Sikh separatist contests India election from jail, a worry for government

Sikh separatist contests India election from jail, a worry for government
Villagers attend a public meeting during an election campaign for Sikh separatist leader Amritpal Singh, an independent candidate from Khadoor Sahib constituency, at a village in Kapurthala district, Punjab, India, May 28, 2024. (REUTERS)
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Updated 31 May 2024
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Sikh separatist contests India election from jail, a worry for government

Sikh separatist contests India election from jail, a worry for government
  • Amritpal Singh, 31, is detained in a high-security prison in Assam, nearly 3,000km from his Khadoor Sahib constituency in Punjab
  • Singh was arrested last year and jailed after he and hundreds of his supporters stormed a police station with swords and firearms

KHADOOR SAHIB: A jailed Sikh separatist leader is contesting India’s general election from prison and drawing good support, his campaign managers said, in what could become a concern for New Delhi which has sought to stamp out any revival of Sikh militancy.
Amritpal Singh, 31, is detained in a high-security prison in Assam, nearly 3,000 km (1,865 miles) from his Khadoor Sahib constituency in Punjab state, where villages and towns are dotted with posters depicting him with swords and bullet-proof vests.
Singh was arrested last year and jailed under a tough security law after he and hundreds of his supporters stormed a police station with swords and firearms, demanding the release of one of his aides.
A win for him in an election to parliament could give Singh some legitimacy and spark concerns of a revival of a militancy that killed tens of thousands of people in the 1970s and 1980s.
“People will make their decision on June 1,” Singh’s father Tarsem, 61, said referring to the voting in the constituency on Saturday. “They will send an important message to those who have maligned his image, to those who are defaming our community and our Punjab.”
Tarsem Singh spoke inside a Sikh temple set beside wheat fields and a river canal. Portraits of Sikhs who were killed during the militancy in Punjab, called “martyrs” by Singh’s supporters, were pinned on the walls.
Sikhs are the majority community in Punjab but they constitute just 2 percent of India’s 1.4 billion people. Sikh militants began agitating for an independent homeland in the 1970s but the insurgency was largely suppressed by the early 1990s with harsh crackdowns.
However, Sikh separatism has made global headlines in the last year as Canada and the United States have accused India of being involved in assassination plots against Sikhs in those countries, charges New Delhi has denied.
Singh said in a 2023 interview that he was seeking a separate homeland for Sikhs and the people of Punjab, where the religion was founded more than 500 years ago.
SINGH’S ‘TSUNAMI’
To be sure, Singh’s campaign is focused on fighting Punjab’s drug problem, freeing former Sikh militants from prison and protecting the Sikh identity in Hindu majority India. His father and aides are careful to avoid any mention of the idea of a Sikh homeland.
“There is a tsunami in the name of Amritpal Singh, anyone who stands against him will be swept off,” said Imaan Singh Khara, 27, Singh’s lawyer.
Community leaders pushed Singh to contest from Khadoor Sahib, a historical center for Sikhs on the border with Pakistan, despite his initial hesitation, his aides said. Indian law allows undertrials to contest polls.
Singh is contesting as an independent and his main rivals — also all Sikhs — belong to the opposition Congress party, the Sikh-centric Shiromani Akali Dal, Punjab’s ruling Aam Aadmi Party and Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
Amritpal Singh may have some support but not enough to win, said BJP candidate Manjit Singh Manna. “People have seen the militancy days, they don’t want those days to return,” Manna said.
Demand for a separate Sikh nation has more support abroad, but a rise in support for Singh risks giving new legs to extremist politics at a time when mainstream parties are wrapped in their own rivalries, analysts say.
“Once you weaken the moderates, people get articulation through these fringe radicals, which is a danger signal,” said Pramod Kumar, chairperson of the Institute for Development and Communication, based in the city of Chandigarh.
“Amritpal may win, in a four-cornered contest he may win.”


Nigerian army rescues 13 hostages from extremist group

Nigerian army rescues 13 hostages from extremist group
Updated 10 sec ago
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Nigerian army rescues 13 hostages from extremist group

Nigerian army rescues 13 hostages from extremist group
  • Kidnappings have become common in parts of northern Nigeria, where dozens of armed groups take advantage of a limited security presence to carry out attacks in village

ABUJA, Nigeria: Nigerian troops have rescued 13 hostages who were kidnapped by an extremist group in the northwestern state of Kaduna, the country’s army said on Saturday.
The army said in a statement that “the troops successfully overwhelmed the terrorists, forcing them to abandon their captives.”
Several kidnappers were killed and others captured, the military added. It didn’t specify what armed group the kidnappers belonged to.
The rescued hostages were taken to a military facility for a medical assessment before being reunited with their families. Weapons, ammunition, solar panels and cash were also discovered during the rescue operation.
Kidnappings have become common in parts of northern Nigeria, where dozens of armed groups take advantage of a limited security presence to carry out attacks in villages and along major roads. Most victims are released only after the payment of ransoms that sometimes run into the thousands of dollars.
At least 1,400 students have been taken from Nigerian schools since the 2014 kidnapping of 276 schoolgirls by Boko Haram militants in the village of Chibok in Borno state shocked the world.
Boko Haram, Nigeria’s homegrown jihadi rebels, launched its insurgency in 2009 to establish Islamic Shariah law in the country. At least 35,000 people have been killed and 2.1 million people displaced as a result of the extremist violence, according to UN agencies in Nigeria.


G7 foreign ministers condemn Iran’s export of ballistic missiles to Russia

G7 foreign ministers condemn Iran’s export of ballistic missiles to Russia
Updated 1 min 18 sec ago
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G7 foreign ministers condemn Iran’s export of ballistic missiles to Russia

G7 foreign ministers condemn Iran’s export of ballistic missiles to Russia
  • Iran has provided Russia with a large number of powerful surface-to-surface ballistic missiles

ROME: The foreign ministers of the Group of Seven (G7) industrialized powers condemned on Saturday “in the strongest terms” Iran’s export and Russia’s procurement of Iranian ballistic missiles.
Iran has provided Russia with a large number of powerful surface-to-surface ballistic missiles, deepening the military cooperation between the two countries, which are both under US sanctions.
“Iran must immediately cease all support to Russia’s illegal and unjustifiable war against Ukraine and halt such transfers of ballistic missiles, UAVs (drones) and related technology, which constitute a direct threat to the Ukrainian people as well as European and international security more broadly,” the G7 ministers said in a statement.
“We remain steadfast in our commitment to hold Iran to account for its unacceptable support for Russia’s illegal war in Ukraine that further undermines global security. In line with our previous statements on the matter, we are already responding with new and significant measures.”
Italy currently holds the presidency of the G7 group of wealthy nations which also includes the United States, Japan, Germany, Britain, France and Canada.


British PM breached parliament’s rules over clothing donations to wife — Sunday Times

British PM breached parliament’s rules over clothing donations to wife — Sunday Times
Updated 22 min 23 sec ago
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British PM breached parliament’s rules over clothing donations to wife — Sunday Times

British PM breached parliament’s rules over clothing donations to wife — Sunday Times
  • Sunday Times said those donations were declared but the clothes given to his wife were not

LONDON: British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has breached parliamentary rules by not declaring a wealthy businessman and Labour Party donor bought high-end clothes for his wife Victoria, the Sunday Times reported on Saturday.
According to the Sunday Times, Starmer, in power since July, faces an investigation after “neglecting to disclose” that major Labour donor Waheed Alli covered the cost of a personal shopper, clothes and alterations for his wife.
The premier’s registered financial interests, listed on the parliament’s website, show that he has received several donations from Alli, including multiple pairs of glasses, work clothes and accommodation.
The Sunday Times said those donations were declared but the clothes given to his wife were not.
A spokesperson for 10 Downing Street said in a statement sent to Reuters that Starmer and his team had sought advice from authorities on coming to office, and believed they had been compliant.
“However, following further interrogation this month, we’ve declared further items,” the spokesperson said.
Alli is British media entrepreneur and former chairman of the online fashion retailer ASOS.
Under the House of Commons code of conduct, members of parliament have to provide information about financial interests which might reasonably be thought to influence their work.
A Conservative Party spokesperson called for a full investigation over “apparent serious breaches of parliamentary rules.”


Pope Francis calls for lasting solution to Palestinian cause

Pope Francis calls for lasting solution to Palestinian cause
Updated 14 September 2024
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Pope Francis calls for lasting solution to Palestinian cause

Pope Francis calls for lasting solution to Palestinian cause
  • Pope commended King Abdullah’s ongoing diplomatic efforts

LONDON: Pope Francis has reiterated the need for a just and lasting resolution to the Palestinian issue, warning that failure to achieve this goal would only lead to continued violence and instability in the region, it was reported by the Catholic Center for Studies and Media in Jordan on Saturday.

The pope highlighted the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Gaza and the West Bank, and praised Jordan’s King Abdullah II’s support for the Palestinian people.

The king has facilitated daily humanitarian aid to the area, delivered by the Jordan Armed Forces via air and land, since the conflict between Israel and Hamas broke out in October.

The pope commended King Abdullah’s ongoing diplomatic efforts, noting his active role in international forums where he consistently advocates for Palestinian rights.

According to Pope Francis, the king has repeatedly warned that true peace, security, and prosperity in the Middle East can only be achieved by resolving the Palestinian issue, including the establishment of an independent Palestinian state.

Pope Francis also lauded Jordan’s clear and firm stance on the Palestinian cause, highlighting the country’s efforts to keep global attention on the issue and to condemn violations against the Palestinian people under occupation.

He also expressed deep concern over the prolonged war on Gaza. He voiced regret over the international community’s failure to take meaningful action to end the war and achieve peace.

Addressing Israel’s bombing of schools that sheltered displaced civilians, the pope condemned the attacks, particularly when such strikes are justified by the presumption of fighters being present.

“It is bad, it is bad, it is bad,” he said. The pope also rejected the argument that the ongoing war is purely defensive, highlighting the number of children among the victims.


Pro-Palestine protester found not guilty of racial abuse over coconut poster

Pro-Palestine protester found not guilty of racial abuse over coconut poster
Updated 14 September 2024
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Pro-Palestine protester found not guilty of racial abuse over coconut poster

Pro-Palestine protester found not guilty of racial abuse over coconut poster
  • Hussain defended the placard as a form of “light-hearted political banter"

LONDON: A British teacher who carried a placard depicting Rishi Sunak and Suella Braverman as coconuts during a pro-Palestine demonstration in London was acquitted on Friday of a racially aggravated public order offense.

Marieha Hussain, 37, attended the protest in November, where her placard showed the faces of the then prime minister and home secretary superimposed onto coconuts beneath a palm tree.

Hussain, from High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, denied the prosecution’s claim that the placard was “racially abusive,” insisting it was meant to be satirical and humorous. On Friday, Westminster Magistrates’ Court cleared her of the charges, The Guardian newspaper reported.

Speaking outside the court, Hussain expressed frustration over the ordeal: “The damage done to my reputation and image can never be undone.” She criticized what she described as the misuse of hate speech laws, claiming they were being “weaponized to target ethnic minorities.”

Reflecting on the personal impact of the trial, she added: “This ordeal has been agonizing for my family and I. Instead of enjoying my pregnancy, I’ve been vilified by the media, lost my career, and been dragged through the court system.”

Despite the challenging experience, Hussain voiced her continued commitment to activism, particularly in support of Palestine.

“Nearly a year on from the genocide in Gaza, and despite this trial, I’m more determined than ever to continue using my voice to defend Palestine,” she said.

During the trial, Hussain defended the placard as a form of “light-hearted political banter,” explaining it was a satirical way of addressing serious issues.

Her defense lawyer, Rajiv Menon, argued that the case was a troubling attack on freedom of expression.

Menon said: “This prosecution of Ms Hussain is a disturbing attack on the right to peaceful protest, the right to criticize politicians, and the right to satirise in a British context.”

He highlighted the contrast between Hussain’s prosecution and the perceived leniency shown to figures such as Suella Braverman, Nigel Farage and Tommy Robinson, who have made controversial statements without facing similar consequences.

Expert testimony was heard in court regarding the use of the term “coconut” and whether it constitutes a racial slur.

Menon contended that the placard was a satirical critique of the policies and rhetoric employed by Sunak and Braverman, particularly in relation to race and immigration.

The district judge, Vanessa Lloyd, ultimately found that the placard fell within the realm of political satire.

“I find that it was part of the genre of political satire, and, as such, the prosecution has not proved to the criminal standard that it was abusive,” she said.