UK politicians to feel the heat from British Sikhs in General Election year for their silence on transnational repression by the Indian government targeting Sikh activists
London – 15 January 2024
A national conference inviting representatives from all UK Gurdwaras, Sikh organisations and the wider Sikh community took place yesterday at Guru Nanak Gurdwara, Smethwick.
British Sikh representatives gathered to express their deep concerned with recent high profile examples of transnational repression in Canada, USA and the UK by the Indian government targeting Sikh activists in the Diaspora.
We were aware of today’s story in The Times of British Sikhs given ‘threat to life’ notices fear link to India and referred to it at the conference.
Strong emotions were expressed with the relative silence of the UK Government led by Rishi Sunak, the official Opposition and UK politicians in general in publicly condemning transnational repression by the Indian government.
The conference was very well attended and called by the Federation of Sikh Organisations (FSO) of which the Sikh Federation (UK) is a leading member.
Those gathered passed a number of resolutions in relation to transnational repression. The Canadian Government and US Administration have been urged to relentlessly pursue, hold to account and punish those in the Indian government who ordered terrorist acts targeting Sikh activists on Canadian and US soil. The resolutions are being formally communicated to the Canadian Government and US Administration.
However, the UK Government and Rishi Sunak came in for considerable criticism at the conference for their limited support and relative silence in publicly backing the Canadian Government and the US Administration by condemning the Indian government’s transnational repression of Sikh activists in the Diaspora.
Resolutions were also passed condemning the UK Government, under Rishi Sunak for demonising and targeting Sikh activists to appease India by dishonestly introducing the phrase “Pro-Khalistan Extremism” in UK Government vocabulary to appease India rather than address the threat to the safety and security of Sikh activists in the UK.
Those gathered recognised the failures of the West Midlands Police and the Senior Coroner in properly investigating the mysterious death of Avtar Singh Khanda on 15 June 2023 and backed the legal challenge by his family for an independent investigation by another police force, an inquest and public inquiry into his death.
The resolution passed that will send alarm bells ringing with many UK politicians is the Management Committees of over 250 Gurdwaras throughout the UK have been urged not to allow any UK politician to speak from a Gurdwara stage unless the politician publicly condemns the demonisation and targeting of Sikh activists by the UK Government and the Indian government’s transnational repression of Sikh activists in the Diaspora.
Resolutions were also passed with one eye on the likely outcome of a General Election and a Labour Government. The next UK Government has been urged to immediately drop the phrase “Pro-Khalistan Extremism”, call for the immediate release of Jagtar Singh Johal and commence within 100 days of coming to power a judge-led inquiry into UK involvement in the June 1984 Indian army attack of Sri Harmandir Sahib (Golden Temple Complex). There will also be pressure for the public inquiry to examine the actions of the UK authorities in targeting Sikhs in the UK since 1984 to appease India as this a policy that must come to an end.
Any future UK Government must have the strength and courage to call out India’s worrying shift from a democracy to an autocracy. The extreme right wing Hindutva ideology of the Indian government and move to a Hindu Rashtra with escalating violence and discrimination across the country against religious minorities, women and Dalits is at alarming levels. The weak or non-existent response from the Indian government against the perpetrators has created an atmosphere of widespread impunity and evidence of regime complicity.
India has slipped precipitously on every index of democracy and freedoms. Governments across the globe are increasingly worried about the democratic credentials of India with transnational repression being the latest test.
Dabinderjit Singh, the Principal Adviser of the Sikh Federation (UK) said:
“These resolutions are a signal to all UK politicians in General Election year who visit Gurdwaras hoping to speak that they will be put on the spot on the false demonisation of Sikhs and transnational repression by the Indian Government.”
“The Labour Party and its leaders have made promises to the Sikh community and there are high hopes an incoming Labour government will adopt a positive approach to the concerns of the Sikh community.”
“We must have a radically different approach to India. The likes of Rishi Sunak as PM and Priti Patel as Home Secretary have unashamedly used their positions to targets British Sikhs to appease India without proper challenge.”
ENDS
Jaspal Singh National Press Secretary Sikh Federation (UK)