Thursday, 26 April 2012

Dal Khalsa Writes To UN Secretary Gen Ban Ki Moon Regarding The 1984 Sikh Genocide

Dal Khalsa has sent a fresh memo addressed to Mr Baan ki-moon urging
the Secretary General of the United Nation to influence the so-called
‘world’s largest democracy’ to bring the culprits of November 1984
genocide to book and abolish capital punishment from the Indian laws.
 
The communiqué assumes significance as the UN chief is arriving in
India today on his 4-day official visit. The memo has been sent to UN
through the office of United Nations Information Centre, New Delhi.
 
As India nurtures the dream of becoming a world power despite its continuance to
mock at international conventions and covenant, the role of UN has
become more pressing in influencing the India to create a climate
whereby the real aspirations of struggling people of Punjab, Kashmir
and Nagaland are truly known and demonstrated, reads the memo signed
by organizations head Harchranjit Singh Dhami.
 
While welcoming Secretary-General to India, the letter pinned hope
that he will take
this opportunity to go beyond the Indian mainstream and delve into the
status and plight of nations and peoples, like the Sikhs, who are
struggling for justice and freedom.
 
Justifying their resolve to approach the UN, he said, “Sikhs are
residing in India and India is a member of the United Nations. As
India has failed to protect rights, human dignity, distinct identity
of Sikhs, it is time for the parent body –United Nations to get
involved”.
 
“All possible forums of redress available in India have been exhausted
by the victim families, civil liberties organizations and human rights
lawyers.  The diplomatic corps of many countries have urged India to
act in the interest of justice, but nothing has been done”.
 
The letter has also touched the cases pertaining to continued human
rights violations by the security forces in Punjab. To drive their
point home, the recent killing of Jaspal Singh was made the point of
reference.  Jaspal Singh- a Sikh by faith was shot dead in cold blood
in Gurdaspur town on March 29 while he was part of a peaceful protest
against the blasphemous activities of Hindutva organization ‘Shiv
Sena’ backed by the BJP, a ruling partner in Punjab government.
 
The letter appreciated Ban Ki-moon’s appeal to all nations to build on
the momentum towards disarmament to rid the world of nuclear weapons.
 
Kanwar Pal Singh quoted Mr Ban’s message to the conference on
Disarmament in Geneva, in which he said “from conventional weapons and
small arms to weapons of mass destruction, the risks are clear”.