Indian Government Pressed on Human Rights Situation by Leading British Asians

Press Release
July 30th, 2002

Leading members of Britain's Asian community are meeting on India's Independence Day (August 15th) to consider measures to foster reconciliation between communities in India. They will also be calling on the Delhi government to act more firmly against the abuse of human rights in India.

"It is time for the silent majority to speak up over events in Gujarat…. The Indian Government must allow full access to all who are seeking to establish the truth, especially the human rights agencies. We have nothing to hide," says Dr Prem Sharma, Chairman of India Development Trust and a leading member of Britain's Asian community.

Dr Sharma will be one of the speakers at:
INDIAN INDEPENDENCE? HEALING THE WOUNDS
A Conference on Human rights and Minorities in India
August 15th, 2002 at the Gandhi Hall, Indian YMCA

Other speakers include Lord Desai of the London School of Economics, Harsh Mander, ActionAid India, Ram Narayan Kumar, human rights activist, Maja Daruwala, Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative, John Dayal, journalist, and Sir Gulam Noon, Noon Products Ltd. Gopal Menon will screen his documentary film on Gujarat.

The conference has been organised by a group of British Asian business and charity leaders with the aim of highlighting issues of human rights abuse in Gujarat and their relevance to human rights and the treatment of minorities in India. It will also seek to analyse and reflect on the causes of conflict and look for practical ways to bring truth and reconciliation between different groups, both in India and the Diaspora.

"Our aim is not to polarise but to acknowledge and condemn communalism, whichever side it comes from, " comments Dr Sharma. "But this conference is not just to formulate principles which all will easily agree on. We need to take the message out to the field, to where people are, in their local communities, to help them deal with the issues there."

Attendance at the conference is by invitation only.

Further details from
South Asian Development Partnership
PO Box 43, Sutton, Surrey SM2 5WL
Tel 0208 770 9717 Fax 0208 770 9747 Email info@southasian.org.uk

Price: £10 + £2.50 p&p UK.
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Healing the Wounds: Human Rights and Minorities in India
Call for Accountability | Conference Recommendations
Speakers & Programme | Press Release 30th July 2002