On January 16, Azerbaijan hosted for the first time an international conference titled “Racism and Violence Against Sikhs and Other Minorities in India: The Reality on the Ground.” The event was organized by the Baku Initiative Group (BIG) and dedicated to the repressive policies pursued by the Indian government against ethnic minorities.
Prior to the conference, participants viewed a commemorative exhibition honoring Sikhs killed by Indian armed forces in 1984. The exhibition presented key historical events, personal testimonies, and archival materials illustrating the scale of the violence and its long-term impact on Sikh communities in India and abroad.
The conference began with a minute of silence in memory of Sikh leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar, assassinated in Canada in 2023, as well as other members of the Khalistan movement who lost their lives.
Abbas Abbasov, Executive Director of the Baku Initiative Group, spoke about the organization’s activities aimed at supporting peoples affected by various forms of colonialism and protecting their violated rights.
During the event, a video showcasing BIG’s international activities and achievements was screened, along with a short film highlighting violations and crimes committed against Sikhs by the Indian government, as well as systemic discrimination faced by other ethnic minorities in India.
The Baku Initiative Group and the International Sikh Federation called for global action against violence and discrimination targeting Sikhs and other minorities in India, urging governments, civil society organizations, and international institutions to demonstrate solidarity with the Sikh community.
The conference also focused on strategies to keep the issue on the international agenda, including the investigation of extrajudicial killings by the UN Human Rights Committee and the documentation of rights violations by UN Special Rapporteurs for international monitoring.
Participants additionally reviewed the role of international and local NGOs and academic circles, emphasizing how their reports and legal assessments can influence international decision-making mechanisms.
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On January 16, an international conference titled “Racism and Violence against Sikhs and Other National Minorities in India: The Reality on the Ground” has started in Azerbaijan for the first time, organized by the Baku Initiative Group and dedicated to the Indian government’s repressive policies against ethnic minorities.
The event is attended by Ramesh Singh Arora, Minister for Human Rights and Minorities of Punjab Province, and other officials, alongside influential representatives of the Sikh community from Canada, the United Kingdom, and the USA, heads of think tanks, scholars from foreign universities specializing in human rights and ethnic minorities, and individuals who have been direct victims of the Indian government’s repressive and discriminatory policies.
The conference focuses on the systematic racial discrimination and violence perpetrated by the Indian government against Sikhs and other ethnic minorities, specifically addressing the gross violations of India’s obligations under the UN International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination, and the Convention against Torture.
Participants are discussing strategies to keep the current situation on the international agenda, including the investigation of extrajudicial executions by the UN Human Rights Committee and the documentation of rights violations by UN Special Rapporteurs for international monitoring.
The role of international and local NGOs and academic circles is also being examined, specifically regarding how their reports and legal opinions can influence international decision-making mechanisms.
Sikhism, which emerged in the 15th century, promotes complete equality regardless of caste, gender, or language, and thus strictly rejects the traditional Hindu caste system. Today, the Sikh community in India numbers over 25 million, primarily residing in the agricultural region of Punjab.
Reports submitted to international organizations indicate that during the armed raids of 1984 alone, between 8,000 and 17,000 Sikhs were killed, and over 50,000 fled abroad to escape persecution. Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, thousands of Sikhs in Punjab were victims of enforced disappearances or extrajudicial killings based on fabricated charges. Currently, Sikh activists demanding their rights face arrest on charges of “separatism” or “espionage” amid increasing police raids in Punjab. Furthermore, Sikh activists living abroad have been targeted by acts of terrorism, for which official bodies in Canada and the United States have accused Indian intelligence services of involvement.
The majority of the exiled Sikh community now resides in Canada, the UK, the USA, and Australia, where they continue to demand justice for the ongoing political repression in India. The community is calling on the Indian government to officially recognize the 1984 massacres as genocide, establish an independent commission of inquiry, and prosecute the organizers of these atrocities. They also demand clarification on the fate of those who disappeared in the 1980s and 1990s, the release of unlawfully detained activists with the status of political prisoners, and expanded autonomy for Punjab to prevent central government interference. Additionally, they are calling for an end to transnational repression – including assassinations and threats against activists abroad – as well as a formal apology from the Indian government and compensation for the victims of the 1984 massacres.