Sikh Network chief: Sikhs will not bow to any oppressive regime

Sikhs will never bow to any oppressive regime, said Jas Singh, head of the Sikh Network, at an international conference titled Racism and Violence Against Sikhs and Other Minorities in India: The Reality on the Ground, held in Baku on January 16, local media reports.

He stated that Sikhs are capable of defending their rights by any means necessary when required. "Although we are a numerical minority in India, we will not submit or kneel before any oppressive regime," he said.

Jas Singh emphasised that Sikhs made significant sacrifices in the struggle to free India from British colonial rule and contributed greatly to that movement. However, he noted that despite these efforts, the Sikh community was later divided into two parts.

"As a result, more than 14 million people were displaced from their homes. Over one million of our people were killed along the borders," he said, adding that this led to the loss of demographic concentration and economic resources. According to him, fertile lands that had been cultivated and produced crops were lost, along with homes and businesses, forcing people to cross borders, taking only what they could carry.

Jas Singh also recalled that Lahore was the capital of the Sikh Empire, underscoring its special significance for Sikhs living in Pakistan today. He noted that many historical Sikh sites are located in Pakistan and that the political centre of the Sikh Kingdom was also based there.

In contrast, he said India has failed to fulfil any of the promises made to Sikhs, leaving the community to face serious hardships instead.

The conference, held for the first time in Azerbaijan, features Ramesh Singh Arora, Minister for Human Rights and Minorities in Pakistan's Punjab, along with officials, prominent Sikh community representatives from Canada, the UK, and the US, think tank leaders, academics, and victims of India's policies.

Discussions focus on "the Indian government's systemic racial discrimination, violence, and repression against Sikhs and other minorities," including violations of international treaties such as the UN's International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination, and the Convention Against Torture.

The conference will also examine the need to keep these issues on the agenda of international organisations, investigate extrajudicial executions, and document human rights violations through UN special rapporteurs.

By Aghakazim Guliyev