UK Govt extremism report includes “same amount” on Khalistan as “Islamist extremism”

A UK government report on extremism has been found giving the same amount of coverage to Khalistan (free Sikh homeland movement) as Islamist extremism, in a move described as “controversial”.

The “Rapid Analytical Sprint” review on UK extremism, commissioned by Labour Home Secretary Yvette Cooper in August 2024, was leaked to thinktank Policy Exchange, which detailed the coverage on Sikhs as one of the flaws of the yet-to-be-officially-released report.

Read the Policy Exchange review of the report, titled “Extremely Confused” here.

According to Policy Exchange, the Sprint report details a ““growing portfolio of actors of concern” within the UK Khalistan (free Sikh homeland) movement, whilst also referencing Sikh activism which contributes to “the demonisation of Muslim communities, in particular in relation to child sexual exploitation allegations”, along with “conspiracy theories alleging collusion between the British and Indian Governments”. The description nearly certainly refers specifically to Sikh Youth UK, a community group which works on grassroots organising regarding Khalistan support, the targeting of Sikh females by grooming gangs, and various other issues.

SYUK has long caught the attention of UK authorities, for among other things, being accused of encouraging Sikh “vigilantism”. SYUK lead sevadaar (selfless servant) Deepa Singh was recently charged for Charities Commission breaches by the Crown Prosecution based on a Counter-Terror investigation. The charge was the culmination of a seven year legal focus on him, beginning with raids which Indian media said came as a result of “diplomatic pressure”. SYUK is the only group which fits the description of simultaneously organising around Khalistan, grooming gangs and exposing India-UK collusion to target Sikh activism.

Policy Exchange refereed to the report’s position on Khalistan as “controversial”, before highlighting it does also “recognise concerns exist about the Indian Government’s overseas role, including accusations of Indian involvement in deadly violence against Sikhs in Canada and the United States“, regarding India’s anti-Sikh transnational repression program, including the assassination of Shaheed (Sikh martyr) Bhai Hardeep Singh Nijjar (Surrey, Canada) and Shaheed Bhai Avtar Singh Khanda (Birmingham, UK), both in June 2023.

The Policy Exchange review also references a previous “mistake” by the UK government in omitting Hindutva (Hindu extremism) in the UK from a previous report by anti-radicalisation government group Prevent, which has been corrected in the Sprint report, albeit also with a one-page synopsis, arguably not enough for a movement which pushed the city of Leicester into days of violence in 2022.

Speaking on the report, Jasveer Singh said “Whilst updates on Hindutva and Indian transnational repression show development on government perceptions of grassroots realities within UK communities, many will view the rhetoric around Khalistan as outdated. Non-Sikh groups like Reprieve have documented collusion between the UK and India to target Sikh activists. Also, modern understanding of the grooming gang epidemic validates everything groups like SYUK have said for over a decade.

“Sikh Federation UK have previously said that such hyperbole around Khalistan is aimed at appeasing the Indian State, which is openly pressuring nations like the UK to clamp down on growing support for the movement amid wider understanding of India’s fascism.”