Over Seas
UK: David Cameron faces a boycott of Tory candidates by Sikhs if he refuses to discuss Sikh concerns about Amritsar Massacre
February 16, 2014 | By Sikh Siyasat Bureau
London, United Kingdom (February 16, 2014): “Thousands of Sikh voters could boycott Conservative candidates at next year’s general election in protest at David Cameron’s refusal to launch a public inquiry into Britain’s role in the 1984 Amritsar massacre”, The Telegraph has reported.
Tim Ross, Political Correspondent of The Telegraph has noted in has recent news-report that: “Sikh groups said their members were ‘angry’ that the Prime Minister had failed to meet with them to discuss their concerns over the narrow scope of a Whitehall review into the atrocity at the city’s Golden Temple”.
David Cameron launched the probe last month after archive documents suggested that a British officer helped the Indian authorities with plans to attack Harmandar Sahib
As per information British PM Cameron has been given a deadline of this Thursday to agree to an urgent meeting with representatives of the Sikh Federation or face a mass protest outside Downing Street and political consequences at future election.
Britain’s estimated 7,00,000 Sikhs tend to live in large communities in urban areas which include some marginal constituencies in parts of London, Birmingham and the wider West Midlands.
Bhai Dabinderjit Singh of the Sikh Federation UK told Sikh Siaysat News that their organization is has launched a mass letter-writing campaign in which Sikhs living across the UK will be be writing letters to their MPs demanding that they back calls for a full public inquiry.
“MPs who refuse to support the call are likely to be banned from Sikh Gurdwaras and will face losing the votes of Sikhs in their constituencies” he added.
A mass protest in Westminster is expected to be called for Thursday (February 20) if David Cameron refused requests for an urgent meeting to discuss the issue.
PM Davind Cameron announced last month that Britain’s alleged involvement in the massacre of hundreds of Sikh separatists in an Indian temple in 1984 would be urgently investigated.
Documents disclosed under the 30 year rule revealed that an SAS officer was drafted in to help the Indian authorities with plans to remove dissident Sikhs from the Harmandar Sahib at Amritsar.
The plan was ordered with the full knowledge of Margaret Thatcher, according to letters between the Foreign Office and the former prime minister’s private secretary.
A report by UK Cabinet Secretary was released few days back along with a statement read by British Foreign Secretary William Hague in the Parliament. The report confirmed the fact that UK had advised India favourably in latter’s planning to launch the deadly armed attack.
William Hague had attempted to under-play by matter by saying that UK’s advise was of little impact.
Hundreds of Sikhs – many of them pilgrims – were killed in the attack, called “Operation Blue Star”, which plunged the country into some of the worst violence in its history.
A few months after the massacre, Indira Gandhi, India’s Prime Minister, was assassinated by two Sikh bodyguards.
Bhai Amrik Singh, the Chair of the Sikh Federation (UK) [File Photo]
The Sikh Federation has criticised the scope of the latest inquiry into the massacre, saying it covers only any British complicity in the first part of 1984 – not in the latter half of the year at the time of the massacre, in early June 1984.
The inquiry, which concluded earlier this month, found that Britain’s involvement had only a “limited impact” on the attack.
Bhai Amrik Singh, Chair of the Sikh Federation, said: “We already have the support of over 50 politicians for an independent public inquiry from across the political spectrum. In the next few days we are confident this number will increase to over 100.
“Many Conservative politicians in Labour target seats whilst not yet supporting the inquiry are under enormous pressure as we have now started to gain the support of prospective parliamentary candidates who are their main rivals”, Bhai Amrik Singh reportedly added.
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Related Topics: Bhai Amrik Singh Gill, David Cameron, June 1984 attack on Sikhs, Sikh Diaspora, Sikhs in United Kingdom, UK and June 1984 attack on Sikhs
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