Hundreds of Canadian Sikhs rallied outside Canada’s Parliament in Ottawa this week to mark the anniversary of a bloodbath that followed the assassination of former Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi 27-years ago.
Describing the event that saw over 2,700 Sikhs killed after the assassination as ‘genocide’, the group wants to introduce a motion in Parliament to debate whether organized killing of Sikhs in India during November 1984 is as defined in Article 2 of the UN Convention on Genocide.
Sikhs for Justice (SFJ) a human rights advocacy group in Canada is spearheading the justice campaign.
“The Sikh communities in Canada, the U.K., U.S. and around the world fled India because there was a systematic campaign of killing and persecution organized against them,” explains Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, a legal advisor to SFJ.
“People attending the rally saw their fathers, mothers, brothers and sisters killed in the streets or rounded up never to be seen again. The emotional impact extends to the children too, the next generation who refuses to let this genocide be forgotten.
“We’ve been fortunate that many recently elected Conservative members of parliament have been receptive to our concerns and established an open line of communication with us. We invite members of all political stripes to show their support at the justice rally.”
Sikhs for Justice said over the past few months, there have been startling discoveries of new evidence relating to the events of November 1984, which clearly show that Sikhs, a religious minority, were intentionally, deliberately and systematically attacked and killed.
The newly discovered evidence consists of:
• Mass grave of Sikhs in Delhi discovered after 26 years
• Gurudwara ruins in Delhi that were attacked and destroyed
• Mass grave of Sikhs at village Hondh-Chillar in State of Haryana
• Mass cremation site in Pataudi and Gurgaon in the State of Haryana
• Ruined Sikh houses and Gurudwaras in State of West Bengal.
In addition to the march, Canadian Sikhs have launched a signature campaign to press on the newly elected Parliament to stand with the victims of November 1984 by conducting a debate on the issue of Sikh Genocide. SFJ aims to collect 100,000 signatures in support of the community’s demand to bring forward a Genocide Motion in Parliament. More than 10,000 signatures have already been collected since launching of the campaign.
In June 2010, a petition sponsored by former MPs Sukh Dhaliwal and Andrew Kania asking the Canadian government to recognize the Sikh Massacre of November 1984 as “Genocide” was presented in Parliament.
However, the government responded that there wasn’t sufficient evidence to determine that the killings amounted to genocide. Sikhs for Justice plans to bring the newly discovered evidence forward to members of parliament.
Last week the South Asian Post and the Asian Pacific Post reported that India has denied a visa to Dhaliwal because of his actions that have been deemed as ‘agitation against India’.
Dhaliwal, a former Liberal MP, refused to go on the record with us prior to the story despite us contacting him before and after the story was published.
He has however gone to other Indo-Canadian media to decry the story saying its ‘sensational and untrue’ alternating between statements that he has a valid visa, he has applied for an extension of his current visa, and that he has not, at least not yet, been denied a visa.
Dhaliwal a strong supporter of B.C. premier Christy Clark was widely expected to travel with her delegation to India this month, until the visa issue erupted.
Meanwhile, Jatinder Singh Grewal, SFJ Youth Coordinator said:”We’re feeling very encouraged because during the last federal election, many Conservative candidates indicated that they would bring our concerns forward.”
“Immigration Minister Jason Kenney was among the leaders who said they would support the victims of November 1984 in seeking justice. Now is the time for politicians to live up to their promises and take the next step by sponsoring a motion to recognize the Sikh Genocide in Parliament.
“We will not give up and we will never forget the victims of November 1984.”
This week’s rally is also endorsed by Canadian Gurudwaras across the country said SJF.