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NEW YORK: A court in New York has summoned US Secretary of State John Kerry in response to a declaratory lawsuit filed by Sikh human rights group demanding that “Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh” (RSS) be declared a “foreign terrorist organisation” (FTO).
A January 21 complaint to US Court has asked to designate RSS as a “foreign terrorist organisation”, “for believing in and practising a fascist ideology and for running a passionate, vicious and violent campaign to turn India into a “Hindu” nation with a homogeneous religious and cultural identity”.
The case filed in Southern District of New York “Sikhs For Justice” (SFJ) v. John Kerry, US Secretary of State has been assigned to Judge Swain. Since the defendant in this case is the United States, the Department of State has 60 days to respond to the complaint, says a press release by SFJ.
Published in Dawn, January 23rd, 2015
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Comments (54) Closed
Jan 23, 2015 09:55am
Hope, RSS is declared terrorist organization sooner rather later.
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Jan 23, 2015 09:55am
Who are these Sikhs? Do they even know that RSS has so many Sikh members? "Foreign Terrorist Organization? How many terror attacks has RSS done? Kindly let me know.
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Jan 23, 2015 09:56am
Pakistan, India bhai, bhai.
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Jan 23, 2015 09:59am
Lets watch how USA reacts, this is a good move and its not just a muslim fear only!
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Jan 23, 2015 10:02am
Kind of funny, there are many Sikhs in RSS too. RSS considers Indic religions Hinduism, Jainism, Buddhism, Sikhism as the same. This Sikhs for justice doesn't seem to have any other job other then filing court cases.
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Jan 23, 2015 10:05am
Another publicity stunt by some group in USA. Let them earn some money..
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Jan 23, 2015 10:10am
Anyone with an axe to grind can do this - whether the court is convinced is s different story. Any idiot can go to court, but will not come out successful.
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Jan 23, 2015 10:11am
Good one! SFJ, we are with you on this as every fair minded person would support justice.
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Jan 23, 2015 10:12am
BTW, anyone can profess a fascist ideology but that does not make them a terrorist, just ask the white supermasists in the US. You may not like what they profess but that does not mean the court will do anything.
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Jan 23, 2015 10:12am
Fellow Indians - We cannot befool the world any more. Let's try to come out clean on Sikh rights, Kashmir and disputes with China and Bangladesh.
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Jan 23, 2015 10:14am
Great JOB done by the US based Sikh community. Bravo!
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Jan 23, 2015 10:16am
Just a bunch of fools wanting to become famous. Tomorrow I am going to file a suit to make me president of United States . Lol
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Jan 23, 2015 10:17am
Either UN or any nation of world have no resolution against RSS like JuD, LeT, JeM, TTP, Haqqani etc.....RSS never send a terrorist to any other country. Yes it is true that RSS have nationalist Hindu ideology which is within the indian lawsuit..and what is wrong in this.....Today banning RSS means banning whole India which is the biggest of market for US and west which is not possible even for world....because majority of india even govt. of India belongs to RSS.....
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Jan 23, 2015 10:19am
The organization demanding ban on RSS does not realize that they are damaging the interests of Sikhs all over the world. US is not going to take any action till her interests are directly involved. Making noise on defunct issues jeopardizes the genuine demands and interests.
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Jan 23, 2015 10:20am
This was RSS who saved Sikhs from congress people in 1984 (reference Khuswant Singh). Recently RSS asked people to convert back to Sikhism and few families came back to Sikhism. Its upto readers what they think that what is encouraging them to be against RSS.
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Jan 23, 2015 10:21am
During the 1984 anti-Sikh riots, RSS was actively shielding and protecting Sikhs from Congress party goons.
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Jan 23, 2015 10:23am
RSS so far unable to penetrate the the vast south indian territory but these hate activities will make RSS a far more assertive movement in South India.
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Jan 23, 2015 10:27am
@Subash clearity is that 80% of british india is country of 1000m hindu 180m muslims 25m sikhs 35m christians still soft nation free and fair election strong constitutional institutes like free judiciary non political military forces.........
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Jan 23, 2015 10:31am
In filing this ridiculous lawsuit, which will be contemptuously dismissed by the judge, Sikhs for Justice have done damage to themselves and improved the image of the RSS. Once the case is dismissed, the RSS will point to the case and say: see there are people who constantly attack us without basis. Particularly when the RSS has not opposed Sikhs, SFJ appears to be neither Sikh (in the sense of what Guru Nanak stood for), not Just.
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Jan 23, 2015 10:40am
In the last fifteen years, how many RSS members highjacked planes and ran them into buildings, how many of them blew themselves in crowded market, places, how many ambushed a magazine house, attacked embassies or train stations? Look, RSS is a right wing organization with extreme views. So are many neo-nazi political organizations in Europe. There is no evidence of them being an threat or even a menace to foreign nations and definitely are not a threat to the Western world. But wishful thinking and eternal hope are needed to feel better about the world and ourselves. So be it.
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Jan 23, 2015 10:41am
@Subash
First write your original identity, don't fool with Indian names...
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Jan 23, 2015 10:43am
SFJ will have to provide evidence of ANY terrorist activities RSS has undertaken . So since there is no evidence of ANY terrorist activities and its in US courts ,like Indian courts evidence (admissable)is paramount to the case- NO EVIDENCE? CASE DISMISSED!
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Jan 23, 2015 10:47am
RSS has more than 60 lakh members and is the largest NGO in the world. India has 60 lakh terrorists they mean?
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Jan 23, 2015 10:52am
lol
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Jan 23, 2015 10:59am
good to see indian face in american court.
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Jan 23, 2015 11:09am
@vijay, Salem
Hope you do know that the RSS has been in Kerala for decades. KErala tops as the state with maximum shakhas.
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Jan 23, 2015 11:31am
RSS consider every person who have roots in India as Hindu. Hindu is not religious word. It is geographical term. Sikhs are members of RSS, They have Rashtriya Sikh Sangat as Sikh Branch as well as Rashtriya Muslim Munch. People may be amazed that Founder member of VHP had Sikhs.
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Jan 23, 2015 11:36am
Sikhs are making jokes of themselves in US.
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Jan 23, 2015 11:53am
@Mahesh RSS is a black spot on secular India. It must be banned by all means.
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Jan 23, 2015 11:56am
...and PM Modi has spent all its life in RSS and joined BJB just few years ago. If RSS is a terrorist regime, then the fall out would be grave.
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Jan 23, 2015 12:07pm
I think its a pakistan site but the way INDIANS are commenting here i dont think so.
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Jan 23, 2015 12:12pm
If RSS want to do any Terririst activity than it will be worlds biggests militant group...! bigger than I S I S ,,
RSS has lakhs of lakhs worker. but RSS never done anything against human beings..! RSS only wants to say and proof that, the India is a Hindu nation because we are all Indus civilization and the nation states in Indus river.. who may be Sanatan Dharm (Hindu), Sikhism, Budhism, Khristion, Muslim, Parsi etc etc.. but we are all indians Hindu because of we are from Indus civilization..
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Jan 23, 2015 12:15pm
@Sunil Only some may I add
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Jan 23, 2015 12:17pm
The news seems to be a form of condolence to Pakistani people ..
Condolence for JuD getting banned ...
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Jan 23, 2015 12:18pm
Hahaha similar attempts were made earlier also ...let's see this time What' is US official stand..
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Jan 23, 2015 12:20pm
RSS is a pure hate org behind so much sorrow. Ban it all together.
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Jan 23, 2015 12:26pm
@jj yes ofcourse. And i think some devils broke our nation .because they knew that if india will not divide between pakistan and india then they can cover afganistan and china and they will be leader of the world.
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Jan 23, 2015 12:38pm
@Sohail You should look within before commenting on others. Pakistanis speaking about secularism? Wow
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Jan 23, 2015 12:39pm
@Sunil don't generalize. It's only one group, Sikhs in general don't support this, I bet most of them don't even know about rss
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Jan 23, 2015 12:45pm
RSS seems to be flavor of the season. First national, and now international fame...I sincerely doubt John Kerry knows anything about RSS. Seriously I am not a fan of RSS either, but they are not terrorists.
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Jan 23, 2015 01:11pm
Does Kerry really know what is RSS. Even many Indians do not know what is RSS. My colleague from UP does not know about RSS, I am surprised here, our neighbours know about RSS.
Great!!
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Jan 23, 2015 01:30pm
Great move by the very successful Sikh comunity. I enjoy talking to my Sikh friends and appreciate their wisdom.
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Jan 23, 2015 02:19pm
With Kerry on this One. RSS is an extremist organization. And whats more one of its members is PM right now.
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Jan 23, 2015 02:40pm
@Mahesh Very incomprehensible response How having different sort of people in RSS fold absolve it of its extremists ideology
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Jan 23, 2015 02:41pm
@Dinesh Singh Yes Sikhs only require one thing and it is independent Khalistan
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Jan 23, 2015 02:44pm
@Anagha This is called living in oblivion
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Jan 23, 2015 03:26pm
@muhammad
Oh really!! You are right.
RSS is not causing any terror attack. May be because of that most Indians are unaware.
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Jan 23, 2015 03:53pm
RSS is a nationalist organization not a Hindu organization
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Jan 23, 2015 04:47pm
@Jai Khalsa Sikhs don't use "Jai "word at least you should do your Homework properly before posing as a Sikh
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Jan 23, 2015 06:30pm
@Sam He has been "summoned" by a group. Kerry does not have a stand yet.
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Jan 23, 2015 07:06pm
US can't dare to declare RSS as a terrorist organisation; Declaring it a terrorist organisation would mean loss of a huge market to US.
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Jan 24, 2015 01:00am
I am a Sikh.
It is very unfortunate that some of my Sikh brothers are trying to make very foolish moves to attract media attention to themselves.Majority of Sikhs in India or USA has nothing to do with these organizations which work against India. We Sikh are from Punjab( or other provences) which part of our motherland,India.
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Jan 24, 2015 06:02am
SFJ, go for it. Pakistan will stand by you and the Sikh brothers till the very last.
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Jan 24, 2015 01:30pm
Looks like a politically motivated move.funded by Anti India countries..where were they when BJP was not in power. If there has to be a Ban on any organization for being anti Sikh is Congress. I would like to thanks My Pakistani friends for showing their support for Sikhs.Just want to share a Small peice of Information that Sikh regiment of Indian Army is one of the most decorated regiment .rest you can ask from your Army.
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