Indian Regime Increasingly Challenged By British Politicians

LONDON, UK—Earlier this week, Fabian Hamilton, the Leeds North East MP and former Chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group for British Sikhs and now Shadow Foreign Minister responsible for relations with India, signaled a new era of challenge against India. 

After being approached by the Sikh Federation (UK) he has tabled a Parliamentary Question for the Foreign Secretary asking about the dossier produced by Ajit Doval, the National Security Adviser and handed to the British authorities when Narendra Modi met David Cameron on 12 November last year.  On the same day Greg Mullholland a Liberal Democrat MP asked the Foreign Secretary to make a statement on the treatment of Sikhs campaigning for human rights in India.

Fabian Hamilton is also due to meet representatives of the SFUK to discuss a range of issues in relation to India.  The issues will include: Sikh political prisoners, the lack of justice for the Sikh Genocide, bringing perpetrators of human rights abuses in India to justice when they travel abroad and exercising the Sikhs’ right to self determination. Fabian Hamilton has also confirmed he has the conflict in Kashmir high on his list of priorities. 

Bhai Amrik Singh, the Chair of the SFUK said: “We have worked closely with Fabian since 2010 and he has very clear and unequivocal views on human rights abuses in India and supports our right to self determination.  In his new role he also has a focus on the United Nations as well as India so we will explore how we can take issues forward.  He is not afraid to speak his mind and we are confident he will be an asset in our fight for justice.”

At the Parliamentary hearing on ‘Campaigning for Justice’ on Tuesday, the dossier that named Gurdwaras, Sikh TV channels, Sikh organisations and individual Sikh activists in the UK, like Paramjeet Singh was also discussed. Concerns about Paramjeet Singh’s case was specifically mentioned to demonstrate how India continues to use trade contracts to put pressure on governments to take anti-Sikh measures.

When Narendra Modi delivered his speech in the British Parliament the Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn chose to stay away.  He also refused to attend Modi’s welcome party at Wembley Stadium.   Instead he had a meeting with Modi before he left Britain and raised concerns regarding the treatment and experience of Sikhs in India and about the growing intolerance in India.  It is understood Modi, who is accustomed to being praised by foreign leaders, found himself confronted by a man with a well-established reputation for moral authority, and was offended. 

As far as British politicians from across the political spectrum are concerned, the Paramjeet Singh case has completely back-fired on Indian authorities.  Their back door attempt to extradite someone that the UK has given asylum and protection has been roundly condemned.