Khalistan Referendum campaign goes to UN in Geneva

 

GENEVA: Secessionist group Sikhs For Justice (SFJ) has announced that thousands of Sikhs from across Europe will be descending in Geneva during the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) session next month to partake in Khalistan Referendum voting.

Addressing a press conference underneath the iconic broken chair outside the UN building in the centre of Geneva, leaders of SFJ announced the voting will be held in Geneva on December 10, inspired by “equality” — the theme of 2021 UN Human Rights Day.

Sikh leaders who gathered in Geneva to make the announcement include Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, Attorney at Law and General Counsel of SFJ; Paramjeet Singh Pamma, Khalistan Referendum UK-EU Coordinator; and Duoinderjit Singh, SFJ coordinator for UK-EU.

“Leading up to the December10 Khalistan Referendum voting in Geneva, we will approach the country representatives stationed there to submit 'India’s Criminalisation of Khalistan Referendum' — a report on the Narendra Modi government’s ongoing suppression in India and abroad, of the SFJ’s democratic initiative which is in complete consonance with UDHR, ICCPR, and the UN Charter,” said Pannun.

“In November 1984, India used voter lists to commit genocide of Sikhs. In 2021, Sikhs are using the voter lists for freedom”, said Pannun, who is camping in Geneva to coordinate the Khalistan Referendum voting.

He announced that the voting in Geneva will be held under the supervision of the Punjab Referendum Commission (PRC) — a panel of leading impartial experts on direct democracy — who have overseen three phases of the referendum in the UK held so far. 

Meanwhile, Pamma said that the SFJ’s ongoing voting on Khalistan is potentially going to be the third secessionist vote being held in Europe after Scottish and Catalonia Referendums.

He said that tens of thousands of Sikhs turned out in the UK in three phases to express their disgust at the "genocide" the Indian state has committed against Sikhs since partition.

Moreover, Duoinderjit said that the Indian government wants millions of Sikhs around the world to "forget about the genocide of tens of thousands of Sikhs, but for Sikhs, that’s not an option".

“India has been persistent in trying to eradicate Sikh history, culture, and religion. We have to resist that at all levels and our campaign will continue for the creation of Khalistan for Sikhs.”

The Khalistan Referendum voting, which kick-started on October 31 in London, will continue to take place across the UK throughout the month of November and on the weekend, Leicester will see British Sikhs coming out to cast their votes for the creation of an independent Khalistan state through the non-binding but highly important referendum.