According to information provided by BIG to “Elchi”, after the event, Bual Moninder Singh, chairman of the Sikh Federation Canada, and his family were also threatened with death.
It was stated that an international conference titled “Racism and Violence against Sikhs and Other National Minorities in India: Existing Realities” was organized in Baku on January 16 this year, with the aim of supporting the just struggle of Sikhs within the framework of international law. During the event, existing cases of discrimination and violence against Sikhs and other religious minorities in India were discussed, and it was announced that the struggle would continue within the framework of international legal norms and principles.
“Against the backdrop of global diaspora networks and digital technologies, such repression mechanisms are being implemented in parallel in various countries,” BIG stated, adding that therefore, the issue should be regarded not merely as a domestic policy of one state, but as an international problem related to transnational repression and the protection of human rights:
“Taking all these threats seriously, prominent Sikh organizations worldwide are holding discussions towards taking joint steps. Bringing the persecutions carried out by the Indian government to the attention of the world community and condemning them are among the primary priorities. At the same time, strengthening resilient defense capabilities against cyberattacks has become a pressing issue.”
It was noted that the Indian government, taking advantage of the world community’s attention being more focused on wars and conflicts, is carrying out harsher persecutions against Sikh activists in various countries. “In recent years, the Indian government’s pressure and persecutions against the Sikh community have further escalated and are causing international concern,” the statement emphasized.
It was reported that various human rights organizations have issued reports stating that the geography of the Indian government’s persecutions against Sikh activists and diaspora representatives has expanded and taken on a transnational character:
“This issue was previously discussed mostly in the context of the US and Canada, but facts show that similar pressures are also observed in Australia, Great Britain, and Germany, where the Sikh diaspora is active.
As is known, as a result of repressions carried out by the Indian government, Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar was killed in Canada in 2023. Later, in the same year in the US, an assassination plot by Indian citizen Nikhil Gupta against Sikh activist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun was uncovered and disclosed to the public by US special services. In both incidents, the involvement of the Indian government was alleged.”
It was emphasized that transnational repression is not limited to physical threats and violence. “Methods of repression include surveillance of diaspora activists, targeted disinformation campaigns, political and diplomatic pressure tactics, migration restrictions, reputational attacks, and cyberattacks,” the statement noted. The purpose of these methods is to silence Sikh activists, restrict their activities on international platforms, and create an atmosphere of fear within the diaspora.