Amrtisar (January 6, 2011): Under the patronage of Sri Akal Takhat Sahib “All India Sikhs Students Federation” (AISSF) and “Sikhs For Justice” (SFJ) a US based human right advocacy group started “Justice Campaign” to collect facts, figures, documents and evidence related to Sikh Genocide which will be part of the “1503 Petition” to be filed before the U.N. Human Rights Commission (UNHRC) in November 2011.
According to Karnail Singh Peermohammad, President AISSF, Under the banner of “Sikh Insaaf Lehar” an effort will be made to collect documentation and evidence about the massacre of Sikhs during organized attack and demolition of the highest temporal seat of Sikhism Sri Akal Takhat Sahib in June 1984 and afterwards in the “Operation Wood Rose” in the entire State of Punjab.
AISSF and “Sikhs For Justice” issued an appeal to the effected families whose members were massacred, missing or picked up by Indian forces in June 1984 during attack on Golden Temple and during “Operation Wood Rose” in which thousands of Sikhs were detained, mostly young men, many of them were tortured and murdered. “Operation Wood Rose” which was headed by General RS Dayal, involved forced entry into thousands of Sikh homes, most of whose inhabitants had committed no crime. A statement issued by attorney Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, legal advisor to “Sikhs For Justice” stated that thousands of Sikh men, women and children who went to pay homage at Golden Temple were massacred by Army during June 1984. Taking into account evidence that has surfaced since the event, it appears undeniable that the timing of the attack was calculated to cause maximum damage, casualties, and suffering to the Sikhs. Attorney Pannun further added that the attack on Golden Temple was assault upon Sikh religion itself and this became horrifyingly concretized through “Operation Wood Rose”, in this military operation, which is “Genocide in practice,” army personnel fanned out across Punjab in an effort to crush the spirit of the Sikh community by humiliating, torturing, and murdering them in front of their families. Despite such atrocities, no commission was ever appointed by the government to delve into this dark episode as to the gross human rights violations including death and torture of the Sikhs, who were systematically targeted by the Indian forces stated attorney Pannun.
Under the “1503 Petition” the U.N. Human Rights Commission (UNHRC) examine and investigate complaints which appear to show consistent patterns of gross and reliably attested human rights violations as in the case of Sikhs in India during June 1984 and during “Operation Wood Rose” stated attorney Pannun.
On December 15, 2010, Giani Gurbachan Singh, the Head of Highest temporal seat of Sikhs Sri Akal Takhat Sahib issued a directive to the Sikh community to support and sign the “1503 Petition” so that an independent investigation be held into the systematic and organized killing of Sikhs throughout India.
Under the “1503 Petition” the U.N. Human Rights Commission (UNHRC) will be requested to appoint an independent expert to look into the gross human rights violations of Sikhs in India, and further to appoint a Special Representative to investigate the complaint of gross human rights violations in India.
According to Karnail Singh Peermohammad, President of AISSF the Indian Government have committed very serious violations of human rights against Sikhs and they include torture, forced disappearances, extrajudicial executions (killings), arbitrary or summary executions, widespread arbitrary imprisonment or lengthy detention without charge or trial and widespread denial of the right to leave a country. AISSF will provide United Nations Human Rights Commission with true facts, figures, documents and evidence related to Sikh Genocide.
“The World will never know how many Sikh men, women and children were massacred at the hands of Indian Government during June 1984 and during ‘Operation Wood Rose” until a commission is appointed under “United Nations” that conducts an independent investigation stated Peermohammad.