The 30th Sikh Genocide Remembrance rallies were held across different nations including UK, USA and Canada where thousands marched on the street to remember those who were mercilessly killed.
In Australia, more than 1,000 Sikhs attended 1984 Genocide Remembrance Parade.
' provided the radio/social media coverage for this event that was held at Federation Square, Melbourne. The event was organised by the Supreme Sikh Council of Australia and the Sikh Community of Australia.
It was screened to thousands of Sikhs from across Australia who had gathered at the Federation Square for the service.
Sikhs along with other community representatives from all around Australia started peaceful march from the State Library of Victoria at 10am, reaching Fed Square at 10.30am where the community leaders made speeches and joined hands against genocides.
It was first such Sikh Event in Australia where a number of sitting Member of Parliaments, International Sikh organizations from across the world participated and delivered their speeches.
Australian Federal MP Warren Entsch, who had tabled the Sikh Genocide Petition in Australian Parliament for the first time, also expressed his solidarity with the Sikh Community and stated that he will always stand with them for justice against 1984 Sikh Genocide.
Besides MP Entsch, Green Senator Ms Janet Rice and Labor MP Robert Mitchel also expressed their support for this cause.
Salil Shetty from Amnesty International also delivered his message over the screen speaking of his experience at that time in 1984 because he was present there.
Mr Jatinder Singh, Canada Representative of Sikhs For Justice, a US based Human Rights organization also participated in the march, and highlighted the issue of continued human rights’ violations in India, as well as the history behind 1984 Sikh Genocide.
Dr Harinder Singh SikhRI from USA delivered a keynote speech stating the importance of Gurbani to gain internal strength so as to become real Sikh warriors and fight against injustice.
Later after the event, Preetinder Grewal (SBS Radio) interviewed guest speakers of The Sikh Genocide Remembrance March. In this segment, Mr Jagmeet Singh (Member of Provincial Parliament, Ontario, Canada), Mr Jatinder Singh (Canada Representative of Sikhs For Justice, a US based Human Rights organization), and Dr Harinder Singh Sikhri from USA gave their opinions on the issues of human rights violations, as well as the history behind 1984 Sikh Genocide.
Conversation starts
Preetinder: Harinder, we will start from you. What brought you to Australia and how did you get in touch with the people who contributed their efforts to organise this Sikh Genocide March event?
Harinder Singh: Sure, I have had two trips to Australia before and during those visits, I had been working with various organisations to conduct lectures/workshops. Last time, I spoke to Harkirat Singh Ajnoha, who had advised me about 5-6 months before that they were planning to commemorate 1984 anniversary in December and wanted me to book the dates and also he suggested that he also wanted me to do some training for group of about 70-80 youths. I have conducted three workshops on ‘How to develop activists based on Sikh principles’.
Preetinder: Jagmeet, I will come over to you now. From which area, you have been elected as MP in Canada?
Jagmeet Singh: Thanks! I am a representative of both Brampton & Mississauga region and I am the MPP of that State. We have a great population of Punjabi community in this region. Specially, I have a keen interest from my heart to campaign about Human Rights, which I used to do when I was earlier a lawyer and even now when I am an elected MPP. I have a keen interest that from a Sikhi perspective, every human should possess their human rights.
Preetinder: You look beautiful in your Sikhi Saroop (attire). Today, hundreds of people had a photo clicked with you (selfies) and I am a witness to that. So how did you get in touch with these (Event Organisers) people and what brought you here?
Jagmeet Singh: Veerji, I was thinking that if I have got a platform from where I can deliver a speech and where one or two people want to hear me, I wish to talk about Sikhi Saroop (attire) and by being myself in Sikhi saroop so that I can bring our community on a better level and improve the level as well, I will be proud of that. I also wish to motivate our community living on all corners that they can succeed/progress by being in their Sikh appearance. I would also state that whatever success I have even achieved today is because of my appearance.
Preetinder: Jagmeet, you delivered a very nice lecture today and public listened your words very carefully. Whenever we talk with a logic and sense, it does weigh a lot. Despite such a hot weather, people stayed back for hours to listen to your speech. So what topics did you touch in your speech, please do share with our audience.
Jagmeet Singh: One, that happened with us in 1984 such as injustice and genocide and other Ghalugharas (holocausts) that happened even before, a lot of people talked about this including Harinder Singh from the stage. Our religion has got a different facet that we don’t just talk about our Simran (recitation of one God) and we believe that a person should be free at social & spiritual levels, and when this happens, the people who commit injustice will feel scared. We believe in Sarbat da bhala ("may everyone be blessed" or "may good come to all") and everyone should be free bearing his/her fundamental rights.
Jagmeet Singh: Yes sure, I would in fact like to say that this was a minor example happened to me, it happens to a lot of people actually. You can say that the Indian Government is using these tactics to keep the common public silent and there are some people who have got family links to India socially or financially or family roots, so this is a big tactic of the Government used to make the public silent. In other words, you can say that if a country is exploiting public then they also want that the public does not raise their voice as well. It’s a big fact and we should bring this into light so that more people and other counties and governments become aware around this. I am an MPP and this is happening to me, think about the common people to whom it might be happening too.
Preetinder: So I am trying to understand, you were denied visa to India?
Jagmeet Singh: Yes, I was denied the visa despite having no criminal record in Canada or Punjab. It was only to suppress my voice. I am an MPP and just think that what might be happening with other common people.
Preetinder: I will now move on to Jatinder Singh, who is a representative of Sikhs for Justice. Jatinder, you have come from a long distance to talk about Human Rights. What is your organisation trying to achieve in this regard?
Jatinder Singh: From a long time Indian organisations have emphasised that they were riots and a fight between people of Hindu & Sikh faith broke. As Jagmeet Singh said in his speech and also after the information that was fetched from Nanawati Commission report, we came to know that it was actually ‘genocide’/a massacre. Given the background, we took our first step to lodge a petition which was first raised in Canada, America and even in Australia so that it can be officially recognised as genocide under International law. With this knowledge in hand, as we moved forward, we came across various other Sikh issues which are even happening today, we are trying to raise those as well, which we can discuss later.
Preetinder: What is the progress of the petition that was lodged at UNO a while ago? We have been hearing from a long time that it was to be raised or has been raised? So what steps have been taken by your organisation?
Jatinder Singh: We raised this petition in UNO last year requesting to hold Indian state responsible for it. Since we are non-state actors and different representatives of UNO stating that UNO is an organisation for “United Nations” and you have no Nation or no authority (chair), so we couldn’t precede the case. It was said that they will think but till now they have not yet picked up this petition or done any investigation over this. So we have learnt that our fundamental rights will be denied including our rights. Even International organisation who can deliver us some justice, will deny us unless we are not a separate nation!
Preetinder: Do you think that Indian government is putting pressures over United Nations in this regard?
Jatinder Singh: Definitely, India is a member of United Nations and do provide funding as well. For this reason, India wants to put some pressure to suppress the issues of Sikhs. So for this reason, until we don’t pool our tax money for a separate Nation, until then we will be in confusion.
Preetinder: You were listening to the views of Jatinder Singh from Sikhs of Justice. These are his personal views and not of SBS Radio. In coming days, we will try to get in touch with a representative of Indian high commission as well to seek some answers….I will get back to Harinder Singh. How did you feel today after delivering your speech to such a crowd?
Harinder Singh: The first great thing I felt was that ‘we want justice’ not as an individual but as a community; ‘to seek justice’ and keep its flame burning is the first achievement. At a global level representation was always there and now to see Sikh community from across Australia joining hands for this cause is commendable. Sikhs along with other community representatives, having sitting Member of Parliaments, International Sikh organization representation from across the world, yes, it’s all happening. But at the same time I feel that the problem is bigger than we think at a community level. ‘Genocide’ is a wider term but let me tell you that things are also happening at the ethnic level (‘ethnocide), and the second question is ‘what could be done’? I think we need to seek doctrine principles of Sikh religion and let them be our saviours. The even bigger question is how to make a ‘beautiful world where every person has his/her human rights intact’ (Begampura). We need to start a think process, and I feel it has already been started….
Preetinder: So Harinder, you mean, there should be more dialogue before the conclusions are drawn.
My next question is for Jagmeet. Jagmeet, I saw you interacting with Australian Federal MP Warren Entsch today at the Fed Sq stage. Besides MP Entsch, Green Senator Ms Janet Rice & Gurm Sekhon and Labor MP Robert Mitchel also expressed their support for this cause. What you feel about this interaction? Sorry to be blunt, do you feel that they deep down the heart think there is human right violation, justice is delayed, or you feel it is just to lure minority Sikh community for votes?
Jagmeet Singh: First of all today’s outreach was terrific so congratulations to the organisers. Having major parties on one stage supporting our cause is a great achievement from community point of view. Yes, political parties work for votes. But we should let them know what we want, sitting idle will achieve nothing. We, as a community should build pressure on them. I am always available to tell how political leaders’ minds are tuned in, so I am happy to give any advices/services to the community if asked to do so…
Preetinder: Jagmeet, you are MPP in Canada, so what have been achieved from Sikh community point of view? Have there been any motions to support the cause in parliaments?
Jagmeet Singh: That’s a good question. Previous MP Representatives from the community haven’t raised the Sikh human rights questions, a point where I differ from them. I am MPP from New Democrat Party, and we were the first to use term ‘Sikh Genocide’ in our annual letters. We raised this issue in the parliament and requested Canadian Govt to pressurize their Indian counterparts to expedite the justice process in 1984 Sikh massacre. In the human right advocacy, we have presented late Jaswant Singh Khalra as a role model in the parliament. There is a big presence of Sikh community in Canada, and our numbers do speak, no wonder Canada celebrates Sikh heritage month every year. Sikh Heritage Month aims to celebrate the contributions and aspirations of all Sikh-Canadians and develop a greater understanding and appreciation for a rich, unique and diverse heritage.
Preetinder: Even Jagmeet, I see there are socio-economic factors, so in first instance migrants focus on their livelihoods and once 2-3 generations are settled, they start looking back to their roots, and how they can help people living in homeland Punjab, maybe it’s a typical human psychology?
Jagmeet Singh: Yes, exactly, I agree
Preetinder: My last question to you Harinder, which is a bit vague. Do you think Sikh religious organisations can play an important role in bringing the community at one platform when it comes to reach consensus on serious community issues?
Harinder Singh: Our global presence is 30 million; 2/3 at homeland, and 1/3 non resident Indian Sikhs. So if you look at the NRI Sikh Diaspora problems are the same. We are under siege; let it be spiritual or physical. When it comes to sub-sets, we are minority of minorities.
Even if you look at British history, there was a big recognition and exemptions were given to Sikhs, which we can relate to ‘rights’. But I feel in today’s date we are deprived of our ‘basic rights’.
At a global level its happening, look at Bosnia, there were so many minorities that no one could rule, so they had to come up with a system. In the end, it is all about rights!
The issues don’t belong to Sikh religious organisation but they are of every Sikh individual, and once they start understanding this fact a sea change will come at a revival level. Like 100 years ago, Sikh revival movements were born and that resulted education reforms, great literature was born, banks were owned, political parties were formed and ‘rights’ were secured.
So I emphasize that we need a revival at all levels, let it be economically, politically or ethically. We need to set ourselves free at spiritual, mental or physical containments, and it could only be achieved by the Sikh doctrine principles as set by our spiritual gurus.
Preetinder Singh: Here we come to an end to this discussion, thanks everyone for your time and contribution
Harinder, Jagmeet and Jatinder: Thanks, it was a pleasure to be part of this show, greetings!!
The guest speakers of Sikh Genocide Remembrance March, Melbourne
MP Warren Entsch - Federal Member from Leichhardt made a constituency statement on the Sikh Genocide Remembrance March in Melbourne
"I pledge my support to continue working to achieve recognition in the Australian parliament for the Sikh genocide. I urge the Australian parliament to recognise this horrible event because until such time—we cannot change the past. But what we can do is recognise these acts for what they really were. That is very important in bringing closure and recognition for this wonderful group of Australians who are part of our community," said Mr Entsch - Federal Member from Leichhardt, Qld.
Head of Amnesty International, Salil Shetty calls justice for the survivors of the Anti Sikh violence of 1984 in India.
Salil Shetty also personally describes the impact of the targeted killings of Sikh men, women and children on himself and his family.
