London, United Kingdom (February 04, 2014): UK’s Sikh Diaspora has reacted with anger and disgust at what they see as a patronizing and whitewashing response from the UK Government to the recent 1984 document revelations.
“The statement given to Parliament today, by Foreign Secretary William Hague, was, as feared, a typically self-serving, half-measured response. His statement was a rejection of full disclosure of all documentation and an explicit rejection of an independent, parliamentary enquiry” Jagdeesh Singh of the 1984 Genocide Coalition said in a written statement sent to the Sikh Siyasat News (SSN). “It was a cruel and clinical whitewash”, he added.
“The expectation that the government would come clean, was wholly misplaced. Today’s parliamentary announcement has now proven this fear to be correct.” Say 1984 Genocide Coalition campaigners” he said, and added that “The government clearly does not want there to be full exposure and scrutiny, which only a full-fledged independent, parliamentary enquiry can do.”
The 1984 Genocide Coalition and Kesri Lehar, which initiated the 1984 document revelations with Phil Miller (an independent journalist), had called for a full independent parliamentary enquiry, from the outset of this matter, upon the incriminating documents being made public on 12th January 2014.
Instead, of a probing and piercing approach, today’s debate in Parliament has seen a significant number of MPs, both Tory and Labour, speaking in “mild and complimentary terms” about the UK Government’s internal enquiry. “This mild and conformist attitude is extremely revealing and painful to the Sikhs, who are the direct victims of the 1984 genocide. It is certainly not re-assuring”. Says Jagdeesh Singh. “It serves to show how isolated and alone a victim community can be, when the entire establishment combines in a conspiracy of silence and conformity.”
Today’s comments about ‘closure’, skilful avoidance of the genocidal nature of 1984, bringing an end to this matter – are cruelly insulting. “Would they say this to the Jews in respect of the Nazi holocaust, or any victim community like the Tamil, Kurds, Armenians, Kashmiris, Matabele, Baluch – whose recent genocides continued to be evaded and denied by governments today. Or, indeed, victims of 9-11. 1984 was infinitely worse than 9-11.”
The 1984 Genocide Coalition has commended the role of Tom Watson, John Spellar and Pat McFadden MP, who have taken a robust stance on this burning issue, in contrast with the majority of their parliamentary colleagues.
“The British Government has made further apparent its dirty, grimy collusion with the Indian state.”
“The UK Government’s horrid and putrid role in the 1984 genocide, and matters before and after, should leave no Sikh in any doubt about the consistently exploitative, opportunistic and rejectionist policies of successive British Government’s towards the Sikh people, from 1849 to the present”.