Leaders
and Members of Canadian Parliament crossing the party lines joined Sikhs in
demanding India to abolish the death penalty. More than five thousand Sikhs
from all over Canada gathered at Parliament Hill in solidarity with Bhai
Balwant Singh Rajoana who is on death row in India. Canadian MPs who
attended the rally included Liberal leader Bob Rae, Jim Karygiannis, Dr.
Kirsty Duncan, Justin Pierre James Trudeau and Irwin Cotler of Liberal
Party; Parm Gill from Conservative Party and from NDP Jasbir Singh Sandhu,
Jinny Sims, Rathika Sitsabaiesan, Don Davies and Wayne Marston, the Human
Rights Critics of the party.
The "Kesari Nishan Rally" was
held in Ottawa to implore Prime Minister Stephen Harper to leverage Canada's
position in the world - and especially our relationship with India - to
speak to his Indian counterpart and ask him to abide by UN Resolution 62-149
and place a moratorium on the use of the death penalty in India. A
memorandum was handed over to MP's of Conservative, Liberal and NDP parties
asking Government of Canada to intervene on behalf of Canadian Sikhs and
impress upon India to follow the UN Resolution 62-149 of 2008 and abolish
the death penalty.
Urging the Indian Government to reconsider
its plans to execute Rajoana, Bob Rae, the
leader of Liberals stated that "Liberal Party of Canada
has a strong tradition of opposing the death penalty and have encouraged and
supported the international trend towards its abolition". Liberal leader
further expressed hope that "India hears the pleas of international
community and imposes a moratorium on the use of death penalty".
Addressing the rally, Liberal MP Kristy
Duncan stated that "the death penalty is the ultimate denial of human rights
as it violates the right to life as proclaimed in the Universal Declaration
of Human Rights. It is the premeditated killing of a fellow human being by
the state. It is cruel, degrading, and inhuman punishment that is done in
the name of justice."
Attorney Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, legal
advisor to Sikhs of Justice (SFJ), a human rights group which co-organized
the rally, stated that "As Canadian Sikhs we are united in our opposition to
India's ongoing use of the death penalty despite ongoing international
pressure including UN resolution 62-149,". "Following the Canadian tradition
of respect for the sanctity of human life, Canadian Sikhs strongly oppose
the use of the death penalty - something still in use in India. Today,
hundreds of Canadian Sikhs stood in solidarity to oppose this outdated and
barbaric punishment" added attorney Pannun.
Attorney Pannun further stated that "in
India, members of religious minorities are hanged and crushed in the name of
justice while the killers of minorities enjoy complete impunity." Terming
the recent deployment of paramilitary forces in Punjab to suppress the
peaceful rallies of Sikhs, as alarming, Attorney Pannun implored Canada and
the world community to remain vigilant because Indian security forces have a
track record of atrocities and human rights violations in Punjab. Attorney
Pannun claimed that the root of India's treatment of Sikhs lies in Article
25 of the Constitution of India which has obliterated the separate status of
Sikhism. The Sikhs should work to have the Article 25 amended to restore the
separate and independent status of Sikhism, added attorney Pannun.
Jatinder Singh Grewal, Coordinator SFJ
stated that following the Canadian tradition of respecting sanctity of human
life, Canadian Sikhs strongly oppose the use of the death penalty in India.
Today, thousands of Canadian Sikhs are standing in solidarity to oppose this
outdated and barbaric punishment," added Grewal.
The "Kesari Nishan rally" was organized by
Sikh for Justice (SFJ), Ontario Gurudwara and Sikh Council (OGSC) and
Ontario Gurudwara Committee (OGC) with the combined membership of two
hundred thousand Sikhs in Canada. The rally united the Liberals, NDP and the
ruling party of Canada on one platform in asking India to follow the UN
Resolution and abolish the death penalty.
