BAKU, Azerbaijan, January 16. India commits brutal violence against men, women, and children of the Sikh faith, Sikh Federation Chairman Bhai Moninder Singh said at an international conference titled “Racism and Violence Against Sikhs and Other Minorities in India: The Reality on the Ground,” in Baku today, Trend reports.
"It's also important to remember that India was created as a British colonial project, but as we stand here in solidarity, we cannot help but remember other peoples of diverse origins.
"From the Dalits, who have been subjected to caste-based discrimination for thousands of years in India, to Muslims who have faced communal violence for decades at the hands of right-wing Hindutva groups, to the occupation of Kashmir, the world's most militarized region, and Christians who are regularly targeted for their religious beliefs across India – all of these are denied under India's constitution, which claims to ensure equal protection. While these rights might be guaranteed on paper, in practice, these assurances are seriously lacking," he added.
Singh noted that Sikhs bear an especially heavy burden among these communities:
"To understand the 1984 tragedy, we must look at its roots. The violence against Sikhs stems from political opportunism, state repression, and a denial of Sikh identity and aspirations. A look at Article 25B of the Indian Constitution is enough to understand this. In that article, Sikhs, Buddhists, and Jains are not recognized as separate entities, but rather are presented as branches of the Hindu religion. This amounts to a complete erasure of identity under constitutional law. At the same time, the implementation of Article 25B has been accompanied by extreme violence against the Sikh people over the past few decades," he explained.
He emphasized that, instead of prioritizing dialogue and a constructive approach, the Indian state responds with militarization, human rights violations, massacres, and brutal violence against Sikh men, women, and children.
"During the 'Blue Star' operation in 1984, the Indian army's attack on the Golden Temple, the holiest shrine of the Sikh community, left deep psychological scars on the Sikh population. This event sparked a greater demand for greater autonomy for Punjab and led to the creation of the Khalistan movement for full freedom and sovereignty.
The murder of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi on October 31, 1984, became an excuse for the subsequent violence. In the following days, Delhi and other cities were engulfed by genocide. Armed mobs, provided with selective lists by politicians, attacked Sikh homes, burned Sikh men alive, killed Sikh children, and raped Sikh women. This was a large-scale attempt by the Indian state to complete the genocide it had started," Singh also said.
The federation chairman pointed out that, even after more than 40 years since the events, those responsible for the violence have remained unpunished. Many of them currently hold the highest positions in the Indian government.
"The Indian state has not taken any responsibility for ensuring justice for the victims of the 1984 genocide. The portrayal of these events presented to the world does not reflect the truth. Officially, these events are referred to as 'riots.' However, a riot implies a confrontation between two equal sides. In this case, a powerful state mobilized all its mechanisms: selective lists were distributed to mobs, the police either stood by or participated in the violence, and for days, no army, military, or security forces intervened to restore peace. Conditions were deliberately created to allow the violence to continue," he concluded.
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