A National Sikh Human Rights campaign that was launched to support three Sikh men from the West Midlands will mark an important milestone this weekend with a National Day of Sangat (sikh congregation) Action.
On Sunday August 22, from 10am to 2pm over fifty gurdwaras across the UK will come together to stand united with the 3 West Midlands Sikhs, along with youth volunteers from Sikh Orgs.
This will facilitate letters to local MPs, which will be signed by members of Sikh Community at Gurdwaras across the country.
This Day of Sangat Action is to show support against the extradition of the West Midlands 3 to India where they will likely face torture and the death penalty.
The West Midlands 3 Sikhs are facing a hearing in September to decide whether they will be sent to India to stand trial.
This extradition case is a landmark case for Sikh rights and advocacy in the UK.
The UK Sikh sangat have shown huge community unity and spirit in coming together in an unprecedented show of support for the SAFE campaign run by Sikh Human Rights.
They have long been vocal in standing against human rights violations of Sikhs and other minority communities in India, and the West Midlands 3 Sikhs represent a long line of Sikhs challenging the Indian state.
A spokesperson from Sikh Human Rights spoke to Unsaid Digital and said: “The Sikh Human Rights campaign team are overwhelmed and thankful to all the community and Gurdwara management committees for the ongoing support.
“The West Midlands 3 and their families are thankful to all who have been showing full support.”
Kiren Kaur from the Sikh Women’s Association added: “We are privileged to be helping and supporting a campaign that means so much to the Sikhs in UK, it’s horrible to see how a country who currently can’t handle a situation with the innocent farmers who are protesting for nearly a year in India which hasn’t been resolved, are now trying their hardest to extradite 3 innocent Sikh men to face the death sentence in India.
“It’s outrageous and we need to come together to show support on Sunday by getting letters sent to local MPs to stop this immediately.”
Jaz Singh from the Sikh Network mentioned: “The attempt by the UK government to extradite 3 British born citizens at the behest of the Indian Modi govt is a flagrant abuse of power and process.
“This is the clearest and most recent sign of a foreign country’s direct interference and influence on UK policy and law.
“This order from the Home Secretary is a direct attack on the freedoms and civil and human rights of all UK nationals. India has a shameful record of human rights abuses, particularly against minorities and Sikhs.
“So for the UK government to ignore the plight of a British national who has been tortured and arbitrarily detained for nearly 4 years in India, but actively pursue the illegal extradition of 3 young men and destroy their lives is unacceptable and we must all stand united to challenge and stop this dangerous precedent now.”
Harmeet Singh, General Secretary at Singh Sabha Southall said: “We would like to show our full support to the Sikh Human Rights Sangat Action campaign which was launched last week at our Gurdwara Sahib in Southall, it’s fantastic to see other Gurdwaras follow on this week and make it a National campaign.
“The human rights of Sikhs in UK to be extradited to India to face torture and death sentence is horrific and any support from our management team to the families and West Midlands 3 Sikhs is always there.”
List of Gurdwaras supporting the campaign:
Midlands
Derby
Gad Derby
Gurdwara Singh Sabha Derby
Leicester
Gurdwara Sri Dasmesh Sahib
Guru Nanak Gurdwara
Guru Tegh Bahadur Gurdwara
Guru Har Krishan Gurdwara
Wolves
Guru Nanak Gurdwara Sedgley Street
Guru Nanak Gurdwara Willenhall
Birmingham
Guru Nanak Gurdwara Smethwick
Gurdwara Singh Sabha Perry Bar
Coventry
Gurdwara Singh Sabha Cross Roads
Guru Nanak Parkash
Guru Nanak Gurdwara, Wednesfield
Darbar Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji, Rolling Mill Walsall
Sri Guru Singh Sabha Gurdwara, Nottingham
Guru Ramdas Singh Sabha, South Birmingham
Baba Deep Singh Handsworth
Baba Sang Gurdwara Smethwick
Ramgharia Gurdwara Derby
Ravidass Gurdwara Derby
Wales
Gurdwara Nanak Darbar, Cardiff
Dasmesh Singh Sabha Gurdwara, Cardiff
North
Glasgow
Guru Granth Sahib Ji Gurdwara
Manchester
Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji Gurdwara
Sri Guru Gobind Singh Ji Gurdwara
Bradford
Gurdwara Singh Sabha
Gurdwara Dharmik Parchar
Gurdwara Guru Gobind Singh
Gurdwara Guru Nanak Ji
Gurdwara Ramgaria board
Gurdwara Ravidas Ji
Khalsa Mero Roop He Kaas, Newcastle
Guru Tegh Bahadur Gurdwara, Huddersfield
Guru Nanak Gurdwara, Stoke-on-Trent
Sikh Temple, Chapel Town Road, Leeds
South
Singh Sabha Slough Sheehy Way
Singh Sabha Southall Havelock Road
Singh Sabha Southall Park Ave
Guru Gobind Singh Gurdwara Bedford
Guru Nanak Gurdwara Luton
Singh Sabha Wilbury way Hitchin
Singh Sabha Gurdwara Watford
Guru Nanak Darbar Gravesend
Khalsa Darbar Southampton
Gurdwara Dasmesh Darbar, East London
Khalsa Jatha Gurdwara Shepherd’s Bush
Rangharia Gurdwara, Slough
Singh Sabha Gurdwara, Southampton
Woolwich Gurdwara South London
Gurdwara Singh Sabha, Crawley Spencer’s Road
Singh Sabha Gurdwara, Hounslow
