Federation chairman lauds Baku conference on Sikh, minority protections

Bhai Moninder Singh, Chairman of the Sikh Federation, expressed gratitude to the Baku Initiative Group for hosting a conference in Baku aimed at addressing violence and human rights violations against Sikhs and other minority communities in India.

During an interview with AZERTAC, he noted that the conference focused on discussing violence against the Sikh community and other minorities in India, highlighting transnational repression carried out by India over the past three years.

“Examples include attacks on Sikhs in the UK and Canada, and the assassinations of Avtar Singh Khanda and Hardeep Singh Nijjar by Indian agents, as confirmed by the Canadian government.

These events continue the violence faced by Sikhs and other minorities since 1947, who have lived under de facto occupation for more than seven decades,” the chairman stressed.

He stated that the world should pay greater attention to the Sikh struggle for Khalistan, demands for freedom in India, and systematic violations of the rights of Muslims, Christians, Dalits, and other minorities. These violations have persisted for the past two decades and trace back to India’s founding in 1947.

“We highly appreciate the hospitality of the Baku Initiative Group, which organized this conference. Strengthening solidarity among communities worldwide, joint NGO activities, and raising our voices at the UN and other international platforms are extremely important.

We Sikhs do not flee from this violence; instead, we confront it. We want the world to see us not only as victims, but as a people who have fought for freedom and sovereignty for decades. We fight not only for ourselves, but for other communities as well. We stand shoulder to shoulder with Kashmiri Muslims, Dalits, Naga communities, Christians, and other minorities in India,” he emphasised.

Singh also noted that India’s policy of violence under Prime Minister Narendra Modi began nearly two decades ago after the 2002 killings of thousands of Muslims in Gujarat and has intensified since Modi assumed office. His deputies and national security advisor also have a history of encouraging violence against minorities.

“Today, here in Baku with the Baku Initiative Group, we stand against violence targeting Sikhs and other minorities in India. This is an example of the solidarity being built across different parts of the world,” he concluded.

By Jeyhun Aghazada