Next UK PM: Leadership hopefuls asked to clarify views for Sikh Conservative vote
London – 1 August 2022
The Sikh Federation (UK) was set up in September 2003 in a well-publicised event where the Conservative Shadow Home Secretary at that time announced the launch of the organisation.
The Sikh Federation (UK) has thousands of members across the UK that are politically active and tens of thousands of Sikh supporters that attend events and join campaigns. There are estimated to be around 1,000 Sikh Conservative party members who will be voting to select the next Conservative Leader and next Prime Minister.
The Sikh Federation (UK) has written to Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak to clarify their views on three specific issues of concern to British Sikhs. It hopes to get responses from both candidates so they can be shared with the British Sikh community and those in the community who will be casting their vote in the leadership contest in the coming few weeks.
The three issues are:
1) The release and return of Jagtar Singh Johal who has been tortured and is in arbitrary detention in an Indian jail for nearly 5 years Boris Johnson wrote to Bhai Amrik Singh, the Chair of the Sikh Federation (UK) on 7 July 2022 just before he resigned apologising to the Sikh community and clarifying the UK Government’s position on the arbitrary detention of Jagtar Singh Johal.
The letter to both leadership hopefuls asks:
“Given Jagtar now faces the risk of the death penalty in India will you increase efforts to secure the immediate release and return of Jagtar to his family in Scotland in line with UK Government pronouncements on the arbitrary detention of British nationals?”
2) Priti Patel’s offensive and unsubstantiated comments labelling British Sikhs as extremists
Boris Johnson in his letter of 7 July 2022 in response to an open letter from over 300 UK Gurdwaras and Sikh organisations sent 5 months earlier completely avoided addressing Priti Patel’s actions against the British Sikh community, including the failed extradition of those associated with Jagtar Singh Johal and the attempted deportation of Jagtar’s wife. He found it impossible to defend Priti Patel’s actions and her offensive and unsubstantiated comments labelling British Sikhs as extremists.
The letter to both leadership hopefuls asks:
“If you become the next Prime Minister, will you have a new Home Secretary who is competent to tackle the many challenges facing the proper administration of the Home Office where Priti Patel has clearly failed and hit the rest button to have a different relationship with grassroots Sikh organisations?”
3) Addressing Anti-Sikh hate in the same way as Antisemitism and Islamophobia
The Metropolitan Police recently provided the Sikh Federation (UK) with data on reported anti-Sikh hate crimes in the last 12 months up to 31 March 2022. This suggests when the Home Office releases nationwide data in October 2022 it will show a four-fold increase in Anti-Sikh hate across the UK in the last 12 months. The increased reporting is a direct result of Sikh community action to encourage increased reporting.
The letter to both leadership hopefuls asks:
“Will you as Prime Minister acknowledge and address Anti-Sikh hate in the same way as Antisemitism and Islamophobia by proving resources to tackle the massive increase in reported Anti-Sikh hate crimes and support a community-led solution to increased reporting so law enforcement agencies are better able to understand and confront the issue?”
Many are of the view that Liz Truss, the frontrunner will have much more to say and make a commitment in response to the Sikh community while Rishi Sunak may struggle as he has previously not had to address any of these issues.
ENDS Jaspal Singh National Press Secretary Sikh Federation (UK) info@sikhfeduk.com