Sikh Federation (UK) Press Release: Implications on Sikhs

[Subversive]

SIKH FEDERATION (UK)

www.sikhfederation.com

sikhfederationuk@yahoo.co.uk

PRESS RELEASE

Tuesday 04 October 2005

SIKHS DEMAND ACTION ON HATE CRIMES IN AFTERMATH OF TODAY'S TRAGEDY

The Sikh community today joins the rest of the country in mourning the loss of TV comedian Ronnie Barker, famous for The Two Ronnies as well as his roles in Porridge and Open All Hours who died after a long illness aged 76. His agent Rosalind Chatto said today that he died yesterday at 12.15pm after a long period of heart trouble. His wife was with him.

The Sikh Federation (UK), the first and only Sikh political party in the UK, and the Sikh Secretariat have joined with a wide spectrum of grassroots Sikh organisations such as Young Sikhs, British Sikh Federation, Sikh Nari Manch, Sikh him here Sikh him there, Old Sikhs, and Middle aged-Sikhs to mourn the loss of a comedy hero.

The Sikh Federation has also urged Britain to use its presidency of the European Union to investigate aggressively the impact on the Sikh community. "The toilets at a local gurdwara have been stolen. Police say they have nothing to go on." chairman Bhai Amrik Singh said.

Bhai Amrik Singh also voiced his concerns about promises on separate recognition of monitoring of Sikhs before stating that "The search for the man who terrorises nudist camps with a bacon slicer goes on. Inspector Lemuel Jones had a tip-off this morning, but hopes to be back on duty tomorrow."

Recalling the infamous "Pakistani" sketch of the Two Ronnies in 1976, Bhai Amrik Singh further stated that "That was a bloody funny sketch but in recent years, the visible Sikh identity has been increasingly challenged and threatened in the UK and other parts of the EU, The UK Government has not done enough to represent the rights of Sikhs to practise their faith."

The Home Office has sadly responded with a one line press release "Don't just crit there siticising! "

Gurjeet Singh

National Press Secretary

Sikh Federation (UK)