On January 16, for the first time in our country, an international conference titled “Racism and Violence Against Sikhs and Other National Minorities in India: Current Realities” dedicated to the Indian government's repressive policy against ethnic minorities is being held, organized by the Baku Initiative Group.
Modern.az reports that the event is attended by Ramesh Singh Arora, Minister for Human Rights and Minorities of Punjab province, and other officials, as well as influential representatives of the Sikh community from Canada, Great Britain, and the USA, heads of think tanks, scholars from foreign universities working in the field of human rights and ethnic minorities, and individuals who have been direct victims of the Indian government's repressive, racist, and persecutory policies.
The conference will discuss the Indian government's systematic racial discrimination, violence, and repressive policies against Sikhs and other ethnic minorities, particularly the gross violation of the UN's obligations under the “International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights”, the “International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination”, and the “Convention Against Torture” with regard to ethnic minorities.
Discussions will be held around keeping the real situation on the agenda of international organizations and adopting relevant decisions, particularly the investigation by the UN Human Rights Committee into the violated rights of ethnic minorities in India, executions carried out without court orders, as well as the documentation of human rights violations by UN special rapporteurs and the possibilities of bringing them to international monitoring.
The role of international and local non-governmental organizations and academic circles in this process, and the potential impact of their reports, legal opinions, and recommendations on international decision-making mechanisms will be discussed.
It should be recalled that Sikhism emerged in the 15th century and, in its doctrine, advocates for complete equality among all people regardless of caste, gender, or language. For this reason, Sikhism firmly rejects the traditional Hindu caste system. The Sikh community in India numbers approximately over 25 million, and they are mainly settled in the state of Punjab, India's primary agricultural region.
Reports submitted to international organizations by non-governmental organizations and independent experts state that as a result of armed raids and repressive policies carried out by Indian law enforcement agencies, between 8,000 and 17,000 Sikhs were killed in 1984 alone, and over 50,000 Sikh members fled the persecutions of the Indian government and emigrated to foreign countries. In the 1980s–1990s, thousands of members of the Sikh community in Punjab were abducted or kidnapped, and at the same time, killed on fabricated charges without due process. Currently, Sikh activists demanding their rights are arrested on charges of “separatism” or “espionage”, and police raids in Punjab continue to increase. Terrorist acts have been organized against Sikh activists living abroad, and official bodies in Canada and the USA have accused Indian intelligence agencies of perpetrating these acts.
It should be noted that the vast majority of fleeing Sikh community members are currently settled in Canada, Great Britain, the USA, and Australia, and they demand justice against the political repressions that continue in India today. The Sikh community demands that the Indian government officially recognize the 1984 anti-Sikh massacres as genocide, establish a new independent investigation commission, bring the organizers of the genocide to justice, and clarify the fate of thousands of disappeared persons in Punjab in the 1980s–1990s. They also demand the release of illegally arrested Sikh activists and the granting of political prisoner status to them, the expansion of Punjab's autonomy, and the prohibition of central government interference in its governance. Furthermore, they demand an end to transnational repressions against Sikh activists abroad, including assassinations and threats, permission for international investigations, as well as an official apology from the Indian government for the 1984 massacres and compensation for the victims.
