UK SIKHS give Blood to raise awareness about Human Rights issues in India
Week long donation drive to highlight the plight of Sikh Political Prisoners
From 26th October to 1st November 2015 Sikhs in the UK will donate blood in a charitable effort inspired by Human Rights Campaigner Surat Singh Khalsa. Throughout the week UK Sikhs will donate blood at donation clinics.
Affectionately called Bapu (meaning Father), 82 year American resident and Indian native Surat Singh Khalsa has been on hunger strike for over 263 days in Punjab in an attempt to raise awareness about the Indian government's unlawful treatment of Sikh political prisoners. Many of these prisoners were convicted under the Terrorist and Disruptive Activities Act (TADA) in 1985-95. This act was heavily criticised at the time by human rights groups, and has since been withdrawn as it gave the state powers to detain suspects without charge. There were also widespread reports of the police extracting confessions under torture.
The week long campaign will see Sikhs giving their blood for justice, something inculcated amongst the Sikhs as saint-warrior race. By bringing awareness to the situation Sikhs hope to get Indian authorities to look into the case of the political prisoners. The event falls in Sikh Genocide Week, where Sikhs from across the world will remember those who died during the 1984 Delhi massacre.
Chaz Singh and Saranjit Kaur, Sikhs councilor and First Sikh Mayor from Plymouth will be donating their blood for the campaignmouth,. Chaz Singh, a Sikh who is a blood doner said:
"I have been moved by the images of Bapu Surat Singh over the past months. Blood donation saves lives and we are sure that hundreds of Sikhs will participate. This is regarded as a small sacrifice compared with Bapu Surat Singh's hunger-strike to highlight human rights issues in India. I would urge all Sikhs to donate blood and play their part in this campaign."
Many Sikhs regard Surat Singh's hunger-strike as a service to humanity, a core principle and tenet of the Sikh faith. This is clearly echoed in the campaign, which hopes to increase blood donations from Asian blood donors who are more likely to have a rare blood group. The drive will be supported through a social media campaign using the hashtag #SikhBlood.
Similar events are also being held in the US and Australia. Please look on https://www.facebook.com/bapusuratsingh for more information. In the UK register online to donate blood at blood.co.uk and then book the date that you want to donate, nationwide locations available. Please post a picture of you donating with the hashtag #SikhBlood and tag @BapuSuratSingh on Twitter and sangharsh_jaari_hai on Instagram. Sangat worldwide is encouraged to organize similar blood donation events the same week and help raise awareness for Bapu Ji's struggle
Bapu Surat Singh Khalsa forcibly detained by police
Bapu Surat Singh Khalsa's struggle has entered its 263rd day (5/10/2015). Bapu Ji continues to be forcefully detained at PGI Hospital in Chandigarh.
This entry was posted in Bapu Surat Singh Khalsa on October 16, 2015 by Khalsa Force
Bapu Surat Singh was arrested on September 26, 2015 by Punjab Police from his home. He has been detained by the police at Chandigarh PGI Hospital. He is currently being given medical treatment against his will and his human rights are being violated. This is the 4th occasion on which Bapu Surat Singh has been arrested and forcibly taken into hospital. On the previous occasion in August Amnestyyou issued a statement calling for his human rights to be respected https://www.amnesty.org.in/show/news/punjab-government-must-respect-surat-singh-khalsas-right-to-protest
Here are actions you can take to support the campaign
1. Write emails to Amnesty at the following email addresses
Urge them act
- Urge Amnesty t immediately and launch an urgent action,
- Ask them to request Punjab Police to release Bapu Ji immediately and
- Ask them to call on the Chief Minister of Punjab, Bhai Sahib Prakash Singh Badal and the Indian Government to release the Sikh Political Prisoners who have been identified for release by human rights organisations such as PUCL India. At the very least these prisoners should be granted parole.
1) Starting the week of 26 October, 2015, a blood donation event will take place in the UK, US, and Australia to raise awareness for Bapu Surat Singh Khalsa's struggle to free Sikh political prisoners. Please post a picture of you donating with the hashtag #SikhBlood and tag @BapuSuratSingh on Twitter and sangharsh_jaari_hai on Instagram
Sangat worldwide is encouraged to organize similar blood donation events the same week and help raise awareness for Bapu Ji's struggle.
2) Collective Sikh organisations in the UK are organising an art exhibition that will display work inspired by Bapu Surat Singh Ji's hunger strike to release Sikh political prisoners. All mediums including poetry are welcome. Any artists who would like to submit work have until 20th October, 2015. If you have any queries or would like to know more please contact: [email protected] or 07512 745189
07512 745189
3) Tweet to Government of Punjab @PunjabGovtIndia, urging them to take action and free the Sikh political prisoners
4) Petition to urge the UK government to address Bapu Ji's struggle (anyone can sign): http://chn.ge/1h1byQO
5) As part of an ongoing Sewa or selfless service to humanity, please do as many Chaupai Sahib Paaths as possible. You can submit jaaps to www.jaap2015.com, which aims to have 1 million Chaupai Sahib Jaaps submitted to celebrate the birth of the Khalsa, Chardi Kala of the Panth and supporting Bapu Surat Singh Khalsa's Mocha for the Freedom of Sikh Political Prisoners.
Sangat Ji, the government has repeatedly stated that these Sikh political prisoners cannot be released. This is not true. When the government states that there is absolutely no way we can release them, we should say, we demand to know why Inspector Gurmeet Pinky, convicted of killing a Sikh youth, sentenced to life imprisonment, can be released after in 7-8 years and Singhs remain in jail, having served 20+ years? We demand to know why DSP Swaran Dass, convicted of killing a Sikh youth, sentenced to life imprisonment, can be released in 5 years while his case was still pending in court, and Sikh political prisoners remain in jail? We demand to know why DSP Jaspal Singh, also convicted of killing a Sikh youth, sentenced to 7-8 years, can be released in 1.5 yrs and be reinstated in his job in Punjab police?
This can't go on any longer and justice has to be done. As human beings, we have to show compassion and empathy for the prisoners of those who suffer from being unjustly and being incarcerated unlawfully and ostracized from others. This goes against the grain of human morality and human conscience. The hunger strike has got to come to an end with the release of the prisoners of conscience.
The authors are grateful for the magnanimous sacrifice that Bapu Surat Singh Khalsa is giving to the Panth.
Manjit Dhinsa and Daljit Singh
[email protected]
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