the Panjab agricultural policy changed to provide incentives for producing a diversity of crops. Further damage is being done by extensive use of fertilisers and agricultural output of several crops in a year and diverting Panjab rivers water away to other Indian states.
Currently the UK Government gives hundreds of millions of pounds of aid to India each year, for water irrigation schemes, electrical power, education schemes, etc. A fair share of this aid should go to Panjab to address some of the most urgent ecological issues. Manmohan Singh has been urged to ensure a balanced development in Panjab.
Sikhs back in Panjab face discrimination on all levels, may that be in agriculture where by a farmer is restricted to what he can sell and where he may sell it to Sikh Panjabi residents going to other parts of India and building houses which are then knocked down over night by Government officials where as in same states illegal squatters are allowed to live on land with free electricity, waters, etc. Discrimination and the environment of Panjab is very close to hearts of Sikhs in UK and other western countries as they realise the urgency they face and the consequences if no action is taken with regards to situation over river water.
Global Image of Sikhs
The Memorandum concluded with issues where direct and immediate action can be taken that would demonstrate Manmohan Singh can make a real difference to the worldwide image of Sikhs. For example, it was pointed out the previous BJP Government of India introduced a ban on a number of Sikh organisations under POTA. A similar ban and restrictions on Sikh organisations exists in the UK and Canada and following a UN order many countries throughout the world imposed financial restrictions on certain Sikh organisations following 9/11. 9/11 had nothing to do with the Sikhs and the situation in Panjab has been largely peaceful for almost fifteen years. Given Manmohan Singh's efforts to improve relations with neighbouring countries he was implored to take the lead in removing restrictions on Sikh organisations, removing Sikhs from black lists that reportedly still exist that prevent the issue of travel documents or the freedom to travel to India and look to eliminate any Sikhs from lists of the "most wanted" that were also introduced by the last BJP Government.
The Memorandum explained the lack of justice for the victims of anti-Sikh pogroms of November 1984, the release of Sikh political prisoners and the need for the prosecution of police officers involved in human rights violations in Panjab remain highly emotive issues for Sikhs throughout the world. It was made very clear, that progress on these areas was essential with a particular emphasis on the immediate release of Sikh political prisoners.
Whilst the Memorandum has not been attributed to particular British Sikh organisations the issues, contents and wording indicate the likely sources. Sikh organisations in the UK that have been active in the political lobbying process to secure greater rights for British Sikhs are believed to have influenced the wording of the Memorandum. Progress on these issues would indicate a greater political maturity by all concerned and should be welcomed as the aim is to secure beneficial change for Sikhs across the globe.
It is hoped that Manmohan Singh will take notice of this Memorandum and look to take actions with regards to it. The five issues highlighted are sum of the most important concerns Sikhs are facing in the world and require immediate action.
Fauja Singh can be reached at fauja.singh@panthic.org
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