BAKU, Azerbaijan, January 16. The number of Sikhs living in Punjab doesn't exceed 30 million, Jas Singh, a representative of the Sikh community, 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.
"We are formed on devotion to the Wahiguru, God, prayer, and meditation. At the same time, we also have the power to defend our rights by any means necessary," Singh emphasized.
He noted that this concept has become an integral part of the spiritual identity of the Sikhs for centuries and has been clearly manifested in all the struggles for independence.
"We won't bow down and surrender to any oppressive regime. Historically, Sikhs have been a minority in India. Their number has never exceeded 2% of the country's population. Today, India's population is about 1.4 billion, and the number of Sikhs living in Punjab is no more than 30 million. Nevertheless, our visible identity and, more importantly, our unwavering principles have enabled us to make a very large and disproportionate contribution compared to our numbers," the community representative pointed out.