Sikh Community Vows To Impede Kamal Nath's Visit to U.K.

NEW YORK, April 30 /PRNewswire/ -- Sikhs for Justice (SFJ), a human rights advocacy group working to seek justice for victims of the November 1984 Sikh genocide in India, avowed that Sikhs in the United Kingdom will use their influence to impede Indian government Minister Kamal Nath's visit to the U.K. (planned for May 12, 2010) due to his participation in the genocide.

Nath, a member of India's Congress at the time of the genocide, led the mob that attacked a Sikh temple (Gurdawara Rakab Ganj) in Delhi where many Sikhs were burnt alive. According to the Indian Express reporter Manish Sanjay Suri, Kamal Nath was in control of the mob outside of Gurdawara Rakab Ganj. Witnesses, like Mukhtiar Singh, Manager of the Gurdawara, testified before India's Nanavati Commission that he saw Kamal Nath leading the mob. Nath could not satisfy the Commission's inquiry as to why he was present outside the Gurdawara; Justice Nanavati observed that Nath's testimony was "vague" and "not consistent with the evidence."

SFJ maintains that the genocide of India's Sikh population was state orchestrated because Prime Minister Indira Gandhi was killed by two Sikh bodyguards.

On April 06, 2010, during Kamal Nath's visit to the U.S.A., SFJ and victims of the Genocide filed a case against Nath in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York charging him with human rights violations under the Alien Torts Claims Act and the Torture Victims Protection Act. Honorable Judge Sweet issued a summons against Kamal Nath ordering him to respond to the allegations within 21 days. According to attorney Gurpatwant Singh Pannun of Sikhs for Justice, "Nath has failed to respond so far which shows Nath's blatant disregard for the rule of law and U.S. courts."

As a result of the active efforts of Rob Marris, MP and Chair of the British parliament's all-party group on Sikhs, the U.K. government previously demonstrated great respect regarding the issue of the Sikh genocide by denying entry to Jagdish Tytler another Indian government leader involved in the killing of Sikhs in November 1984.  

Various organizations representing the Sikh community in the U.K. are approaching leaders of all political parties to urge the government to ban Kamal Nath's entry into the country. This issue is a leading factor in the Sikh community's vote in the May 6th elections.

For more information visit www.sikhsforjustice.org

Contact:

Mr. G.S. Pannun in New York: 718-938-7801

E-mail: [email protected]

SOURCE Sikhs for Justice