ot a single protester tuned up at a Khalistani rally in support of farmers in India which had been advertised — by its organisers Sikhs for Justice — to be held in London on Thursday. Instead, the only people there were about 20 protesters from Jesuit Missions bemused to find the Indian high commission resembling a fortress. They were there on another protest — about “the unjust detention” of Father Stan Swamy, the 83-year-old Jesuit priest from Jharkhand jailed in Mumbai on what they say are “entirely false” charges.
The SFJ outfit, banned by India, had threatened to “shut down” the Indian high commission in London and consulate in Birmingham on UN Human Rights Day during an “Indian Embassy Bandh”, saying it was “emboldened by Canadian PM Justin Trudeau” and “UK MPs”.
The person leading the Jesuit protests, Paul Chitnis, told TOI: “He was harassed for a long time and then on October 8 he was taken into custody despite his age and having Parkinson’s disease. He has spent his entire life fighting on behalf of the poor and the adivasis. We demand the Indian government release Father Swamy from prison where he is at grave risk of catching Covid.”
The Indian high commission was surrounded by barricades and guarded by police all day. The flop of the Khalistani rally was in stark contrast to last weekend when thousands had turned up for a farmers’ rally.
Forty-nine Labour councillors, who represent areas with high proportions of the Punjabi community, have fired off a letter to UK foreign secretary Dominic Raab stating they “are very concerned by the Indian government’s reluctance to listen to their own citizens and their inadequate efforts to resolve the protest by peaceful negotiations with the farmers.”
Instead the “state-controlled media” has been trying to portray the protesting farmers as “separatists, this is simply not true”, the letter states. “Their voice is being suppressed using tear gas, water cannon and sticks. The situation is now fast approaching a tipping point as the Indian government has now deployed thousands of paramilitary troops around the protesting farmers, leading to fears that the use of force is imminent,” it says, urging Raab to “urgently intervene to avoid this undemocratic suppression of human rights by the Indian government, in particular if it resorts to the use of force against its own citizens.”
It also calls on him to “make representations to the ministry of foreign affairs” in India about the impact the new farm laws will have on British Sikhs and Punjabis.
Tag: Swamy
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Sikhs for Justice rally in London attracts no protesters, despite threats to ‘shut down’ the Indian mission
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Don’t shift me from Taloja to Arthur Road jail, Stan Swamy tells NIA court
The 83-year-old Jesuit priest and tribal rights activist, Fr Stan Swamy, arrested in Elgar Parishad case and lodged in Taloja prison, made a plea before a special NIA court against his possible move to Arthur Road jail. The defence prayed that he should not be moved without court permission, and they should be heard if such a move was in the offing.
The jail authorities are yet to submit a report on Swamy’s plea for a sipper and straw. The octogenarian sought the articles as he suffers from Parkinson’s disease and his hands shake. His lawyer told court that while from news reports he gathered Swamy had been given the items, he received no official word on it.
Swamy’s defence had on November 6 first made the plea for a sipper and straw they said were taken by NIA when he was arrested in Jharkhand on October 8. NIA told the court last week that they did not seize the articles. Swamy’s advocate Sharif Shaikh immediately moved another plea seeking court permission to provide him winter clothes, a straw and sipper.
Swamy’s defence submitted pleas on Friday seeking his bag, which NIA “seized” at the time of arrest. The pleas will be heard on December 10. -
Jharkhand drive against Centre’s ‘rights violations
As many as 10 tribal social organisations have decided to jointly launch a campaign called “Ek Soch” (a thought) in creating awareness at panchayat level about the BJP-led Union government’s alleged violation of the rights of tribals, Dalits and minorities in the state and the country and the blatant misuse of laws to harass rights activists.
At a meeting held on Sunday evening at Bihar Club in Ranchi, over 50 representatives unanimously decided that the arrest of Jesuit priest and tribal rights activist Father Stan Swamy, 83, by the National Investigation Agency on fabricated charges, denial of bail and delay in grant of permission to use a straw and sipper cup for drinking to a person suffering from Parkinson’s disease has exposed the Centre’s desperation against those who raise voices for tribal, minorities and Dalits. They said people at village level need to be made aware about the government’s agenda.
“With the turn of events in the country especially the arrest of Father Stan Swamy, who has always been vocal for tribal rights, we felt that it is high time that all like-minded organisations join hands to launch a joint campaign and make people aware about the real intent of the current central government. The people, be it tribals, minorities or Dalits, need to be made aware of their rights enshrined in the Constitution and also how the government is misusing the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act to target rights activists. We will be reaching to almost every panchayat in Jharkhand and inform the people,” said tribal women rights defender and senior functionary of the Adivasi Adhikar Manch, Aloka Kujur.
Former tribal advisory council (TAC) member Ratan Tirkey, who was appointed secretary of the Ek Soch campaign, told The Telegraph that reaching out to the masses was the need of the hour.
“Merely holding dharnas, forming human chains and holding agitation would not serve the purpose. The people who stand to be affected by the central government’s agenda need to be informed about it. The Ek Soch campaign hopefully will do that in Jharkhand,” said Tirkey.