LONDON, UK (January 22, 2014) — A mass lobby of the UK Parliament involving hundereds of Sikhs from across the UK took place on Wednesday 22 January from 11.00 AM – 2:00 PM, for a full inquiry into the extent of British involvement in the 1984 Golden Temple attack.
The APPG (All Party Parliamentary Group) for British Sikhs was attended by;
- Phil Miller, independent researcher and journalist who broke the news
- Jagdeesh Singh, 1984 Genocide Coalition who is working with PhilMiller
- Dabinderjit Singh OBE, who wrote: The truth behind the Amritsar massacre
- Tom Watson MP who has had his own researcher studying the papers available
- Pat McFadden MP who met the Cabinet Secretary on Monday
- Paul Singh Uppal MP, the only Sikh Member of Parliament
- in total, approximately 20 MPs attending this meeting
The Sikh Council UK, which is the largest respresentative body of Sikhs in the UK, have written a letter to the Prime Minister which states:
These revelations are particularly sensitive as the Sikh community is this year commemorating the 30th anniversary of the events of 1984. We are also proudly commemorating the 100th anniversary of Sikh involvement and sacrifices in World War I. As proud and loyal British Sikhs these revelations are a matter of great offense.
The letter continues and asks for full disclosure and a meeting;
The Sikh Council UK is pleased that you have listened to our calls for an urgent inquiry into the UK Government’s involvement in the events of 1984. As a result of this inquiry it is imperative that there is a full disclosure of the truth in relation to this period. Full disclosure will require publication of all documents and facts in relation to UK Government involvement before, during and after the attack on the GoldenTemple as well as during the ensuing State of Emergency and during and after the Sikh genocide following Indira Gandhi’s assassination in October 1984.
The Golden Temple in Amritsar was attacked on 6 June 1984. The memory of the violence continues to impact upon Sikhs worldwide.
Members of the Sikh community urged politicians to press for an independent inquiry into allegations the British military colluded in the attack on the holy shrine.
The allegation emerged in Government documents released last week.