Over Seas
UK’s National Union of Journalists want Government to set up public inquiry into 1984 Amritsar massacre
June 12, 2014 | By Parmjeet Singh
London, United Kingdom (June 12, 2014): The National Union of Journalists (NUJ) has called for a public inquiry and full disclosure of government papers relating to the Amritsar massacre of 1984.
A delegation led by Andy Smith, NUJ joint-president, and John McDonnell MP to Downing Street delivered a letter to the Prime Minister setting out the union’s concerns.
Andy Smith and John McDonnell
David Cameron ordered a review by Cabinet Secretary, Sir Jeremy Heywood, after letters from the National Archives were published revealing that Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher had sent an SAS military officer to advise India on a plan to retake the Golden Temple, the Sikh religion’s holiest site, in Amritsar.
The number of deaths resulting from the assault is disputed. The figure given by the Indian government was 400, but Sikhs believe thousands were killed.
The letter, signed by Michelle Stanistreet, NUJ general secretary, questioned the narrow terms of Sir Jeremy’s review and listed a series of questions relating to the incident and events leading up to the massacre.
The letter noted the US-based NGO, Ensaaf had recently released eyewitness account of the army attack, A witness among the bodies: Surviving Bluestar, which painted a completely different picture from the one originally presented at the time.
The letter concluded by asking the PM to raise issues of transparency with his new Indian counterpart, Narendra Modi. Full text of letter
The NUJ’s Delegate Meeting, in April, voted for the establishment of a judge-led inquiry into all the documents and events relating to India, covering the whole of 1984.
Andy Smith said:
“The NUJ has called for a full and proper review of the events leading up to the raid on the Golden Temple and the role played by the British government. There are many important questions that need to be answered. The whole affair also highlights the default position of all governments which is seems to be to cover up rather than reveal the facts. The British people should have the right to full disclosure on how its government acts and has acted in their name.”
The full delegation included Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi, prospective Labour candidate for Gravesend, Parvinder Singh, NUJ Book branch, and Phil Miller, a researcher and journalist whose disclosures led to the review.
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Related Topics: Sikhs in United Kingdom, UK and June 1984 attack on Sikhs
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