Why is this important?

Jagtar Singh Johal's Detention

For seven years, Jagtar has languished in an Indian prison without charge. The UK government has failed him. We cannot allow this to continue.

Murders and Assassination Plots of Activists

Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Canada was brutally murdered, a foiled plot of the assassination of Gurpatwant Singh Pannu in the US, with evidence in both cases pointing to Indian state involvement, and UK allies openly stating this. Both incidents happened just after the suspicious death of Avtar Singh Khanda in the UK. All three have advocated for the Sikh right to self-determination. These are not isolated incidents but part of a broader pattern of transnational repression.

Prevent Strategy and Schedule 7

These laws have been weaponised against Sikhs, labelling our activists as extremists without justification.

Biased Reports and Presentations

The Bloom Report and Oasis Community Learning’s presentation have unfairly smeared our community, adding to our marginalisation.

Misplaced Government Priorities

In 2023, the government allocated £95,000 to combat alleged ‘pro-Khalistani extremism,’ further vilifying our right to self-determination.

The Conservative Government has been in power for the last 14 years, and the Sikh community in the UK has faced significant challenges and injustices. Jagtar Singh Johal, a British citizen, has been detained in India for seven years without charge, with minimal efforts by the Conservative Government to secure his release. Additionally, Hardeep Singh Nijjar was murdered in Canada shortly after the suspicious death of Avtar Singh Khanda in the UK, and a plot by the Indian state to assassinate Gurpatwant Singh Pannu on US soil was uncovered, with investigations confirming Indian involvement in both Nijjar’s and Pannu’s cases.

Despite these alarming incidents, the UK government has not adequately addressed the release of Jagtar Singh or further investigated Avtar Singh Khanda’s death. All these individuals are advocates for Sikh self-determination, but the Conservative Party has prioritised trade deals over the safety and rights of its citizens.

Additionally, Sikh activists have been unfairly targeted under the Government’s Prevent Strategy, with Schedule 7 legislation being misused to silence those speaking against injustices in India. The misuse of Schedule 7 legislation, which allows British Law Enforcement to detain individuals suspected of terrorism, is being weaponised against our community.

The Bloom Report, commissioned by Boris Johnson, intended to enhance governmental engagement with faith communities, has instead unfairly labelled Sikhs as extremists without evidence, further marginalising the Sikh community. Recently, Oasis Community Learning, a prominent UK multi-academy trust, used a presentation that equated Sikh activist with extremist groups, highlighting a growing trend of biased representations.

In 2023, the Conservative Government announced £95,000 of taxpayers’ money to tackle alleged ‘pro-Khalistani extremism’, further vilifying and unfairly labelling the right to self-determination as extremism. This decision highlights the government’s misplaced priorities, focusing on pleasing India while ignoring the pressing concerns and injustices faced by the Sikh community in the UK.

This biased representation, combined with the transnational repression from India, underscores the crucial need to hold Parliamentary Candidates accountable.