“Never in the history of Sikhism has it been demanded or has it been accepted by the body of the Khalsa that they should be put under police regimentation or some central authority, in control of certain individuals that should dictate to them as to how they are to behave. The only allegiance of a true Khalsa and of a true Sikh is to the doctrine and to God, to the Guru and to Truth.”

Sirdar Kapur Singh - National Professor of Sikhism. April 17, 1979.

Annual Report 2009 - 2010Metropolitan Police Sikh Association

Section 1 - Introduction

Message of Support from the Commissioner page 2Introduction to Chairman’s Report page 3

Section 2 - Key Projects

MPSA 2009 - 2010 Sikh Projects page 4Project 15: 10th Year Memorial to PC Kulwant SidhuProject 16: Bristol Slavery SeminarProject 17: Tri-Centenary of Establishment of Khalsa RepublicProject 18: Restoration of Book, ‘Travels of Guru Tegh Bahadur and Guru Gobind Singh’

Section 3 - Community Support

The Welfare Team page 9 Promotion page 10 HBV Portfolio page 11

Section 4 - Finance

Accounts page 12

Section 5 - Looking Forward

The MPSA Plan for 2010 – 2011 page 13

Section 6 - Acknowledgements

With Thanks page 14

Section 7 - Appendices

Appendix A - Network of Sikh Organisations Report page 15

Contents

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It gives me pleasure to continue to support the work of the Metropolitan Police Sikh Association (MPSA).

The 5P’s are now well imbedded in our day to day policing, the confidence that we are seeking from communities is growing and we must continue to improve that and build upon it . We continue to engage closely with all our communities, assess what they are seeking and deliver on that, with the MPSA being integral to that work. As an organisation we will need to work within a tighter budget and I expect that the MPS will continue to deliver the highest quality policing in all areas and make further improvements on our performance and productivity. I recognise the hard work that the MPSA is undertaking in a great number of areas and particularly regarding forced marriages and honour killings/violence and this is increasing the confidence of the Sikh/ Punjabi community to engage with police and allow us to enforce the law.

Can I take this opportunity to wish you all a successful year and encourage you with your important community engagement.

Sir Paul Stephenson QPMCommissioner

Message of support from the Commissioner Sir Paul Stephenson

Introduction to Chairman’s Reportby Palbinder Singh

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The Metropolitan Police Sikh Association (MPSA) has seen another successful year, culminating in the support of our Commissioner, Sir Paul Stephenson QPM, and Mayor of London, Boris Johnson. Having launched our website last year, we are pleased to note it has received a tremendous amount of hits and has had enquiries from all over the world, thus further enhancing the reputation of both the MPSA & Metropolitan Police Service (MPS).

Recognition of AchievementsThe MPSA has now codified its systems and structure reflecting the vision of the Sikh Gurus. We operate in the doctrine of Khalsa thought and practice. The universal Sikh Laws of ‘Truth’, ‘Competence’ and ‘Justice for All’ are the bedrock of our Association. Our efforts and results have received praise in meetings with the most senior HR Director, Martin Tiplady. Naturally, we still operate within the professional opinion of Dr Indarjit Singh CBE, Director of the Network of Sikh Organisations, on the roles and responsibilities of the MPSA. His report is available on our website www.sikhpolice.org and also in Appendix A.

Aims & ObjectivesThe aims of the MPSA remain the same:1. To advance the Sikh religion among members of the Metropolitan Police.2. To promote the efficiency of the Metropolitan Police.The MPSA Executive continues to serve the condominium of Guru Granth and Guru Panth. This approach has assisted Sikh organisations working with the MPSA (see projects 15-18). The MPSA and its Executive will not be liable beyond such roles, duties and benefits.

AdministrationThe MPSA Executive consists of:• Chairman-PalbinderSingh• DeputyChair-HarpalSinghBains• Treasurer-GurpalVirdi• GeneralSecretary-Vacant• ExecutiveMember-MukhtiarSinghThe majority of our work is voluntary, and we are always looking for others, equally committed to the Khalsa vision, to join us. The MPSA no longer has an Office Manager. This post was withdrawn by the MPS. Although, it was correctly noted by most of our members that the MPS had, conversely, advertised this role in a recent MPS Intranet posting. The MPSA Executive is now considering alternative administrative capabilities. Your views are most welcome.Despite significant reductions in funding from the MPS, we have enjoyed a year-on-year membership increase, which has grown to 239. Since 2007, we have established countless partners who share our value system, some of whom are mentioned in the Acknowledgement section at the end of this report and with whom we have worked to make London safer. It is regrettable that the MPSA has had to reallocate valuable time and resources defending litigation, but we are pleased to note that despite this, and the lack of funding, the voluntary work continues regardless.

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Human Resources Department vetoed the following projects:

• Project11: HBV Portfolio - ‘The Disappearing Female Gene’, referred to in page 15 of last year’s Annual Report.

• Project13:HBV Portfolio - ‘Justice for Surjit, Legal Action in Punjab’, referred to in the MPS Commissioner’s message of support and page 17 of last year’s Annual Report.

• A project intended to tackle fundamentalism and Islamic extremism, through educating British born Punjabi’s who have gained affinity with the ‘crucible of terror’.

Human Resources deemed these projects not in the interests of the public. However, the Commissioner, in last year’s report, indicated his support.

We believe that all of our projects are beneficial to the MPS, MPSA and the wider community - assisting with education, community empowerment against criminals and justice for all. We have, therefore, continued with the criteria of two sub groups:

1. Crimes against Women 2. Guru Granth Sahib

New Projects

Project15: 10th Year Memorial to PC Kulwant Sidhu

Project16: Bristol Slavery Seminar

Project17: Tri-Centenary of Establishment of Khalsa Republic

Project18: Restoration of Book, ‘Travels of Guru Tegh Bahadur and Guru Gobind Singh’

Section 2 - Key ProjectsMPSA 2009 - 2010 Projects

In February 2009, the MPSA organised a prayer ceremony and communal meal in memory of fallen and injured officers at the historic Shepherds Bush Gurdwara. The parents of PC Kulwant Sidhu, who tragically died on duty chasing a burglar in 1999, also attended. We represented the family’s wishes by advocating a permanent and fitting memorial.

The MPSA led on this project, involving a series of meetings with Commander Steve Allen and Richmond Borough Commander Rick Turner, who both agreed that PC Sidhu’s death, 24th October 1999, should be observed. The MPSA funded a hand engraved and gilded plaque in his memory. This was erected at Twickenham Police Station.

Our thoughts and prayers are with the families of PC Sidhu and others who have lost relatives in the line of duty.

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Project15:10th Year Memorial of PC Kulwant Sidhu

Under Project 8 last year, the MPSA funded a national seminar to celebrate the tri-centenary of the establishment of the Khalsa Republic led by Baba Banda Singh Bahadur. Banda Singh was the only Sikh selected by Guru Gobind Singh to lead the fight against injustice, oppression and tyranny. He is cherished in the hearts and minds of freedom loving people.

The MPSA funded the Sikh Education Council in their ‘Bristol Slavery Seminar’, wherein comparisons were drawn between the abolition of slavery of the Sikhs and Hindus in India and that of transatlantic slavery. I spoke of the legacy of Baba Banda Singh Bahadur. Guest speakers spoke of the contribution Banda Singh made towards abolishing slavery from the Punjab. Madge Dresser, Richard Readdie and Kerry McCarthy MP provided fascinating non-Sikh insights and fresh perspectives on the Khalsa civilisation under Banda Singh’s leadership.

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Project16:Bristol Slavery Seminar

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May 2010 will witness the 300th anniversary of the Sikhs’ successful defeat of Mughal terrorism, at the historic Battle of Sirhind. Sikhs internationally will be celebrating this anniversary. The Khalsa showed courage, determination and strength in confronting and defeating an enemy that had engaged in a campaign of genocide against the Sikhs.

We commissioned a plaque to honour this monumental sacrifice, which will be presented at a national programme in May 2010. Last year we asked our members for suggestions of where to house this plaque, and we are grateful for their encouraging response. Should anyone be interested in assisting with this project, please contact the MPSA via www.sikhpolice.org

Project17:Tri-Centenary of Establishment of Khalsa Republic

Project18:Restoration of Book: ‘Travels of Guru Tegh Bahadur and Guru Gobind Singh’

Following the successful restoration of the Guru Granth Sahib, the MPSA continued to work with our partners at the British Library and we were invited to restore the ‘Travels of Guru Tegh Bahadur and Guru Gobind Singh’. It is an important task that requires specialist treatment. We are honoured to be able to preserve our history, which will allow further research by future generations.

After the restoration is complete, we will be invited back to the British Library to inspect this manuscript. At our previous Guru Granth Sahib viewing, many attendees wished to donate to the restoration; however, it had already been paid for. If anyone wishes to donate to this restoration, we will be grateful for your contribution and would ask that you contact the MPSA Office via www.sikhpolice.org

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The Welfare Team The MPSA continues to assist its members with numerous welfare cases. We are pleased to report that UK Sikh police officers have been successful in their cases at the employment tribunal.

The MPA have concluded their Race & Faith Inquiry, which the MPSA contributed to as part of the Reference Group. However, due to the mistreatment of our representative, we decided that it would be more pragmatic to withdraw from the Inquiry.

We have now published and distributed advice on unlawful doorstep collections by members of religious institutions. Culprits were normally targeting the poorer sections of our community pressurising them into making a financial donation through manipulation, guilt or fear. We anticipate that, with our proactive stance on this matter, these groups will refrain from further unlawful activities. Our initiative was reported in the community media and radio programmes.

Some of you may recall an initiative, last year, to create a bullet-proof, flame-retardant, riot-protecting ‘turban’. For the avoidance of any doubt, the MPSA are against any attempts to replace the turban with this proposed substitute. The MPSA are advising Assistant Chief Constable, Max Sahota, Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO), who is leading a working group on this issue.

The MPSA was devastated to learn of the arson attack at Bow Gurdwara. We condemn the attacks on the Gurdwara and, most importantly, the Guru Granth Sahib. We can offer crime prevention advice on how better to protect Gurdwareh.

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Section 3 - Community Support

Again, the MPSA led on ‘Vaisakhi in the Square’ (Trafalgar Square), and one of our most committed members, Purnima Ravel, won an award for her community spirit and service. We congratulate her on her promotion.

Since this Executive began raising awareness of promotion and race issues, we are pleased to report signs of progress. The MPSA maintains its position that no special treatment should be given to any staff. Promotion on competence and merit remains a priority.

We urge MPSA members to inform our office, as well as the Police Federation and PCS Union, if they need, or are aware that others may need, welfare support. Should any member wish to volunteer their services to help others, we will retain your details on a confidential database and nominate appropriate cases when received. Please contact the MPSA office via www.sikhpolice.org

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Section 3 - Community Support continued

Mr. Buttar (GLA), Purnima Ravel and Richard Barnes (MPA)

PromotionThe MPSA has a duty to promote Sikhism. This is achieved via our initiatives which can be found on our website www.sikhpolice.org. We have a religious obligation to assist the most vulnerable in our community and to promote their human rights.

In addition to the above community support, the MPSA have been involved in creating an online reporting of crime for Sikh victims via our new website. Recently the scheme was launched successfully. However, our initiative received some negative feedback from a few national papers and radio stations. Senior MPS stakeholders became involved post-launch resulting in the removal of the online crime reporting facility, which included the ‘Sikh flag’, from our internet and crime reporting sheet. This is regrettable as the MPSA wished to serve victims and witnesses of crime through this unique and valuable method. We urge police forces to consider more innovative methods to make the police service accessible to all.

The MPSA arranged a visit to the British Library to view the historic Guru Granth Sahib, which we were responsible for restoring. The Granth, which took several months to restore due to the delicacy of the volume, has been successfully restored to its former glory. Both MPSA and community members visited and inspected this fascinating historical Granth. There was tremendous feedback provided to the MPSA for this initiative.

HBV (Honour Based Violence) PortfolioHBV remains one of the MPSA’s utmost priorities. There have been a number of positive signs illustrating that the police nationally are making serious attempts to prevent and investigate these crimes. Our Executive Member, Mukhtiar Singh, contributed to the ACPO strategy. The MPSA HBV booklet (see MPSA Project 7) continues to be distributed nationally. We continue to impart awareness on this sensitive topic to various audiences inside and outside of the police. We have received a significant amount of positive feedback and were delighted to be invited to speak at the Bar Conference 2009. Mukhtiar spoke of how corruption, conspiracy, culture and courage are significant factors within HBV. This event was attended by judges and lawyers who perhaps recognised the importance of understanding these issues and relating them to various areas of legal practice. They provided positive feedback. With the expertise of DCI Hyatt (MPS), we have drafted a presentation explaining HBV from different perspectives. This presentation has been published by the Bar Council and can be viewed at http://www.barcouncil.org.uk/assets/documents/South Eastern and Midland Circuit presentation Nov 09.ppt Whilst there were many successes in countering HBV this year, we cannot afford to become complacent as lives continue to be taken. However, we anticipate the increase in police awareness will assist in strengthening victim confidence and we must ensure that we maintain that public confidence. On 4th December 2007 we hosted an Appeal for Action. Mukhtiar warned that the mistakes made in the initial Surjit Athwal investigation should never be repeated. However, with the subsequent failure of the investigation into the more recent murder of Manjit Kular, serious doubts have been raised by the community over the competence and willingness of the police to investigate these complex crimes. Officers deployed to deal with such crimes must have specialist knowledge of the Punjabi culture. We continue our tenacious work in this area, despite the MPS’ decision to no longer fund our HBV projects.

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Section 3 - Community Support

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We have pleasure in presenting our accounts for 2008 - 2009:GREEN denotes a duplicate payment made by the MPS F&R Dept which has been reimbursed.RED denotes funding withdrawn by Human Resources on behalf of the MPS.The underspend of £7,565.00 reflects the amount allocated to projects that were vetoed by the MPS.During the 2008 - 2009 financial period the MPSA Lloyds TSB opening bank balance was £5,595.34

Section 4 - Finance

Expenditure £ Income Budget £

52,965.00Police Staff Pay 8,670.00Transport costs 1,332.00 Office Supply 53.00Telephone 169.00Audit Fees 353.00Copying 219.00Commercial Publication 1876.00Publicity 2310.00Community Relations 43335.00 (Comprising the below) MPSA (HBV) Booklets 1285.00 IKWRO Conference 80.00 BSCF Vaisakhi Event 90.00 Tri-centenary Event - Hayes 7500.00 Canvasses (10 prints) 830.00 Wooden Plaque - Guru Nanak School 1700.00 MPSA (HBV) Booklets 1285.00 A5 Printing (Annual report) 1463.00 A4 Leaflets 1020.00 SHRG Foeticide Project 3000.00 SWA Project 2250.00 Roehampton University 2000.00 3D Plaque Banda Singh 3200.00 SCYS Project 2000.00 Justice for Surjit Athwal 5000.00 Kirtan/Langar 250.00 Geering Printing (Banda Singh article) 383.00 Bristol University Seminar 4784.00 Bostock Militaria 4782.00 Translation fee for leaflets 240.00 Photocopying Leaflets (Bristol Seminar) 193.00Legal 1150.00

TOTAL 59467.00 REMAINDER - 6502.00

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Section 5 - The MPSA Plan for 2010-2011

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Under this section last year, we alluded to financial cutbacks. Whilst we remain committed to providing real value to the Sikh community and the Metropolitan Police, through our ethos of: working for the condominium of Guru Granth and Guru Panth, our funding has been removed except for police recruitment on police premises. This removal of funding will clearly impact on our capacity to support projects and leading on future MPSA initiatives (for example, Project 1 - 18). Ironically, this has entrenched our position within the community who sympathise with our position. Hopefully this greater unity will be noted and positively utilised by the MPS.

As is the nature of Sikhs, the removal of funding will have little impact on our determination to further our aims and objectives. But, it is understandable that the leading representatives of the Sikh community are disappointed as a result of this lack of funding. This further illustrates the need for effective external scrutiny and checks and balances within the public sector.

Despite this funding decision, we have been requested to continue with our life-saving and community empowering work. The MPSA are grateful to the Sikh community and can assure them that our faith will not be compromised by incompatible values.

We welcome your suggestions as to how we can best raise funds. As a registered charity, we have numerous possibilities. Any person wishing to assist and participate with the MPSA is very welcome.

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Section 6 - AcknowledgmentsWith thanks

A number of individuals and organisations have assisted us over the last year; however, our special thanks go to:

• MahinderRai,whodedicated2yearsagaintotheMPSA.• CindyButtsoftheMPA,whounderstoodtheMPSA’s personal circumstances within the MPA Race & Faith Inquiry.• TheBritishLibrary,whohavepainstakinglyrestored ancient Sikh manuscripts.• ThePoliceFederation,andinparticulartheSergeants Branch Board.• BristolUniversityforallowingtheSikhs’useoftheir historic ‘Will’s Memorial Building’, for the launch of the Banda Singh Bahadur national seminars.• BaronessCoxofQueensburyforherongoingsupport of the MPSA.• TheMayorofLondon,BorisJohnson,forhissupportand foreword last year, as well as the All Party Parliamentary Group for UK Sikhs, especially Dominic Grieve MP.• ShamiChakrabatiandherteamatLibertyfor their guidance. • AnestaWeekesQCandtheSouthEast&Midlands Circuits for identifying honour-violence in the context of access to justice.• TheSikhWomen’sAlliance,forpromotingthecause of Sikh & Punjabi women.• DCIBrentHyatt(MPS)who,undoubtedly,isthe leading authority on policing HBV and has contributed in preventing numerous honour killings.• Lastly,butinnowayleast,SattyShergill,whodedicates her own valuable time and expertise in managing our ever evolving website, which is testimonial to her commitment to Sikh causes.

We anticipate 2010 - 2011 to be a challenging year for the MPSA. However, Sikhs in the past have faced more difficult challenges and always succeeded! We encourage all Sikhs to assist the MPSA, via our website www.sikhpolice.org

Palbinder SinghChairman MPSA

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Section 7 - AppendicesAppendix A

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Appendix A continued

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Appendix A

18

Notes

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Notes

Notes

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Appendix C

If you require this document in an alternative format, please contact the MPSA via www.sikhpolice.org or 020 7230 0141.

Metropolitan Police Sikh Associationt 020 7230 0141f 020 7230 0140e Sikh.Association@met.police.ukwww.sikhpolice.org

The front cover is the Akal Takhat - the highest seat of Sikh sovereignty, after Indian Army action (Operation Bluestar) in June 1984. A conflict of sovereignties, as a consequence of the 3rd Revolution, pioneered by Bhai Maharaj Singh in 1849, (see last year’s annual report).

India, Emperor - Bahadur Shah, 1710:

“Nanak-prastan ra harkuja kih biyaband ba qatal rasanand”

“Every Sikh, wherever he is found, wherever he is seen, should be put to death without any hesitation and without any further thought”.

India, Prime Minister - Indira Gandhi, 1984:

“Martyrdom does not end something, it’s only a beginning.”

Registered in England and Wales with Charity Reg No. 1128630.

www.sikhpolice.org