London: A group of 36 MPs from various parties in Britain has written a letter to Foreign Minister Dominic Raab asking him to introduce new agriculture laws in India. He should inform his Indian counterpart S Jaishankar about the impact of the farmers’ movement against the British-Punjabi people.
The letter was released on Friday and was prepared by Tanmanjit Singh Dhesi, a Sikh MP from the Labor Party. It has the signatures of many MPs of Indian origin. These leaders include Virendra Sharma, Seema Malhotra and Valerie Vaz as well as Jeremy Corbyn. Reacting to the statements of foreign leaders about the farmers’ movement, India has said that such comments are based on misleading information and such comments are inappropriate as the matter is related to the internal affairs of a democratic country.
The letter from the MPs urged the minister to hold an immediate meeting with them to discuss the “deteriorating situation in Punjab”. At the same time, he sought updated information on any dialogue between the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) with the Government of India on this issue. The letter said it was of particular concern to Sikhs in the UK and those associated with Punjab, although it had a significant impact on other Indian states.
Many British Sikhs and Punjabis have raised the issue before their MPs, as they are directly affected by family members and ancestral land in Punjab. The FCDO has not yet made an official statement on the letter or on the matter.
