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The ISYF has been described by the Home Office minister, Lord Bassam of Brighton, as a "threat to national security" and had "assassinations, bombings and kidnappings" overseas, and is listed in the UK as a "Proscribed Terrorist Group". It was also added to the US Treasury Department terrorism list on June 27, 2002. There are allegations that the ISYF has long been supported by Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence organization.

ISYF member Inderjit Singh Reyat was found guilty of manslaughter for making the bomb that destroyed Air India Flight 182 off Ireland in 1985, the deadliest aircraft terror attack until the September 11, 2001 attacks, and is the only individual convicted as of 9 Feb 2009.

Andrew Gilligan, reporting for The London Evening Standard, stated that the Sikh Federation (UK) is the "successor" of the ISYF, and that its executive committee, objectives, and senior members, including Dabinderjit Singh, are largely the same. The Vancouver Sun reported in February 2008 that Dabinderjit Singh was campaigning to have both the Babbar Khalsa and International Sikh Youth Federation delisted as terrorist organizations. It also stated that Public Safety Minister Stockwell Day said "he has not been approached by anyone lobbying to delist the banned groups" He is also quoted as saying "The decision to list organizations such as Babbar Khalsa, Babbar Khalsa International and the International Sikh Youth Federation as terrorist entities under the Criminal Code is intended to protect Canada and Canadians from terrorism"

Bannings

In February 2001, the United Kingdom banned twenty-one groups, including the ISYF, under a new terrorism law.

In 2002, the ISYF was banned in India.

In June 2003, Canada banned the organization.

In April 2004, the United States added four organizations, including the ISYF, to its terror list, allowing the US to deny entry (and to deport) any of its members.

The Vancouver Sun reported in February 2008 that Dabinderjit Singh was campaigning to have both the Babbar Khalsa and International Sikh Youth Federation delisted as terrorist organizations. The article went on to state that the Public Safety Minister had never been approached by anyone lobbying to delist the banned groups and said, "the decision to list organizations such as Babbar Khalsa, Babbar Khalsa International and the International Sikh Youth Federation as terrorist entities under the Criminal Code is intended to protect Canada and Canadians from terrorism,".

History and activities

In 1984, the All India Sikh Students Federation (AISSF) started the ISYF in the United Kingdom as an international branch.

The 1985 bombing of Air India Flight 182 off Ireland, the deadliest aircraft terror attack until the September 11, 2001 attacks, and the attempted bombing of Air India Flight 301, were allegedly carried out by Sikh extremists. Inderjit Singh Reyat, a member of the ISYF, was found guilty of manslaughter for making the bombs, and is the only individual convicted in these attacks as of 9 Feb 2009.

ISYF members have engaged in terrorist attacks, assassinations, and bombings against both Indian figures and moderate Sikhs opposing them. The organization has also collaborated and associated with other Sikh terrorist organizations, including Babbar Khalsa, the Khalistan Liberation Force, and Khalistan Commando Force.

The ISYF was described by the UK Home Office minister, Lord Bassam of Brighton, as a "threat to national security" that was responsible for "assassinations, bombings and kidnappings" overseas.

There are allegations that the ISYF has long been supported by Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence organization.

Leadership

Pargat Singh founded the ISYF, under the patronage of Jasbir Singh Rode.

Rode had arrived in the United Kingdom in August 1984 but, by December 1984, was expelled for publicly advocating violent methods in support of the Khalistan movement. Rode returned to India, where he was imprisoned without trial until 1988. Upon his release, he moderated, now advocating pursuing constitutional changes within India. This created a riff in the UK branches roughly along north/south lines: the northern branches followed Rode's moderate stance while the southern branches instead followed Dr. Sohan Singh.

Links to Sikh Federation (UK)

The Sikh Federation (UK) was founded in September 2003, and is considered by some to be the UK successor of the International Sikh Youth Federation. Andrew Gilligan, writing in The London Evening Standard, reported that "After it was banned the ISYF dissolved, creating a successor body, the Sikh Federation UK..."

References

1. ^ Gilligan, Andrew (2008-04-21). "Ken's adviser is linked to terror group". The London Evening Standard. Retrieved 2009-05-26.
2. ^ Cite error: The named reference UKBKlisting was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
3. "What You Need To Know About U.S. Sanctions" (PDF). U.S. Department of Treasury. Retrieved 2009-05-24.
4. ^ "International Sikh Youth Federation (ISYF) [[South Asian Terrorism Portal]] article". The Institute for Conflict Management. undated. Retrieved 2009-05-31. {{cite web}}: |first= missing |last= (help); Check date values in: |date= (help); URL–wikilink conflict (help)
5. Bolan, Kim (February 09, 2008). "Air India bombmaker sent to holding centre". Ottawa Citizen. Retrieved 2009-05-31. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
6. ^ Gilligan, Andrew (21 April 2008). "Sikh civil servant who backs 'martyr' is now on TfL board" (PDF). Evening Standard. Retrieved 2009-05-31.
7. ^ Bolan, Kim (February 18, 2008). "Sikh leader solicits support". The Vancouver Sun. Retrieved 2009-05-31.
8. http://www2.canada.com/vancouversun/news/story.html?id=17e39f37-c322-40a7-8b13-e37c29e40881&p=2
9. Norton-Taylor, Richard (2001-03-01). "ISYF banned under new terror law". Guardian Unlimited.
10. ^ Encyclopedia of diasporas: immigrant and refugee cultures around the world. Springer. 2004. p. 1089. ISBN 0306483211, ISBN 9780306483219. {{cite book}}: Check |isbn= value: invalid character (help); Unknown parameter |authors= ignored (help)
11. Shani, Giorgio (2007). Sikh Nationalism and Identity in a Global Age. Routledge. p. 82. ISBN 041542190X, ISBN 9780415421904. {{cite book}}: Check |isbn= value: invalid character (help)
12. ^ "Currently listed entities". Government of Canada. 2009-04-06. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
13. ^ Hamilton, Dwight; Rimsa, Kostas (2007). Terror Threat: International and Homegrown Terrorists and Their Threat to Canada. Dundurn Press. p. 206-207. ISBN 1550027360, ISBN 9781550027365. {{cite book}}: Check |isbn= value: invalid character (help)CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
14. "Indian groups join US terror list". BBC News. 2004-04-30. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
15. Cite error: The named reference ustreasterror was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
16. Bolan, Kim (February 09, 2008). "Air India bombmaker sent to holding centre". Ottawa Citizen. Retrieved 2009-05-31. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
17. "Convicted Air India bomb-builder Inderjit Singh Reyat gets bail". CBC News. July 9, 2008. Retrieved 2009-06-10. {{cite news}}: |first= missing |last= (help)
18. ^ Lauterpacht, Elihu; Greenwood, C. J.; Oppenheimer, A. G. (1998). International Law Reports. Cambridge University Press. p. 395. ISBN 0521580706, ISBN 9780521580700. {{cite book}}: Check |isbn= value: invalid character (help)CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
19. Gurharpal Singh and Darshan Singh Tatla (2006), Sikhs in Britain: The Making of a Community, Zed Books, ISBN: 9781842777176

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