Baku: The Baku Initiative Group and Sikh Federation International have called for global action against anti-Sikh violence, APA reports. "We, the participants of the international conference entitled 'Racism and Violence Against Sikhs and Other Minorities in India: The Reality on the Ground,' extend our sincere appreciation to the Baku Initiative Group (BIG) for convening this important gathering and for providing a platform to address the violation of the Sikhs' rights in India," stated the groups.
According to Azeri-Press News Agency, BIG's commitment to elevating the voices of neocolonial-affected nations is critical, and the groups commend their leadership in bringing global attention to these urgent concerns. They acknowledge the significance of the forum in uniting diverse international stakeholders committed to justice and call on the global community to address ongoing impunity against Sikhs in India. The groups particularly emphasize the need for accountability concerning the 1984 anti-Sikh massacres in India, where thousands of Sikhs were killed, injured, or subjected to violence, including sexual violence against women and girls.
Despite ten official commissions and numerous civil society investigations exposing patterns of organized attacks, political orchestration, and police complicity, accountability has been almost nonexistent. "No senior political figure or police official has faced justice," the statement highlights. Hundreds of cases were closed without investigation, evidence was destroyed or manipulated, and witnesses were threatened, with many perpetrators being promoted to higher political office.
Civil society documentation, including reports from the People's Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL), the People's Union for Democratic Rights (PUDR), and Ensaaf, a US-based human rights organization, along with independent journalists, shows that mobs acted systematically with Congress Party leaders' coordination and police tolerance. Reports describe police actions that prevented justice, such as refusing to register First Information Reports (FIRs) and downgrading charges. Testimonies reveal horrific accounts of crimes against women and girls that were never investigated.
The groups stress that impunity extends beyond 1984, with authorities' systemic inability and unwillingness to prosecute violence against Sikhs creating a cycle of repetition and state tolerance for mass atrocities. Sikh activists face increasing repression, with human rights advocacy often labeled as 'extremism,' enabling arbitrary arrests and pressure on diaspora communities. Broad counter-terrorism laws are used to silence dissent, while victims of past atrocities continue to fight for their cases to be heard.
In this context, the groups call upon the international community to support time-bound investigations into all closed and mishandled 1984 cases, prosecute leaders responsible for the violence, ensure justice and reparations for survivors, and create credible witness protection mechanisms. They urge the enactment of a strong law against communal violence that holds state officials accountable and call for transparent reporting, international assistance, and regular public updates on progress toward accountability.
The Baku Initiative Group and Sikh Federation International urge governments, civil society, and global institutions to stand with Sikhs. They call for the international community to acknowledge the gravity of the neocolonial anti-Sikh policy of the Indian Government, raise these issues consistently in dialogues with India, and protect Sikh human rights defenders. They emphasize the importance of documentation and truth-telling initiatives to safeguard historical memory, stating that justice delayed has become justice denied, and the absence of accountability increases the likelihood of renewed violence.