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International Pressure Mounts Against India to Stop the Execution of Davinderpal Singh Part III: Sikh Leaders Respond On January 24, 2003 a VFF press release stated that major religious Sikh leaders issued their concerns about Davinderpal Singh's execution. Bhai Ranjit Singh, a former Akal Takht Jathedar (the head of the Temporal Seat of the Sikhs), requested the German government to pressurise India into respecting the extradition treaty with its government in the case of Davinderpal Singh. At a press conference he said the Indian government was violating the international treaty under which death sentence could not be awarded to an extraditee (Davinderpal). In a letter to the President of India, Abdul Kalam, he sought presidential pardon for Davinderpal. Several other major Sikh religious leaders such as, the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) President Kirpal Singh and former SGPC chief Gurcharan Singh also appealed to the President to commute the sentence of Davinderpal. Kirpal Singh said it was sad to note that those accused of planning and activating the 1984 Sikh riots were cleared of charges while the death sentence had been pronounced on Davinderpal. The Punjab Human Rights Organisation's Deputy Chairman Kirpal Singh appealed to the President, the Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Minister of India and said that Sikhs were being discriminated against in this particular incident too. Member of Parliament in India, Simranjit Singh, in a statement termed the conviction of Davinderpal as political murder which would lead to alienation of Sikhs and appealed to the President to use his discretion to grant a pardon to Davinderpal. 'There is no need for the death penalty which violates every fundamental human right. We hope that people will ask the Indian President to commute the death sentence against Davinderpal, said Mark Lavene, a representative of VFF. On January 26, 2003 a protest by Sikhs and human rights groups across India took place in Delhi to coincide with India's Republic Day. Their concerns reflected the death penalty being brought back after 15 years and this potential miscarriage of justice. On Febuary 9, 2003 Jathadaar Akal Takht Giani Joginder Singh is planning a global Ardaas Samagam for the release of Davinderpal Singh. For more information contact: British Sikh Federation
- Kashmir Singh (british.sikh.fed@talk21.com) |