Sikh held for Justice (SfJ), met in (London) to plan for an independence
referendum for the Indian state of Punjab in the British capital on August 12.
The SfJ has offered to sponsor Sikh students and activists from
various countries, including Pakistan, to participate in the event.
The August meeting, which will be
attended by Sikh from all over the world, is set to shape up the “London
Declaration On Referendum 2020” campaign seeking a separate state of Khalistan, said SfJ in a press release.
India protested the convening of the pro-Khalistan rally in London
convened by what it called a “separatist” organization, but the U.K. government
said it has no plans to ban it so long as it is “within the law” and remains
non-violent.
Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, the legal advisor to SfJ, said that the
organization plans to provide sponsorship letters to participants from abroad
and also arrange the free stay for them from August 10-14, according to the
press release.
The SfJ that has initiated a social media campaign for the meeting
at London’s Trafalgar Square proposes to unveil the declaration advocating for
Sikhs’ right to self-determination for the independence of Punjab.
The SfJ asked interested overseas students and activists to
Whatsapp their IDs and passport details to provide them a sponsorship letter to
attend the meeting, which would be necessary to obtain a visa.
“The aim of this event is to raise awareness around the members of
the community, the Sikh people call for self-determination and promote the
non-binding referendum that SfJ will be holding in 2020,” said Pannun.
“The event will be attended by
thousands of Sikhs from
across the UK, Europe, North America and Australia,” he added.
