UK Sikhs hope justice will be done

LONDON: Sections of Britains huge, largely peaceful and prosperous Sikh community have been marking the 20th anniversary of Operation Bluestar with a high-profile campaign calling upon Prime Minister Manmohan Singh do the honest thing and issue a mea culpa on behalf of the Indian state.
The call comes just hours after a well-attended rally through the British capital, which police estimate drew at least 5,000 people. Jagtar Singh, spokesman for the Sikh Federation, Britain''s first and only registered Sikh political party, told TNN, attendance could be anywhere between 10 and 20,000.
The rally comes barely 12 weeks after the British parliament saw three early day motions put forward, to champion causes self-admittedly close to UK Sikh hearts.
These include an international inquiry into the storming of the Golden Temple; bringing to justice the perpetrators of the November 1984 pogrom; and international attention towards the alleged torture, false imprisonment, extra-judicial executions and disappearances perpetrated against Sikhs in the last 20 years. Diplomats at the Indian High Commission here declined to comment on the political and propagandist successes claimed by the rally''s organisers.
Sikh commentators admitted that the British political support often represented the feelings of huge and electorally vital communities of Sikhs in several key parliamentary constituencies.
These are thought to include at least three of Tony Blair''s high-profile cabinet ministers — trade and industry secretary Patricia Hewitt, international development secretary Hillary Benn and environment secretary Margaret Beckett.
Jagtar Singh said the swearing-in of the first Sikh prime minister and that too so straight a politician as Dr Manmohan Singh had raised hopes within Britain''s 500,000 to 800,000 Sikhs of justice at last.
The London rally claimed to have the written support of at least 40 British MPs and nine members of the European Parliament.
It was attended by some leading British parliamentarians, including the Liberal Democrat candidate for London Mayor Simon Hughes. The Sikhs claim their demand for justice is supported by nine members of Blair''s administration, including the three cabinet ministers.