80,000 Signatures on Recent White House Petition by Sikhs for Justice

AMRITSAR SAHIB : Petition launched by US based Sikh for Justice just one month ago on July 10, 2016, has received close to 80,000 signatures so far. In the petition, the US based Sikh advocacy group has appealed to President Barrack Obama to honour the right of Sikhs for self-determination. The petition states, “1947 did not bring independence for Sikhs in India where followers of Sikhism, the world’s 5th largest religion are labeled as Hindus; Sikh Golden Temple was destroyed by Indian Army; Sikhs were subjected to genocide in Nov 84 and thousands were extra-judicially killed by security forces for demanding right to self determination.”
Efforts are underway to achieve 100,000 signatures before the US White House will officially have to respond to the petition. In the United States, Sikhs for Justice volunteers have led signature drives to gather signatures at various Gurdwaras. Similar efforts have also been seen in India, Pakistan and parts of Europe. In India, along with Bibi Jagdish Kaur, a 1984 genocide survivor, and Karnail Singh Peer Mohammad (PM) from Sikhs for Justice jointly appealed the Sikh masses to boycott Independence Day celebrations as they appealed everyone to sign the petition. PM announced to protest against the Indian atrocities on Independence Day in protest of Sikh genocide of 1984. He said that the Sikh identity has been merged within Hindu fold in the section 25-B of Indian constitution.
“We hope to receive 100,000 signatures by August 5 on the petition moved by SFJ. After this, the US White House will have to give an official reply,” he said.
Bibi Jagdish Kaur (an eyewitness in 1984 Sikh genocide) also appealed the whole Sikh community to sign the petition filed before White House as she shared her own story from 1984 massacres where her family members were killed. On November 11, 2015, Sikhs for Justice legal advisor had asked the US White House to intervene and seek the release of Jathedar Bhai Jagtar Singh Hawara who was nominated as the Jathedar of the Khalsa Panth by Sarbat Khalsa. In response to the petition which was signed by 100,000 Sikhs, President Barrack Obama refused to intervene in foreign criminal justice system. In its statement, the White House said –
The Presidnt has made clear that our nation’s deep respect for religious liberty and pluralism must not stop at our shores. In an address to the people of India last year, the President stressed the importance of these fundamental principles to both our democracies:
“In both our countries, in India and in America, our diversity is our strength. And we have to guard against any efforts to divide ourselves along sectarian lines or any other lines. And if we do that well, if America shows itself as an example of its diversity and yet the capacity to live together and work together in common effort, in common purpose; if India, as massive as it is, with so much diversity, so many differences is able to continually affirm its democracy, that is an example for every other country on Earth.”
The United States remains committed to coordinating with governments around the world to promote religious freedom for all citizens. We encourage you to continue to use the We the People platform to petition the Administration to take action on the policy issues you care about, but we cannot comment here on the specific foreign criminal justice matter raised in your petition.
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