US COURT ISSUES NOTICE TO SONIA GANDHI FOR 1984 ANTI-SIKH RIOTS

A U.S. federal court on Wednesday issued a summons to Sonia Gandhi, the president of the ruling-Congress party, for allegedly protecting members of her party whom the group says were involved in anti-Sikh riots in New Delhi in 1984.

Ms. Gandhi is currently in the U.S. for a medical checkup after she fell sick in the Indian Parliament last week and had to leave the house during a debate.

Sikhs for Justice, a U.S. based non-profit, along with Jasbir Singh, and Mohender Singh, whose relatives were killed during days of rioting in the capital when around 3,000 people, mainly Sikhs, died, filed a civil suit in a U.S. district court alleging Ms. Gandhi played a “leading role in shielding the members, office bearers, leaders and supporters of her party that played an active role in the Genocide.”

And she “conspired with and aided and abetted others” including local police officers, fellow Congress officials and para-military groups,” read the suit, reviewed by India Real Time.

The legal complaint also alleged that, last month, a group of Congress workers attacked a colony in New Delhi where some witnesses of the anti-Sikh riots live.

The court confirmed they had received such a lawsuit. District courts in the U.S normally issue summons on receipt of a lawsuit and it is the responsibility of those bringing the suit to deliver it to the person being sued.

In 1984, Indian security forces led an operation against armed Sikh militants at the Golden Temple in the northern Indian city of Amritsar killing hundreds of people. This led to the assassination of then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi by her Sikh bodyguards, which in turn prompted deadly riots in New Delhi.

In a statement, Gurpatwant S Pannun, Sikhs for Justice’s legal advisor, said the group was seeking compensatory and punitive damages against Ms. Gandhi for the role they accuse her of playing in protecting Congress members including Kamal Nath, Sajjan Kumar, and Jagdish Tytler, whom the group allege were involved in the riots in 1984.

The summons by the court of the Eastern District of New York, provided by the group Sikhs for Justice, asked Ms. Gandhi to serve an answer to the complainant within 21 days of receipt.

Ms. Gandhi couldn’t be reached for comment. Phone calls and messages to the Congress party went unanswered.

“Summons issued almost 30 years after the event when the Congress president is on a medical visit is, to put it mildly, astonishing. Undoubtedly, appropriate legal action will be taken,” Abhishek Manu Singhvi, a member of the Congress, was quoted as saying by the news agency Press Trust of India.

A trial against Mr. Kumar in a case related to the anti-Sikh riots is ongoing in the Delhi High Court, while the Central Bureau of Investigation, India’s federal investigative body, is probing Mr. Tytler’s alleged role in the riots. Both Mr. Kumar and Mr. Tytler have denied the allegations.

Mr. Nath has denied the allegations and has never been charged abroad or in India.

The Sikh group has filed the complaint under the Alien Tort Statute, which allows U.S. citizens to file civil suits in federal courts for violations of international law, and under the Torture Victims Protection Act under which a civil case can be filed against any official in a foreign nation for extrajudicial killings or torture.

This is not the first time a Sikh group has filed a case against Congress politicians abroad.

In January this year, Sikhs for Justice also filed a complaint with the Swiss attorney general’s office seeking the arrest of Kamal Nath, now India’s parliamentary affairs minister, for crimes against humanity in the Sikh riots of 1984. Mr. Nath was visiting Switzerland for the World Economic Forum in Davos.

A spokeswoman for the Switzerland’s attorney general at the time said the office could not act on the complaint because Swiss law regarding genocide applies to acts committed during war and only from the year 2000 onward.

The attorney general forwarded the case to regional authorities in Grisons in eastern Switzerland, where Davos is located, as there may be a case against Mr. Nath for damages related to the 1984 incident, the spokeswoman added.

A spokesman for the prosecutor’s office in Grisons said the complaint was not pursued and had been shelved.

In 2012, a New York judge dismissed a criminal complaint against Mr. Nath over the riots, saying the court had no jurisdiction over the matter.

1984 RIOTS: US COURT ISSUES SUMMONS TO SONIA GANDHI FOR 'SHIELDING' CONGRESS LEADERS

A federal court in New York has issued summons to Congress president Sonia Gandhi for "shielding and protecting" the leaders of her party who were allegedly involved in the anti-Sikh riots in India in 1984.

The summons was issued by the US Eastern District Court of New York after a rights group, Sikhs For Justice (SFJ), and two victims of the riots filed a complaint before it.

Reacting to the development, Congress spokesman Abhishek Manu Singhvi said in New Delhi that they were not aware of any of these facts.

"Summons issued almost 30 years after the event when the Congress president is on a medical visit is, to put it mildly, astonishing. Undoubtedly, appropriate legal action will be taken," Singhvi said.

According to US laws, the summons needs to be personally served to Gandhi, who is currently in the US for medical treatment, before it can have any legal implications.

In the past the SFJ had led similar unsuccessful efforts against several Indian leaders, including Punjab Chief Minister Prakash Singh Badal and Union Minister Kamal Nath.

In the September 3 class-action lawsuit filed in Eastern District Court of New York, SFJ and the two victims sought compensatory and punitive damages against Gandhi for her alleged role in "shielding and protecting" Congress leaders from being prosecuted for their "crimes against humanity."

AKALI DAL REVEALED THE REALITY OF DESPOTIC INDIAN RULERS

Senior Akali Dal leader from Punjab Simranjit Singh Mann alleged that Kashmiris have been enslaved by India and New Delhi was doing injustice with both the communities. “There is injustice with Kashmiris people. India occupied Kashmir in 1947 at the time of partition. People of Kashmirs were not willing to join India. Kashmirs have been made slaves by India.

The two time Member of Parliament from Taran Tarn said that according to UN Resolutions India had promised a plebiscite in Kashmir. “But they are not fulfilling their promise. Situation in Kashmir will not improve till Kashmirs are given their rights,” he said.

Lashing out at mainstream politicians of J&K he said, “Be it Dr Farooq Abdullah, Mufti Mohammad Sayeed or Omar Abdullah they have not been able to do justice with people. They accept troops are violating human rights and order for enquiries. But nothing has come out of these enquiries.”

Claiming that there was military rule in J&K and Chief Minister has no powers, he said, “Article 370 which gives special status to J&K has been eroded. New Delhi has imposed its own laws in Kashmir. The job of army is on borders but they have kept them guarding Amarnath yatra.”

He claimed that Gujarat Chief Minister Narednra Modi was working on Hinduvta agenda. “BJP and Congress are two sides of a same coin and minorities are neither safe in BJP rule nor in Congress rule.”

Reacting to Janta Dal leader Subramaniyam Swamy’s recent statement on minorities, he said, “Minorities in India feel unsafe. We all should unite and fight against it.”

INDIAN’S PREJUDICE BEHAVIOUR WITH MINORITIES

Indian Army is an occupying force in Indian held Kashmir, Senior Akali Dal leader from Punjab Simranjit Singh Mann stated. He also said “There is injustice going on with Kashmiris people.” India occupied Kashmir in 1947 at the time of partition. People of Kashmiris were not willing to join India. Kashmiris have been made slaves by India.  Addressing a press conference, Mann said that Kashmir is an internationally recognized dispute after New Delhi took the issue to United Nations and the same later passed number of resolution for its resolution and after the then Prime Minister Pundit Jawaharlal Nehru promised plebiscite for Kashmir. He said that Kashmir issue is not a bilateral issue between India and Pakistan, as is claimed by New Delhi. Akali Dal’s leader also cited that he supported the demand of right of self-determination in Kashmir. Mann showed his willingness of resolving the Kashmir issue as per the desires of Jammu and Kashmir people.

Mann Singh claimed that there was military rule in J&K and Chief Minister has no powers, he said, “Article 370 which gives special status to J&K has been eroded. New Delhi has imposed its own laws in Kashmir. The job of army is on borders but they have kept them guarding Amarnath yatra.” Lashing out at High Court and Supreme Court Judges for maintaining their silence on the grave human rights violation here, he said they have no more right to get huge salaries and not protecting the right to life and liberty of people (Article 21). “It is unethical to hide the grave human rights violations in Kashmir,” he said.

It is the right time that Kashmir should get independence now from the despotic Indian rulers. Kashmir should be an independent state where they can live easily without any kind of intervention. There should be a referendum according to UN resolutions in Kashmir which Jawaharlal Nehru promised. The Two Time Member of Parliament from Taran Tarn said that according to UN Resolutions, India had promised a plebiscite in Kashmir. But they are not fulfilling their promise. Situation in Kashmir will not improve till Kashmiris are given their rights,” he said. Terrorism is also at its peak in Kashmir. Human rights violations, killings of innocent Kashmiris, negating the rights of Muslims are the basic and major forms of terrorism in Kashmir which are now become the part of campaign by Indian Army. He claimed that Gujarat Chief Minister Narednra Modi was working on Hinduvta agenda. “BJP and Congress are two sides of a same coin and minorities are neither safe in BJP rule nor in Congress rule.”

In the end, I would like to say that Kashmir should get independence from the brutal Indians so that they can live easily according to their rights and Indian courts should take strong action against the brutalities of Indian Army in Kashmir.

Atrocities With Sikhs In India

Home Minister Sushil Shinde made the most atrocious statement at the Congress party’s Chintan Shivir at Jaipur: “Reports have come during investigation that BJP and RSS conduct terror training camps to spread terrorism.” adding that they stoked “Hindu terror”. This is not some off the cuff remark or a blooper. This was a carefully crafted speech. Because India inspired damage for Sikhs in all over the country, to completely demolish the Sikh community from India. India government supports the BJP, RSS parties to continue atrocities against Sikh community.

If BJP is conducting terror training camps why is the party not banned? Why is such a party allowed to contest elections and have representatives in various Assemblies and also the Parliament? While our media varnish debated Shinde’s Hindu terror comment they conveniently buried his comment about BJP and RSS promoting terrorism through their camps. In other words, the Home Minister of this country called some of his colleagues in parliament “terror sponsors”.

The Congress govt at the Centre has been in permanent denial over the true nature of terrorism. Willfully so! This denial comes from the fountain of Indian history that denies that religious terrorism was brought to this country from Islamic invasions.

If this barbarism continues in our country India than this will be awful for our country and disrespect will be extent in all over the world than nothing could be leaved for us. We have to watch our home first and safe for our peoples and minorities rather than indicating others.

Sikhs: Discriminated nation since independence of India

Sikhs have long faced discrimination at the hands of the Indian Government.  Regardless of which party is in power, Sikhs, along with other minority communities have been oppressed. 

Sikhs labeled as threat to India. Feeling alienated within India, the Sikh community put forward a resolution to address all grievances they had with the nation state of India. In 1972, the Sikhs put forward the Anandpur Sahib Resolution. Within this resolution were issues included both religious and political concerns. From easy issues of recognizing Sikhism as a religion, to stopping the discriminatory policy of not hiring Sikhs into the army, to allowing all states within India to set local state level policies and not be forced to get permission from the central government. India refused all resolutions and started to portray Sikhs as secessionists who wished to break apart India. The government controlled media propagated to the rest of India how Sikhs would eventually demand independence, which would result in India disintegrating as nation state. As the Sikhs continued their peaceful demonstrations during the 1970s, an environment of hatred was created by the Indian government to the point where the average Indian believed Sikhs were criminal traitors who wished to destroy India. The Sikhs were no longer equal human beings; they were a barbaric, subhuman threat to India.

Sikhs Labeled as Criminals. In 1947, under the direction of Prime Minister Nehru, Chandu Lal Trivedi had issued a directive to all Commissioners in Punjab to the effect that the ‘Sikhs in general must be treated as a criminal tribe. Harsh treatment must be meted out to them to the extent of shooting them so that they wake up to political realities. It has been confirmed that such a directive was issued to all the D.C.s of Punjab by Home Secretary Policy letter on October 10th, 1947.

This all depicts that Sikhs are being discriminated by the Indian government and people. They just hate Sikhs. They don’t want them to be the part of their nation. So much hatred lies in their heart for Sikhs.

Discrimination Of Sikhs In India

India who depicts itself the most democratic country in the world does not give the rights to the minorities of their country. Muslims are not given their rights. Sikhs who are the part of the Hindu nation are also get discriminated by the Indian government. Sikhs are not being given their full rights. They are considered as the minorities. In this case, Indian Supreme court must take some action on this for protecting the rights of Sikhs but SC is quiet on this matter.

Recent incident happened that a Karan singh, the waiter of a hotel was killed for delay in serving tandoori chicken to the customers. According to the Navghar police, the incident took place over a delay on part of the owner of a dhaba in Mulund (E) in serving a meal of tandoori chicken and eight rotis ordered by the BMC employees. The four assailants are drivers on the BMC's rolls, who had come to the Mulund dumping ground to drop off collected garbage.

This hows the discriminatory behavior of indian people with the Sikhs. Sikh must be given full rights so that they can live easily on their homeland. Indian Supreme court must take an action on this and give full surety to Sikhs that they will be given full rights.