LONDON – Tens of thousands of members of the Sikh community, together with supporters from across the UK, gathered in London on June 2 to mark the 35thanniversary of the 1984 Amritsar massacre.
The march and rally are part of an international network of events organised to commemorate victims of the attack on SriHarmandir Sahib (popularly known as the Golden Temple) in Amritsar by the Indian authorities.
During the event UK Sikhs will be hearing about progress with an independent public inquiry into the 1984 British Government involvement in the run-up to the massacre and anti-Sikh measures against UK Sikhs at the request of the Indian authorities.
The push for an independent public inquiry follows publication of classified documents under the 30-year rule in January 2014 that showed the Indian authorities sought British advice and assistance prior to the attack. The Heywood review immediately commissioned by then Prime Minister David Cameron is widely recognised as limited in scope and a whitewash.
In the last five years the Labour Party has made a manifesto commitment to hold an independent public inquiry. The political turmoil with EU Exit is such that an independent public inquiry may become a reality within 12-18 months.
The Sikh Federation (UK) has also published the highly acclaimed Sacrificing Sikhs report setting out the need for an investigation. Following a three-and-a-half-year legal battle a tribunal unanimously ruled in June 2018 against the Cabinet Office. Judge Shanks having heard arguments from Foreign Office officials, often in secret session acknowledged in his judgement the limitations of the Heywood review, the speed with which it was carried out and the limited time period of the files that were looked at.
The UK Government decisively lost the arguments on public interest in the tribunal and not surprisingly failed to appeal against the judgement. However, last July when only 40 pages were released from three Cabinet Office files relating to India covering the 1984 period without any mention whatsoever of the 1984Sikh Genocide it was clear to all concerned that a judge-led public inquiry that would have complete access to secret papers was the only way to get to the truth.
The Sikh Federation (UK) will be revealing at the rally in Trafalgar Square later today further information uncovered this week from UK Government papers that shows India continues to interfere in Sikh affairs in the UK.
It is directly cited in papers the political campaigning of the Sikh Federation (UK) is a serious and direct threat to the unity of India as we are calling for the right to Sikh self-determination and the establishment of an independent Sikh homeland.
