London: The Labour Leader for Derby City Council, Nadine Peatfield has today written to the Deputy Prime Minister following a motion debated on 18 September that was unanimously passed by elected councillors from all political parties in Derby.
The Sikh Federation (UK) has been liaising with the Council Leader since the motion was passed and earlier today, she kindly copied us her letter just before it was sent to the Deputy Prime Minister.
Dabinderjit Singh, the Lead Executive for political engagement, said: “We requested that the Council Leader call should be for a judge-led public inquiry as there will be a need for a judge to examine sensitive material, such as the specific advice and assistance provided by the SAS in carrying out the June 1984 attack.”
The Council Leader’s letter specifically states: “The best way to provide the truth on the historic role the British government played in June 1984 is through a public inquiry led by a judge.” The truth on the role of the British government is needed by the public at large and not only the worldwide Sikh community.
The Council motion and the letter sent today to the Deputy Prime Minister refers to the “terrible attacks on Sikhs in June and November 1984 when many Sikh men, women and children needlessly lost their lives.”
The letter to the Deputy Prime Minister also states: “I have been asked to write to you to request a timeline on when the promised inquiry into the role Britain played in these attacks will take place.”
The Council Leader also thanked the “Labour Party for its perseverance in the pursuit of the truth over the last 10 years since the 1984 papers were released in 2014.”
Dabinderjit Singh, added
“This letter from the Derby City Council Leader adds to Sikh community pressure for the Labour government to start a judge-led public inquiry in the 40th anniversary year.”
“Hundreds of MPs up and down the country with Sikh constituents need to encourage the Foreign Secretary as we approach 100 days of a Labour government to announce the public inquiry in Parliament this year.”
“Since the Derby City Council motion we have provided a carefully worded draft motion to more than half a dozen other Labour-led councils that are under consideration and could result in similar action that will create further pressure on the Labour government.”
“Labour must honour its 10-year promise to provide the truth about the advice and assistance given by the Margaret Thatcher led government in the June 1984 massacre of Sikhs.”
“The judge-led public inquiry must also expose the full truth of anti-Sikh measures requested by the Indian government against the Sikh minority in Britain in the Thatcher era from 1979 and 1990 .”
“The Sacrificing Sikhs report we published in November 2017, based on around 50% of the UK government papers already released, suggests there will be many revelations in a public inquiry on Indian government interference and targeting of Sikh activists in the UK.”
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