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Navneet Kaur of Surrey, B.C., is joined by several hundred Canadian Sikhs in a protest outside the Metro Toronto Convention Centre, Friday, June 10, 2011, where Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty was meeting with business and political leaders from India. Kaur is fighting to save the life of her husband, who sits on death row in India following a forced confession. She has appealed to the Prime Minister, the Governor General and the Premier to speak out on behalf of her husband. MARKETWIRE PHOTO/Sikhs For Justice
Several hundred Canadian Sikhs gathered in Toronto today to voice their support for Professor Devinder Pal Singh Bhullar, who has been sentenced to death in India.
Professor Bhullar's wife, Navneet Kaur, says he is sure to be executed unless Canada and other foreign governments pressure India to commute his death sentence. A Canadian citizen, Kaur came from her home in Surrey, B.C., to rally for justice outside the Metro Toronto Convention Centre today where Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty was meeting with business and political leaders from India.
"I am making a desperate appeal to any Canadian politician to step forward to help me save my husband, who is an innocent man," said Kaur, choking back her tears. "I have sent a letter to Prime Minister Harper, the Governor General and the Premier of Ontario begging them for their help. My husband was falsely accused, forced to confess and has been imprisoned for 16 years for a crime he did not commit."
Organizers of today's rally also began drafting a petition to send to Prime Minister Stephen Harper asking him to intercede.
"There is no justice in this case," said Gurpatwant S. Pannun, legal advisor to Sikhs for Justice (SFJ). "Professor Bhullar was tortured into giving a confession and there is no other evidence against him. On top of that, Bhullar is a witness in three other cases where police officials allegedly participated in the killing of his family. It's well known by human rights groups that Indian police will resort to torture to extract confessions and it's no secret that India refuses to become a signatory to UN Convention Against Torture. We need Canada and other foreign governments to intervene."
The justice rally was attended by a strong mix of older Canadian Sikhs and first generation youth, who want to see stronger protection for minority rights in India.
"India often lays claim to being the world's largest democracy, but the claim rings hollow," said Jatinder Singh Grewal, Youth Coordinator for SFJ Canada. "I'm not sure who said it, but the true measure of a democracy is the way it treats its minorities - whether they be Sikhs, Muslims or Christians.
"If Canada is going to do business with India, then our leaders must ask the tough questions on human rights. We know Sikhs who ask for equality or justice in India are routinely persecuted. We want justice for Professor Bhullar and the Sikhs of India."
The rally to save Bhullar was supported by the Ontario Gurudwaras Committee (OGC), Ontario Sikh and Gurudwara Council (OSGC), Sikh Activist Network, umbrella organizations of Ontario Gurudwaras, United Front of Sikhs, Shiromani Akali Dal Panch Pardhani, Shiromani Akali Dal Amritsar, Guruwara Jot Parkash Sahib, Gurudwara Mississauga Sahib and several other Sikh Gurudwaras from Montreal and Ottawa.
Sikhs for Justice (SFJ) is a human rights organization, striving to disseminate true and correct information, statistics, figures and data regarding the Genocide of Sikhs (1984-1997) that took place in India with particular emphasis on the genocidal events of November 1984. With the support of Sikh community, SFJ is working with the international community, human rights organizations and governments to recognize the attacks on Sikhs (1984-97) as "Genocide" defined in Article 2 of U.N. Convention on Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide.
To view the photo associated with this release, please visit the following link:
http://media3.marketwire.com/docs/sik512.JPG
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Hundreds of Canadian Sikhs Rally to Save Professor Bhullar from Death Row | SYS-CON UK
