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Did Rahul Think Of Nyay For 1984 Atrocities On Sikh Community: Puri

By LokMarg 14th January 2024

Reacting to the Congress’ Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra, Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri asked Congress leader Rahul Gandhi whether he had ever thought about justice (Nyay) for the people of the Sikh community who suffered atrocities in 1984.

“I want to ask Rahul Gandhi, what has he thought about the justice for the people of our community who suffered atrocities in 1984, did he ever go there and apologised to the people?… Rahul Gandhi is distracted and keeps saying anything. His people said things about Sanatana Dharma and this is unfortunate,” Puri told ANI on Sunday.

When asked about former Congress leader Milind Deora joining Shiv Sena, Puri said that he has known Milind Deora and his father Murli Deora for 30-40 years.

“I know Milind Deora and I have known his father Murli Deora for 30-40 years…he has joined Shiv Sena led by Eknath Shinde and we have an alliance with them so we will work together,” he added.

The Maharashtra leader ended his 55-year-old association with the party which went back to his father Murli Deora.

Milind Deora’s decision to quit Congress came on the day Rahul Gandhi kickstarted his nationwide ‘Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra’ from Manipur’s Thoubal.

Party chief Mallikarjun Kharge and Wayanad MP Rahul Gandhi flagged off the yatra from Manipur’s Thoubal.

The yatra will cover over 6,700 kilometres over 67 days, traversing through 110 districts. (ANI)

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London: Sikh Restaurant Owner’s Car Reportedly Shot At, Vandalised By Alleged Khalistan Supporters

By LokMarg 30th September 2023

A Sikh restaurant owner, who earlier received threats from Khalistani elements for being vocal against them, has now claimed that his car was shot at and vandalised by the extremists in West London.

A video posted on X by Insightuk2, which describes itself as a social movement of British Hindus and Indians, claimed that some unidentified assailants allegedly opened fire at the car of Harman Singh Kapoor, adding that his family has been subjected to constant threats of violence and rape by alleged Khalistan supporters.

However, there has been no formal statement from the UK police on these claims.

Notably, the claims came to the fore on the very day elements from outside Scotland deliberately disrupted a planned interaction organised for the Indian High Commissioner, Vikram Doraiswami.

“They were threatened and abused by these elements. In an effort to prevent any potential altercation, the HC and CG decided to leave the premises shortly upon their arrival,” India’s High Commission to UK said in a statement.

A UK-based journalist and researcher, Charlotte Littlewood, in a post shared on X, claimed that the attack on Kapoor’s family was ongoing.

“Attack on Harman Singh Kapoor + family is ongoing. They are awaiting police as Khalistani extremists are thought to have shot at their vehicle in London. As feared the Canada row has emboldened extremists – we will see more of this,” her post read.

Earlier in the day, she also questioned the decision of removing the panic alarm from the car of family amid the diplomatic fallout of Canada’s claim of an Indian hand in the killing of Sikh separatist leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar.

“At this heightened time of threat following the India-Canada row. Where the Khalistani extremists are threatening India High commissions in the West and assassinating Indian officials in India. How was the decision made to remove their panic alarm? (sic),” her post added.

Meanwhile, INSIGHT UK, also alleged that Khalistani extremists were threatening Sikhs in the UK.

It also alleged that no arrests were made despite several months of alleged torture of Harman Kapoor’s family.

“The Police have made no arrests in what has been months of torture for this family. When will action be taken against these Khalistani extremists who pose a serious law and order threat @metpoliceuk,” INSIGHT UK posted on X, adding, “Why is the UK government not taking stringent action against an extremist ideology with a history of terrorism.”

Earlier, on May 4, Kapoor and his family alleged that they have been receiving constant online threats after they posted a video about the Khalistan movement on social media, Khalsa Vox reported.

The alleged threats were made despite repeated assurances by the police of safety and special safeguarding measures. The family had experienced three attacks, and do not feel safe, according to Khalsa Vox, a portal on news related to Punjab politics, history, culture, and heritage.

Harman’s restaurant was attacked by pro-Khalistan supporters, an incident that occurred just days after the Indian High Commission in London was vandalised in April 2023.

Harman then posted a video which garnered two million views in two days, leading to abusive calls, social media trolling, and threats against him and his family.

Harman said following the video, he received death threats and his restaurant was attacked. The attackers demanded that he remove the video, raise pro-Khalistan slogans and burn the Indian flag, or face death.

Harman said his wife and his daughter even received several rape threats. “Our address was put online with calls to rape and kill them. Videos of miscreants licking the pictures of my wife and daughter were posted as well,” he added, according to Bitter Winter, a magazine on religious liberty and human rights.

An independent report commissioned by former UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson had expressed concerns over the rising influence of pro-Khalistan extremists within the British Sikh community, Khalsa Vox reported.

The Bloom Review, an independent report commissioned by former UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson, meanwhile, called on the Rishi Sunak government to address the issue urgently and safeguard most of the Sikhs in the UK who do not support their extremist ideology.

The report stressed time-bound action on the issue. The report noted that the Sikh communities in the UK face coercion and intimidation by fringe Khalistani elements, Khalsa Vox reported. These pro-Khalistan groups artificially inflate their influence and attract disproportionate attention by lobbying political bodies under the guise of human rights activism.

According to the news report, the actions of pro-Khalistan groups create a false image of legitimacy which is not in accordance with the beliefs of the Sikh faith.

It is important to understand that Khalistani separatists do not represent the views of most of British Sikh communities, as per the Khalsa Vox report. (ANI)

Indian Envoy To UK Stopped From Entering Scotland Gurdwara

By LokMarg 30th September 2023

Indian High Commissioner to the United Kingdom Vikram Doraiswami was on Friday prevented from entering a gurdwara in Glasgow, Scotland.

According to a purported video posted on the Instagram channel of ‘Sikh Youth UK,’ a man reportedly a pro-Khalistani activist was seen blocking Doraiswami from entering the Glasgow Gurdwara on Albert Drive.

This comes amid a diplomatic row between India and Canada over the killing of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar.

“…They are hurting Sikhs in Canada and other places, every Sikh should protest against any Indian Ambassador like we did here in Glasgow,” the man is heard saying in the video.

The ‘Sikh Youth UK’ claims that there is an ongoing ban on Indian officials visiting the gurdwara in their official capacities.

The video shows two men near the High Commissioner’s car in the parking area. One of them is seen attempting to open the car door, which has been locked from the inside. The purported video then shows the high commissioner’s car leaving the gurdwara premises.

The video then shows another man speaking to the camera that this is how any Indian ambassador or any Indian government official who visits the Gurdwara will be treated.

“We know what games they are playing, what’s happening in Canada. The Canadian PM has openly condemned India and expelled Indian diplomats,” he said.

The incident was first reported by the Times of India TOI.

A pro-Khalistan activist told TOI that the Indian High Commissioner was supposed to hold a meeting with the gurdwara committee of the Glasgow Gurdwara on Albert Drive. The activist said: “A few people turned up and told him he is not welcome and he left. There was a slight confrontation. I don’t think the gurdwara committee is too happy about what happened. But Indian officials are not welcome in any gurdwara in the UK.”

“We are fed up with the UK-India collusion. The recent tensions since the Hardeep Singh Nijjar killing have led to British Sikhs being targeted. This is to do with Avtar Singh Khanda and Jagtar Singh Johal too,” he further said.

Meanwhile, a formal reaction from the Indian High Commission in London and the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on the incident is awaited.

The UK incident comes amid a growing strain in India-Canada ties following Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s allegations regarding the Indian government’s involvement in the killing of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar.

India has outrightly rejected the claims, calling it “absurd” and “motivated.”

Notably, Canada has yet to provide any public evidence to support the claim about the killing of Nijjar.

Meanwhile, External Affairs Minister Jaishankar has highlighted incidents of threats, violence, and intimidation against Indian diplomats and missions in Canada. He has questioned whether the reaction would have been the same if a similar situation had occurred in any other country.

He further emphasized that the situation in Ottawa should not be normalized.

Addressing a press conference in Washington DC on Friday, S Jaishankar said, “…Our point is that there is today a climate of violence, an atmosphere of intimidation…Just think about it. We have had smoke bombs thrown at the mission. We have had our consulates…violence in front of them. Individuals have been targeted and intimidated. There are posters put up about people”.

The UK has meanwhile said it is in “close touch” with its Canadian partners about serious allegations made by PM Trudeau on India’s link in the alleged assassination of Nijjar.

“We are in close touch with our Canadian partners about these serious allegations,” a UK government spokesperson told ANI.

“It would be inappropriate to comment further during the ongoing investigation by the Canadian authorities,” the official said.

Recently, the United Kingdom’s Security Minister Tom Tugendhat announced new funding to enhance the UK’s capability to tackle ‘pro-Khalistan extremism.’

Tugendhat made the announcement after a meeting with Jaishankar in the national capital on August 10, the British High Commission in India said.

The 95,000-pound investment will enhance the government’s understanding of the threat posed by pro-Khalistan extremism, complementing the joint work already underway between the UK and India through the Joint-Extremism Task Force, the British High Commission said in a statement. (ANI)

Here’s The List Of Gifts Modi Received From Prez Macron

By LokMarg 14th July 2023

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is on an official visit to France, was presented with several gifts — with historical and cultural linkages — by French President Emmanuel Macron during a private dinner on Thursday.

Here’s the list of gifts presented to PM Modi:

1.
A framed facsimile of the photograph “A Parisian presenting flowers to a Sikh”, July 14, 1916

PM Modi was presented with the photo which pays tribute to the Indian soldiers who fought in Europe alongside France during World War-I (1914-1918). It also evokes India and France’s long-standing shared battle to defend universal values. Notably, several Indian battalions are partaking in the Bastille Day parade today.

The photo depicts a passer-by giving flowers to a Sikh officer from the Indian Expeditionary Force (IEF) deployed in France. At the time this snapshot was taken, the Battle of the Somme, in which the IEF were fighting, had already begun.

This photo was taken on the Champs-Elysees during the military parade of July 14, 1916, by a photo reporter from the Meurisse news agency. The original copy of the photo is still located at the National Library of France.

In World War I, some 1.3 million Indians volunteered to fight for Britain, including 877,000 combatants. Over 70,000 of them lost their lives, including about 9,000 in France and Belgium. Most of these combatants were from “warrior peoples” in the north of the Indian subcontinent, like the Sikh soldiers marching on the Champs-Elysees.

2.
Reproduction of the Charlemagne chessmen (11th century)

PM Modi was also presented with the reproduced version of ‘Charlemagne’ chessmen, which represents Indian origins of the game of chess and the long history of trade between India and Europe.

This unique item represents both the long history of trade between India and Europe, with the elephant piece recalling the Indian origins of the game of chess, and the expertise of French companies in terms of innovation and new technologies.

‘Chaturanga’, the common ancestor of European and Chinese chess, appeared in India from the 7th century CE.

Notably, Prime Minister Modi is himself a chess enthusiast. During his term as Chief Minister of Gujarat, he attended the world record event for the most games of chess played simultaneously in one location, in Ahmedabad in December 2010.

The “Charlemagne” chessmen are stored at the Cabinet des Medailles at the National Library of France, and were formerly at the Treasury of the Basilica of Saint-Denis. They take their name from the legend stating that they were given as a gift to the Frankish Emperor by the Abbasid Caliph Harun al-Rashid.

Actually, they were made at the end of the 11th century, probably in Southern Italy, given the equipment used by the characters and the presence of elephants as bishops.

3.
Marcel Proust, Le temps retrouve (Time Regained), Pleiade and English edition of A la recherche du temps perdu (In Search of Lost Time)

Prime Minister Modi was also presented with some famous and historic works of French literature.

A la recherche du temps perdu (In Search of Lost Time) is a series of novels by Marcel Proust (1871-1922) published between 1913 and 1927 and recognized as one of the most important works of French literature of the early 20th century.

Le temps retrouve (Time Regained) is its seventh and final volume, which was published posthumously.

The Bibliotheque de la Pleiade collection represents academic excellence and the most outstanding contributions of French authors to world culture. As Prime Minister Modi does not speak French, this edition comes with its English translation.

This volume IV of A la recherche du temps perdu from the Bibliotheque de la Pleiade includes the final two volumes of the original work, Albertine disparue (The Fugitive) and Le temps retrouvé (Time Regained), a number of drafts and outlines by the author and much academic commentary. It was published in 1989.

The English edition, Everyman’s Library, also includes the final two volumes of A la recherché du temps perdu. The translation is by CK Scott Moncrieff (1889-1930), a contemporary of Proust and the original translator of Proust into English, as revised by Terence Kilmartin (1922-1991). This version is considered to be one of the best English translations of Proust.

Meanwhile, during the private dinner, Prime Minister Modi was also presented with ‘Grand Cross of the Legion of Honour’, the highest French honour in military or civilian orders.

With this, PM Modi became the first Indian PM to receive this honour. This award comes in recognition of the Prime Minister’s role in the excellent relationship of friendship and trust between France and India.

PM Modi arrived in Paris on Thursday to a ceremonial welcome. He was recieved by his France counterpart Elisabeth Borne and later addressed the Indian diaspora in the France capital.

He will also join French President Emmanuel Macron for the French National Day celebration today in Paris as the Guest of Honour.

An Indian tri-services contingent will be part of the Bastille Day Parade, while three Rafale fighter jets of the Indian Air Force as part of the military contingent, are also set to participate in the Bastille Day flypast over the Champs Elysees, Paris.

Indian Army’s Punjab Regiment, Indian Navy and Indian Air Force have all started gearing up for the parade.

Indian Navy officer Ranveer told ANI, “The contingent is full of enthusiasm. You will be able to see during the parade that what preparations we did. We have been preparing for the last one month. Today is the final day…We are very proud that PM is here and our contingent is participating here”.

Indian Navy Lt Commander Disha said, “We are all in full ‘josh’. The entire contingent is ready to give our best and represent India on a foreign land. It is a matter of pride for us to march past the PM”. (ANI)

Don’t Compare Hijab With Sikh Turban Or Kirpan: SC Bench

By LokMarg 8th September 2022

The Supreme Court on Thursday said that there is no comparison between Kirpan and turban of Sikhs with the hijab as a five-judge bench of the apex court held that wearing turban and kirpan is allowed for Sikhs.

The remarks came when a bench of Justices Hemant Gupta and Sudhanshu Dhulia heard various petitions challenging the Karnataka High Court judgement upholding the ban on hijab in educational institutes.

Advocate Nizamuddin Pasha, appearing for one of the petitioners, who is a student of Islam and Arabic, tried to draw similarities between the Kirpan and turban with the hijab.

Pasha said that the hijab is a part of the religious practice of Muslim girls and also asked if girls can be stopped from coming to school wearing hijab. He further argued that even Sikh students wear turbans.

Pasha stressed that cultural practices should be protected.

Justice Gupta said that comparison with Sikhs may not be proper as carrying of the kirpan is recognized by the Constitution. “So don’t compare practices,” the court remarked.

Justice Gupta said there are statutory requirements on turbans and these are all practices well established in the culture of the country.

Pasha tries to cite examples of foreign countries like France.

Justice Gupta said that we do not want to be according to France or Austria. “We are Indians and want to be in India,” the court said.

Pasha while countering the Karnataka HC judgement said that the hijab protects Muslim women.

Pasha said that the findings of Karnataka HC that the Hijab is a cultural practice are based on the assumption. He cited various religious books to support his arguments.

He also argued that it was a misreading of the footnote that the HC held that the Hijab is a “recommendation” and not “essential”.

Senior advocate Devadatt Kamat said that every religious practice is not essential but it is not that the state goes on restricting it.

During the hearing, Kamat, appearing for another petitioner apprised the court that divergent views were taken by Karnataka, Kerala and Madras High Court judgments on whether the hijab is an essential religious practice. Madras and Kerala courts have held Hijab as an essential religious practice but Karnataka HC differed, Kamat said.

“Karnataka Government Order on the prescription of uniform in educational institutes suffers from non-application of mind,” he further added. (ANI)