UK set to lift ban on pro-Khalistan Sikh body today

Friday, 18/03/2016

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LONDON: The 15-year-old ban on pro-Khalistan International Sikh Youth Federation (ISYF) will be lifted from Friday after the House of Lords on Thursday approved a government motion removing the organisation from the list of proscribed organisations in Britain.

The House of Commons had approved the Terrorism Act, 2000, (Proscribed Organisations) (Amendment) Order, 2016, on Tuesday. The ISYF, which was previously involved in attacks against India and Indian interests, was banned in Britain in 2001. The ISYF was launched in 1984 in Britain as the international branch of the All India Sikh Students Federation. It is banned in India, Canada and other countries. 

Moving the motion in the House of Lords, minister of state for Home Michael Bates said: “Having reviewed, with other countries, what information is available about the current activities of the ISYF and after careful and appropriate consideration, the Home Secretary concluded that there is not sufficient evidence to support a reasonable belief that the ISYF is currently concerned with terrorism, as defined by Section 3(5) of the Terrorism Act, 2000.” 

Bates said during a brief debate that lifting the ban did not mean that the British government condoned previous acts of terrorism, and noted that the police had appropriate powers to clamp down on such acts. 

Bates also denied that the ban on the ISYF continued for so long due to “diplomatic pressure from India”. He said other countries were “engaged” before arriving at the decision to “de-proscribe” the ISYF. 

The explanatory memorandum said, “An application was made to the Secretary of State for the de-proscription of the ISYF. The Secretary of State has now decided that there is insufficient information to conclude that the group remains concerned in terrorism.” 

Lifting of the ban was sought through an appeal before the Proscribed Organisations Appeal Commission by Sikh Federation, UK, which describes itself as an NGO that “works with each of the main political parties to promote relevant Sikh issues”. 

A Home Office spokesperson said, “An order has been laid which, subject to parliamentary approval, will remove the ISYF from the list of proscribed terrorist organisations, because there is insufficient evidence of the ISYF being currently concerned in terrorism. 

Bhai Amrik Singh, Chair of the Sikh Federation (UK), said: “We are delighted at the unanimous verdict in the House of Commons and Lords that has resulted in the lifting of the ban.”