28.03.2006 - Source: UK Home Office

Report on general, political and human rights situation (Sikhs, Christians, Muslims and Hindus; land disputes, members of Akali Dal, domestic violence, prison conditions) ("Operation Guidance Note: India") [#48239],  [ID 6255]

"[...]
3.10 Members of Akali Dal
3.10.1 Members of the Akali Dal political party may claim that they fear ill-treatment amounting to persecution from members of the opposing Congress Party.
3.10.2 Treatment.
Akali Dal also called Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) is a Sikh party originally formed in 1920 to demand an independent Sikh state. The party has a number of factions but as of 2003 the Shiromani Akali Dal under Prakash Singh Badal became the largest faction and the one recognised by the Election Commission as SAD. In recent times, SAD has been in alliance with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and together with the BJP won 10 out of the 13 seats in Punjab in the 2004 elections. SAD is a legal party which has participated in state and national elections in India.76 The Congress Party or National Congress as it has been known since the early to mid 1990s was originally known as the All India Congress Committee.77 It was the party of Indian independence and has ruled for some 50 years since independence. It lost the 1998 elections to an alliance under the BJP, but came to power again in 2004 as the leading member of the United Progressive Alliance.78
3.10.3 Sufficiency of Protection.
Police are a civil authority controlled by the Union Ministry of Home Affairs and subordinate to the Executive, represented in the Union Government by the Prime Minister and in the States by the Chief Minister, and their respective Councils of Ministers. The 25 state governments have primary responsibility for maintaining law and order. Each State has its own force headed by a Director-General of Police (DGP) and a number of Additional Directors-General or Inspectors-General of Police (IGP) who look after various portfolios.79 During 2005, a wide variety of domestic and international human rights groups generally operated without government restriction in India.80 Those experiencing persecution or ill-treatment from members of opposing political parties or alliances can reasonably seek protection from the Indian authorities and there is no evidence to suggest that such protection is not provided.
3.10.4 Internal Relocation.
The law provides for freedom of movement and the Government generally respects this in practice, however, in certain border areas the Government requires special permits.81 Therefore, as a general rule, an internal relocation option exists from one Indian State to another. However, internal relocation for females who need to relocate may not be an option. For single women who do not relocate as part of a family unit, relocation may be difficult and unduly harsh.
3.10.5 Conclusion.
The Akali Dal and the Congress Party are both legal political parties within India who campaign and participate in State and National elections. There is no evidence to suggest that members of one party fearing ill-treatment or persecution by individual members of the other party could not seek protection from the authorities or relocate internally to escape a local threat (although, for single women who do not relocate as part of a family unit, relocation may be difficult and unduly harsh). As a result, claims in this category will not generally warrant a grant of asylum and will be clearly unfounded. [...]"

Document(s): Open document

08.2002 - Source: European Reintegration Networking

Background information on India (including procedures for entrance, supply and care, health, education, work opportunies,...) ("Background information on India (including procedures for entrance, supply and care, health, education, work opportunies,...)") [#28646],  [ID 6256]

"[...]Im Norden gibt es die Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), die für sich in Anspruch nimmt, die Sikhs zu vertreten. In den 60ger Jahren spielte die Partei eine wichtige Rolle bei der Entstehung des Einzelstaates Punjab, in dem die Mehrheit von Sikhs gebildet wird. Die Partei stand immer in starker Konkurrenz zum Congress, konnte aber Ende der 90ger Jahren mit einer Koalition mit der BJP die Regierung stellen. Bei den Wahlen im Jahr 2002 erhielt sie jedoch noch 41 von 117 Sitzen und die Mehrheit ging an den Congress mit 62 Sitzen.[...]"

Document(s): Open document