Sikh Community to Petition British Prime Minister on Human Rights

Kesri Lehar – The Wave for Justice Presents Signature Petition to the PM’s office Number 10, Downing Street, London, UK

A 118,000-signature petition seeking justice for all the minorities, whose human rights are being violated by the Union of States Government of India will be handed in to Number 10, Downing Street on the 10^th December 2012 to coincide with the UN designated Human Rights Day observed annually across the world.

The petition reads: “The petitioner(s) request(s) that the House of Commons hold a debate in parliament on the issues raised above and subsequently bring them to light in the European Union and United Nations. Further, we request that the United Kingdom urge the Indian Union to take immediate action to stop the Human Rights abuses facing all minorities. Additionally, we appeal to the UK Government, together with the UN and EU to request India to sign and ratify the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court and the UN Charter against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhumane or Degrading Treatment or Punishment which encompasses the ‘death penalty’ and thus have the death penalty abolished in India as it is a cruel, inhumane and degrading form of punishment. Moreover, we urge you to appeal to India to stop Balwant Singh Rajoana’s death sentence and that he be released from jail as he has served 17 years in custody. We further urge you to appeal to Indian Union to release all political prisoners, prisoners of conscious and prisoners who have been imprisoned without a trial.”

This follows a recent decision to execute Balwant Singh Rajoana in Punjab, India for his involvement in the assassination of the former Chief Minister of Punjab outside the Punjab secretariat in 1995.  “Balwant Singh maintained the entire Sikh nation and was victimized through state orchestrated ethnic cleansing of the Sikhs in India. There were no traces of humanity and justice. Various forms of Crimes against humanity were being practiced in a systematic manner and at widespread scale against the civilian Sikh population during CM Beant Singh’s regime. Balwant Singh Rajoana was forced to quit his service in the police force which murdered Sikhs indiscriminately on mass level. Balwant Singh Rajoana made it clear that the assassination of CM Beant Singh was a response towards a notoriously violent regime by the state whose only aim was the physical extinction of the Sikhs.” states Prisonerwelfare.com

Life imprisonment in India is 14 years and Rajoana served 17 years in Patiala jail,  Despite having served more than the actual life imprisonment, he was sentenced by the Indian government. The planned execution led to protests with campaigners believing the execution to not only be a gross violation of his human rights, but go against the United Nations General Assembly resolution calling for a moratorium on the death penalty, which India signed in December 2007.

The people’s petition, launched nationally, has received the magnificent backing from all walks of life and been eagerly signed calling for an end to the human rights abuses in India against all minorities.

Campaigners will gather outside Number 10, Downing Street from 2 pm, with a six person delegation along with cross party political representatives venturing up the British Prime Minister’s Office at 2.30 pm to hand in the Kesri Lehar petition. The representatives from Amnesty International, Liberation Human Right Group, Human Rights Internet, MPs, Lords and as well as representative friends from various religious, cultural and minority groups including Dalits (untouchables), who have supported the petition will also be in attendance.

After handing the petition over to the Prime Minister’s office, the mass assembly will proceed to the House of Commons for the Parliamentary meeting of the Kesri Lehar campaign group supporters.

To invoke a debate on the issue of human rights abuses and death penalty in India, Labour MP, John McDonnell moved the Early Day Motion 296, so far, 63 lawmakers have signed the motion including Select Committee Chair-persons, All party Parliamentary Human Rights Group, and All Party Parliamentary Group Against Death Penalty.