Hundreds of Sikhs from all over the UK had gathered at Parliament Square on Wednesday 15th July 2015, to protest and seek answers from the British government over the release of what they referred to as “political prisoners in India.”
Roads outside the parliament were blocked by the protestors as they demanded the release of Sikh political prisoners who had been imprisoned for decades.
The Sikh Federation UK were eminent in organising the protest. They said, “Some of them have been in prison for decades and most are in the sixties and seventies and should be released given their impeccable behaviour and on humanitarian grounds.”
The group had also written to David Cameron, foreign secretary, Phillip Hammond, in May. They also met with Foreign and Commonwealth Office.
The protest was also regarding the Sikh activist, Bapu Surat Singh who has reported to be on hunger strike for more than six months. 82-year-old Singh is a US resident and has been on hunger strike in India for nearly 180 days for his son. His son, a US citizen has been reportedly detained by the police for over two months and was subjected to torture when he went to visit his father in hospital.
The Sikh Federation UK further stated, “The plight of Sikh political prisoners is an emotive one for British Sikhs and Sikhs across the globe. The likely death of Bapu Surat Singh will create further agony and could result in serious unrest as the police in India are likely to use heavy handed techniques that will result in further loss of life.”
