Chairman: Azerbaijan’s January 1990 tragedy echoes Sikh community’s history

The Sikh people share historical links with Baku and are united with Azerbaijan through a common experience of struggle for freedom, the Chairman of the Sikh Federation UK, Moninder Singh, said on June 3, according to Report.

Speaking at an international conference titled “June 1984, the Amritsar Events: India’s Transnational Repression of Ethnic Minorities in the Context of Genocide” , Singh highlighted historical cultural ties between the Sikh community and the Azerbaijani capital, pointing to inscriptions in the Sikh language and in the Zend language preserved at the Ateshgah Fire Temple.

Singh said he was open to broader cooperation with Azerbaijan on global issues amid shifting geopolitical conditions.

"We welcome the opportunity to cooperate with the people of this country on important global issues that are reshaping the world today. The world is changing rapidly, and geopolitical ties are being transformed. It is no longer the same as it was even two years ago, and in two years it will be completely different. The search for new partners, solidarity, and paths toward peaceful coexistence is becoming one of the major challenges of our time," he said.

Drawing parallels between historical events in Azerbaijan and the Sikh political experience, Singh referred to the events of January 1990 in Baku, known as Black January, when Soviet troops entered the city amid pro-independence unrest.

"Azerbaijan has its own important historical memory - Black January. When the Azerbaijani people fought for freedom, hundreds were killed, and hundreds were wounded. Yet a few years later, you were able to achieve sovereignty and independence, freeing yourselves from Soviet rule," he said.

He added that the Sikh community’s own struggle for political rights and recognition remains ongoing.

"You were able to establish your own state and protect your cultural heritage, language, and way of life, whereas we are still striving to achieve those same goals. There are not many differences between your struggle and ours. The only difference is that ours has continued for decades longer," Moninder Singh said.

By Aghakazim Guliyev