British Politicians Fear Losing Sikh Votes Ahead of European Parliament Poll

Sri Harmandir Sahib
Sri Harmandir Sahib

LONDON, UK—Fear of losing out on the all-important Sikh vote ahead of a crucial European parliament election has of March 23, 2014 resulted in dozens of British politicians joining the call for an independent public inquiry into UK’s involvement in Operation Blue Star.

The elections to the European Parliament will be taking place in the UK on May 22, 2014. In total, 73 Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) will be elected from the UK. With the Sikh voters clearly threatening to abstain from voting unless candidates support their call for an independent public inquiry, the demand has found considerable support from UK MPs, Lords, MEPs and European Parliament candidates.

The Sikh Federation of UK has announced it will be releasing the names of all UK politicians who have confirmed support for an independent inquiry within the next 10 days.

Britain’s foreign minister William Hague recently informed the House of Commons that UK had “advised” India to keep an element of surprise while executing Operation Blue Star and use helicopter-borne forces in order to ensure minimal casualties, and to bring about “a swift resolution”.

Hague also informed that Britain had sent a single military adviser to India between Feb 8, and 17, 1984, to advise the Indian Intelligence Services on contingency plans that they were drawing up for operations against ‘armed dissidents’ in the temple complex, including ground reconnaissance of the site.

However the government’s investigation did conclude “that the nature of the UK’s assistance was purely advisory, limited, and provided, to the Indian government at an early stage in their planning”.

Hague added that the advice “had limited impact” with the cabinet secretary finding, “no evidence that any other form of UK military assistance, such as equipment or training, was given to the Indian authorities.”

Bhai Amrik Singh, chair of the Sikh Federation said only an independent public inquiry will help the 700,000 strong British Sikh community, “establish the truth about not only UK government’s involvement, but the Indian government’s pressure to suppress the truth from British Sikhs.”

“We believe only through an independent judge-led inquiry will we get proper information,” Singh said who now is calling for an “international UN-led inquiry into the genocide of the Sikhs in 1984.”

Britain’s 2011 census says UK is home to nearly 430,000 Sikhs of which 420,000 live in England alone.

The community is very politically active. Approximately 3 out of 4 Sikhs have voted in different elections in the last 4 years. Approximately 2 out of 3 voted in the 2010 general elections.

The three-day military operation by Indian forces known as Operation Blue Star took place in June of 1984. Official Indian government figures estimate that 575 people died. Other reports suggest that as many as 3,000 people were killed, including innocent pilgrims caught in the cross-fire.

According to the Federation, there is a strong ground for having a public inquiry.

“One thing that has still not emerged is the extent of the failure by the UK government to protect British nationals and their families during 1984. Thousands of Sikhs from the UK travel each week to Punjab. This would have been the case in May, and June of 1984 and almost certainly the vast majority would have taken part in a pilgrimage to the golden Temple, Sri Harmandir Sahib in Amritsar. Some from the UK would also have been in Amritsar for one of the most important days in the Sikh calendar, and would have been caught up in the Indian army attack at the start of June 1984,” Singh added.

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