Azerbaijan to host conference on repression of ethnic minorities in India

Azerbaijan will host an international conference titled June 1984, Events in Amritsar: Transnational Repression by India Against Ethnic Minorities in the Context of Genocide, where repressive policies by the Indian government toward ethnic minority groups will be discussed.

The event organised by the Baku Initiative Group is scheduled to take place on June 3 in Baku, Caliber.Az reports, citing local media.

The conference is expected to gather prominent members of the Sikh diaspora from countries including Canada, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Germany, Switzerland, Australia, and the United States.

It will also bring together think tank representatives, human rights and minority rights experts, as well as individuals described as victims of alleged discriminatory, repressive, and persecutory actions by Indian authorities, including members of the Dalit community.

The agenda includes discussions on keeping the issue of alleged transnational repression and systematic persecution attributed to the Indian government on the agenda of international organisations, particularly in relation to Sikh and Dalit diaspora communities and their families.

Participants are also expected to exchange views on improving coordination among diaspora groups, developing joint legal protection mechanisms against alleged cross-border persecution, and organising collective initiatives in international forums.

In addition, the conference will address the international legal assessment of armed attacks, violent incidents, and deaths of civilians allegedly linked to actions by India during the June 1984 events in Amritsar, as well as broader questions regarding India’s compliance with its obligations to international organisations concerning minority rights.

By Bakhtiyar Abbasov