23 August, 2006

My dear Prime Minister,

May I draw your kind attention to the press notice published by the Secretary, SGPC, Amritsar, regarding ill-treatment of Sikh Indians in Saudi Arabia?

If any complaints of Sikh Indians being forced to shave have come to the notice of Indian missions in Saudi Arabia, they should be taken up with the government as well as the employer.

If indeed, some passports have been withheld by the employers to prevent their return of the aggrieved members of the Sikh community to India, our missions must intervene forcefully to have their passports restored.

In order to keep bilateral relations on an even keel, the SGPC should be assured by the Government that all the legitimate grievances of the Sikh Indians working in Saudi Arabia shall be taken up and advised to cancel its programme of ‘Gherao’ of the Saudi Arabian Embassy in New Delhi.

With kind regards,

Yours sincerely,

 (SYED SHAHABUDDIN)

Dr. Manmohan Singh,

Prime Minister of India,

South Block,

New Delhi – 110 011.