BAKU, Azerbaijan, June 1. An international conference titled "June 1984, Amritsar Events: India's Transnational Repression Against Ethnic Minorities in the Context of Genocide" will be held in Baku on June 3, organized by the Baku Initiative Group (BIG), Trend reports via BIG.
According to the information, representatives of the Dalit community, who suffer from the repressive and systematic discriminatory policies of the Indian government, will participate in an event held in Azerbaijan for the first time. The conference will also be attended by influential representatives of the Sikh community operating in Canada, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Germany, Switzerland, Australia, and the United States, as well as heads of think tanks, experts in the field of human rights and ethnic minorities, and individuals who state they are victims of the repressive policies of the Indian government.
It was noted that the event will feature discussions on keeping the issues of the alleged transnational repression and systematic persecution policies carried out by the Indian government against ethnic and religious minorities, particularly representatives of the Sikh and Dalit diasporas and their family members, on the agenda of international organizations. Alongside this, views will be exchanged on strengthening cooperation between diaspora organizations affected by the repression, developing legal defense mechanisms against transnational persecution, and opportunities for joint action on international platforms.
Within the framework of the conference, issues related to the attacks, acts of violence, and loss of human life carried out against the Sikh community and their religious and cultural values during the Amritsar events in June 1984 will be discussed, as well as the provision of a legal assessment of these events at the international level and India's compliance with its international obligations regarding the rights of ethnic minorities.
It was noted that in early June 1984, an armed operation was carried out by the Indian government against the Harmandir Sahib (Golden Temple) complex in Amritsar, which is considered one of the sacred religious sites of the Sikh community. According to the Baku Initiative Group, referencing reports of international non-governmental organizations, independent sources, and eyewitness accounts, up to 8,000 civilians were killed in Amritsar and surrounding areas as a result of those events.
The report also emphasized that a joint report titled "Beyond Borders: India’s Transnational Repression Against the Sikh Diaspora," prepared in March this year by the Baku Initiative Group and the Sikh Federation International, reflects facts regarding the Indian government's policy against diaspora representatives living abroad and the 1984 Amritsar events.
