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Another attempt to deceit? – Indian High Commission says it may start “pilgrim visa” for asylum holder Sikhs in UK
September 22, 2013 | By Sikh Siyasat Bureau
London, United Kingdom (September 22, 2013): It seems that Indian state agencies are putting every effort to build an impression of success for the visit of Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC) president Manjit Singh GK’s visit to the United Kingdom regarding his claimed purpose of visit – i.e. to win over the Sikh hardliners.
Manjeet Singh GK
DSGMC president has declared that he is on a “special mission” to convince “Sikh separatists” towards the (so-called) “Indian Nationalism”. It is notable that DSGMC president is being accompanied by two journalists from Chandgiarh and his visit is being extensively covered by Indian Media to build an impression that he has created major upheavals among the UK Sikhs, and UK Sikhs are anxious to rejoin “mainstream of India”; though the reports from UK suggest that the Sikh diaspora in UK has strongly encountered DSGMC president for his declared stand against the cause of the Sikh nation.
As per recent media reports the Indian High Commission in the UK has said a new “pilgrimage visa” may soon be facilitated for family members of around 15,000 Sikhs provided asylum in Britain — who had entered the country during the period around 1984 — to allow them to visit Sikh shrines in India.
The decision was reportedly taken after Indian High Commission officials met the 11-member delegation of Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC) led by September 20, 2013.
As per certain media reports [t]hose for whom pilgrimage visa is sought also includes the 232 Sikhs in the UK who figure in the black list prepared by the Indian government.
According to a news reported by Times of India (TOI): [t]he government had prepared two “black lists” – one had names of persons against whom there were adverse reports for being involved in anti-India campaigns, while the other carried names of those NRIs who had sought political asylum in different countries.
On the issue of so-called “black-list” of Sikhs, it is notable that recently a Punjab cop had told Punjab and Haryana High Court that the names of Sikhs going abroad during mid-1980s-to-mid-1990s were blindly added to the black-list terming them all as “terrorists”.
It is notable that the “black-list” was being used by the Indian state as a tool of political control to contain the Sikh diaspora activism.
Recently the Indian officials, including Indian ministers, faced strong opposition from the Sikh diaspora sections who questioned Indian authorities over the denial of justice to the victims of Sikh genocide, and on the issue of accommodating the culprits accused for carrying genocidal massacre of the Sikhs. The trip of Manjit Singh GK is part of Indian state’s efforts to contain the Sikh diaspora activism.
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Related Topics: Black List Issue, Indian State, Manjit Singh GK, Sikh Diaspora, Sikhs in United Kingdom
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