‘Sikhs are not Hindus’ Petition Gains 124,000+ Signatures

:dateline:With more than 124,000 signatures as of Dec 31, a Sikh human rights group petitioned President Obama urging to raise Article 25 (b) and the 1984 Sikh Genocide issue with PM Modi. Obama Administration responds to petitions which gather 100,000 online signatures within 30 days as per The White House Portal.

Barack Obama will be the 1st US President to attend India’s Republic Day function as Chief Guest on January 26, 2015.

Sikhs For Justice (SFJ) on December 01 launched a “We The People White House Petition” urging President Obama to question PM Modi as to�why the�Indian constitution labels Sikhs as Hindus, and raise the issues of the Sikh Genocide and Sikhs� right to self-determination.

Claiming Sikhism to be the world’s 5th largest religion with over 30 million followers, the petition states that “on January 26, 1950 Constitution of India was enforced without the consent of Sikhs who refused to sign it because Explanation II to Article 25(b) of the Constitution labels �Sikhs� as �Hindus�.�

Justifying the�White house petition, SFJ legal advisor Gurpatwant Singh Pannun stated that this is the first time a US President will be the guest of honor on January 26th and Obama must know that Indian constitution does not recognize the Sikh religion. We want President Obama to take a stand for the Sikh community which has been denied religious identity by the Indian constitution for the past 65 years.

After the US based human rights group launched the White house petition, Jathedar Akal Takht Sahib stated that a permanent solution should be found for Article 25 (b) which clubs Sikhs with Hindus and directed the Sikh community to support the petition to President Obama.

In Punjab, Federation (AISSF) in a month long campaign have collected more than 250,000 signatures on a petition urging Obama to raise the issues of Article 25(b) and 1984 Sikh Genocide with Prime Minister Modi. A delegation of Federation headed by President Karnail Singh Peermohammad will submit �Sikhs are not Hindus� petition to Ms. Kathleen Stephens, the U.S. Charg� d�Affaires in India before January 26.