Write to your candidate
Find out who your local candidate is and write to them, you can use whocanivotefor.co.uk to see who is running in your area
Here’s a draft letter you can send to your local candidate:
Dear [Candidate],
As we approach the General Election on 4th July 2024, it is crucial for us to hold our Parliamentary Candidates accountable and ensure they are committed to addressing the significant challenges our community has faced.
The Sikh community in the UK has endured profound injustices, and I seek your commitment to addressing these critical issues if elected and urge you to provide clear, direct answers to the following three vital questions in order for myself and the Sikh community to make an informed decision on 4th July:
- Misuse of Schedule 7: Sikhs are being unfairly targeted by British Law Enforcement under Schedule 7. What steps will you take to address this if elected?
- Indian Pressure on UK Policies: India is using trade to push its agenda of silencing Sikhs in the UK. Will you stand against this pressure and protect our rights?
- Commemoration of Historical Events: 2024 marks 40 years since the attack on Harmandir Sahib and the Sikh Genocide. Will you campaign for these events to be officially remembered at Parliamentary level?
These questions are not merely policy inquiries; they reflect the lived experiences and injustices faced by our community:
- Prolonged Detention of Jagtar Singh Johal: Jagtar Singh Johal, a British citizen, has been detained in India for seven years without charge. The Conservative Government has made minimal efforts to secure his release, highlighting a severe neglect of its duty to protect its citizens.
- Murders of Sikh Activists: Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Canada was brutally murdered, a foiled plot of the assassination of Gurpatwant Singh Pannu in the US, with evidence in both cases pointing to Indian state involvement, and UK allies openly stating this. Both incidents happened just after the suspicious death of Avtar Singh Khanda in the UK. All three have advocated for the Sikh right to self-determination. These are not isolated incidents but part of a broader pattern of transnational repression.
- Prevent Strategy and Schedule 7: The misuse of these laws has unjustly labelled Sikh activists as extremists, silencing those who speak out against human rights abuses.
- Bloom Report and Oasis Presentation: These reports have unfairly stigmatised the Sikh community, contributing to a broader narrative of marginalisation.
- Government Funding Misallocation: In 2023, £95,000 was allocated to combat alleged ‘pro-Khalistani extremism,’ further vilifying the Sikh community’s right to self-determination.
I believe that every candidate, regardless of party affiliation, must be committed to justice and the protection of human rights. Your stance on these issues will significantly influence my vote in the upcoming election.
I look forward to your response and hope to see your commitment to these vital issues.
Yours sincerely,