Baku: India's historical and ongoing treatment of the Sikh community was a focal point of criticism at the international Youth Forum titled 'Strengthening the Role of Youth in the Post-Colonial Era.' Chahal Akashdeep Singh, a participant at the forum, addressed the persistent control structures in India that were inherited from colonial rule.

According to Azeri-Press News Agency, Singh highlighted how centralized authority, artificial borders, and the suppression of distinct sovereignties have been patterns seen in various regions impacted by colonialism, including Africa and the Middle East. He argued that India follows a similar pattern, where historically sovereign peoples, such as the Sikhs, were incorporated into a state that does not align with their political, moral, and civilizational frameworks. Singh emphasized that violence has repeatedly been used to maintain this control, asserting that modern India continues to operate as an extension of its colonial past, particularly in its coercive and violent relationship with Sikh sovereignty.