London: A march and rally were organised by the Sikh Community in the UK on 7th June 2009.
5000 participants marched from Hyde Park to Trafalgar Square. The Rally at Trafalgar square was addressed by speakers from various Sikh organisations, a representative of the Green Party (Member of European Parliament), a representative of the Tamil community in the UK and a spokesperson from The Indian Workers Association (GB).
The speakers covered the historical background to the events of 1984. They called upon the community not to forget 1984 but persist in demands for justice and punishment of the guilty.
Salvinder Dhillon from the IWA (GB) covered how the past 25 years have witnessed an escalation of state-organised communal massacres in the name of "fighting terrorism" and opposing "religious fundamentalism". Starting with the attack on the Golden Temple and the brutal massacre of people of the Sikh faith in November 1984, demolition of the Babri Masjid in Ayodhya followed by brutal massacre of Muslims in 1992-93, and the genocide unleashed against Muslims in Gujarat in 2002 – all reveal a consistent pattern. They reveal the unmistakable hand of the ruling class and its state in the organisation of the communal pogroms.
Organising communal genocide is part of the preferred method of governance in India, institutionalised into the state apparatus. Governments use communal violence to divide people and divert people from their common struggles for a better livelihood.
All parties in power justify using state terrorism and communal violence, in the name of fighting terrorism and of defending the unity and integrity of India.
Continued struggles over the year, by justice minded people, led to the punishment of Nazi war criminals and fascist dictators. Likewise we can also bring the guilty face trial and be punished. We must persist in our demands for justice for victims; end to state sponsored communal violence and punishment of the guilty. We must support the struggles of Indian people to fight for creation of a society offering a life of security and livelihood for all consistent with the aspirations of the daily prayer of Sikhs, Sarbat Dha Ballha – a society, free from exploitation of working people, upholding human rights of all and people being the decision makers in all affairs of life.
