authored by: HOPE WHITMORE
originally published by: The Independent
Excerpts from the write up:
Crowds attending the funeral of Margaret Thatcher on April 17th may have noted a smaller, more muted protest as they passed Downing Street, one which had nothing to do with the former prime minister but rather looked to quietly continue to raise awareness of their own cause. The Protest, run by Kesri Lehar, The Wave for Justice is known as the ‘save a life vigil.’ The life it seeks to save is that of Devinder Pal Singh Bhullar, a prisoner on death row in India.
[…]
I became aware of Bhullar nine days later, when leaving my flat in Leith I heard music and saw in the distance a parade slowly but sparklingly moving along the street. There were so many people, many of whom were Sikh, some were not, and as they moved along they invited onlookers to join them in their celebrations of the Indian New Year. In their midst drove a float decorated with paper lotus blossoms which carried the older people and those in wheelchairs. As I watched a man came and gave me a leaflet by Kesri Lehar, detailing the case of Devinder Pal Singh Bhullar.
[…]
I read the leaflet then walked into the march, joining three women who I asked about Professor Bhullar. ‘This is not an execution,’ said one of the women ‘if the government kill him it will be an assassination. If this happens there will be a lot of anger in India.’
[…]
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