Labour Manifesto Pledges Independent Public Inquiry into UK Govt. Actions during Indian Army attack on Sikh in 1984

London: The UK Labour Party has agreed at its special Clause 5 meeting to include a key pledge in its 2017 General Election manifesto addressing an important outstanding issue for UK Sikhs.

Labour is committing to hold an independent public inquiry into actions of the UK government around the time of the June 1984 Indian Army attack on the Darbar Sahib complex and the systematic killings of Sikhs in India in November 1984, as well as into restrictions imposed on Sikhs at the time in Britain.

Deputy Leader of the Labour Party, Tom Watson said: “Many Sikhs in the UK, including in my own constituency, were shocked to learn about British involvement in the events leading up to the attack by the Indian Army on the Darbar Sahib complex in Amritsar in 1984. That information was revealed when some government documents were released but other documents still remain hidden after a long campaign to force the authorities to publish them, the full truth about the role payed by the UK has still not been established. The next Labour Government will set up an independent inquiry so that UK Sikhs are given a full account of what took place. They have already waited far too long for their questions about British involvement to be answered”.

John McDonnell, Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer, said: “The Contribution of British Sikhs to U. K. Cultural and economic life is immeasurable. I’m proud that in our Manifesto Labour will commit to holding the public inquiry into the 1984 massacre that the British Sikh community have so patiently waited for and deserve. The inquiry will shine a light on the actions of the British Government and Army and will finally deliver justice for British Sikhs. Having campaigned for this for 20 years I am particularly proud that Labour is taking the lead in this search for truth and justice”.

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from Sikh Siyasat News http://ift.tt/2rh2OuO