Surrey activist Kanwaljit Gill wrote this letter to Canadian MPs decrying the double standard that the current Conservative government has taken since coming to power.
Generally as Canadians we feel proud that Canada is champion to protect Human Rights and very quick to raise voice against Human Rights violations in various countries. Even Prime Minister Harper made a big issue of Human Rights in the Commonwealth Heads of Govt. conference and spoke against Human Rights violations in certain countries.
But one thing disappoints me is that at times Canadian Govt. is very quick to criticise Human Rights violations in certain countries, and at certain times it just closes its eyes and ignores Human Rights violations in certain countries depending upon its business and political relations with those countries. Recently we have seen Canadian Govt. very quick to criticise Human Rights violations in countries like Iran, Syria and Libya etc. But for some reasons it has always decided to close its eyes to Human Rights violations in country like India.
Being from India, I have been keeping in touch with what is happening in India. And from time to time we have seen the ruling governments in India Kill and Violate Human Rights of the people belonging to the minorities for their political gains. Thousands of innocent Sikhs were killed in 1984 Sikh Genocide. But so far in 27 years the Indian Govt.’s Justice system has failed to punish the guilty persons. Similarly thousands of innocent Muslims were killed in Gujrat in 2002 massacre, but again the Justice system has failed to punish the guilty persons. Similarly over the years Hundreds of Christians were killed in Orissa and again the guilty persons are walking around freely. And at present just about every day there is news of innocent persons being killed in Kashmir or North-eastern states where security forces has been given extra powers. Thousands of innocent persons belonging to various minorities have been killed and no Justice provided to the victim families over the years, very clearly proves that all the innocent killings were approved by the ruling governments and they are fully defending and protecting the guilty persons.
Can you please explain that why the Canadian Govt. don’t think that killing thousands of innocent persons and not providing any Justice to these minorities isn’t considered as Human Rights violations in India ? If one innocent person is killed or arrested in Iran then we see you quickly criticise Iranian Govt. but in India where thousands of innocent persons belonging to minorities are killed or suffering in jails, then for some strange reasons you don’t want to question Indian Govt. about these Human Rights violations and failure to provide equal and fair Justice to the minorities ?
Sikh community in Canada is requesting Canadian Govt. to accept the fact that when the ruling Congress party Govt. planned and organised to kill thousands of innocent Sikhs in 1984, that was planned Genocide of the Sikhs. The Prime Minister Rajeev Gandhi openly justified those innocent killings by saying,” When big tree falls, it shakes the earth.” That is why he never made any effort to punish the guilty persons. And the present ruling Congress Govt. is following the same policy and has failed to provide Justice to the victim families or punish the guilty persons in 27 years.
Therefore we sincerely request Canadian Govt. to declare thousands of innocent killings in 1984 as ‘ Sikh Genocide’.
And ask Indian Govt. to stop these Human Rights violations and provide fair and equal Justice to the minorities.
Kanwal jit Singh Gill is a Surrey-based writer and activist.
