Concerns anti-Sikh propaganda enflaming hate after swastika daubed on sign
A swastika was sprayed on a sign for a Sikh event in the Midlands this past week, prompting concerns that ongoing anti-Sikh propaganda from UK figures is fueling an increase in far-right hate acts towards the community.
A sign pointing out the venue of a Barsi Samagam (Sikh faith gathering) held from 25-28 August in a space near the Guru Har Rai Sahib Gurdwara in West Bromwich was found graffitied with the Nazi symbol during on Friday, whilst another sign had an X daubed on it.
The graffiti comes after ongoing anti-Sikh propaganda by UK figures which has peaked in recent weeks. Right-wing news outlet GB News last week falsely claimed Sikh Khalistani (free Sikh homeland) extremism was to blame for violence in nearby Derby, leading to one of the speakers involved in the report making a public apology for the false allegation. The report was led by far-right politician Nigel Farage, who implied Sikhs coming into the UK may also be terrorists.
On Twitter, Chris Blackburn and Charlotte Littlewood are two UK Indian state propagandists viewed as spreading hate against Sikhs for making baseless allegations of extremism within the community, often sighting decades old incidents to do so. Blackburn is an associate of rabid Indian nationalist Rami Ranger. The self-proclaimed expert on Khalistan was also praised by India Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his efforts promoting the current BJP regime.
Littlewood is an employee of the notorious pro-India UK based Henry Jackson Society, an organisation regularly accused of being funded by Indian nationalist groups due to its open promotion of Narendra Modi’s much criticised fascist regime. The Henry Jackson Society were also investigated for accepting funding to push anti-China propaganda, whilst their attempts to distance last year’s Leicester riots from Hindu extremism have also raised concerns about the group’s influences from India.
Both Littlewood and Blackburn used the Derby incident to further baselessly claim that Sikh extremism is a threat to the UK.
Earlier this year, UK Govt faith advisor Colin Bloom dedicated a large section of his Bloom Review report on faith groups in the UK to “Sikh extremism”, which resulted in mass criticism towards the accusations. Read more on that here.
Previously, Priti Patel has pushed similar rhetoric about Sikhs, which has underlined her links to Hindu extremist outfit the RSS, which she has publicly praised. Read more on Patel’s anti-Sikh efforts here.
Even Boris Johnson has previously been pushed into supporting the idea Sikh extremism is an issue in the UK when coerced by Indian media, whilst earlier this year UK newspaper The Times had to be corrected by Reuters for a completely false claim that India had halted trade talks with the UK due to “Sikh extremists”, which The Sikh PA has raised with media regulators.
Speaking on this issue, Sikh Press Association Senior Press Officer Jasveer Singh said:
“For a longtime now various UK media and political figures have been pushing the idea British Sikhs are a threat to the UK public and this has gotten worse in recent months, with the lies to scaremonger about the UK Sikh community now becoming more brazen and ludicrous.
“The agenda is clearly influenced by Indian State narratives which demonise Sikh activism to help justify India’s own mass human rights abuses, particularly towards minorities like the 1-2% Sikh community. However, rather then be upset about the UK being dog-walked into anti-Sikh bigotry by India, it seems some of the public are buying into these lies and now racists are looking to target Sikhs.
“There is only so-long that this anti-Sikh propaganda about how we are a threat to the UK can be spouted until it has impact. The likes of Farage, Blackburn, Bloom and Littlewood will have blood on their hands should any Sikh find themselves attacked by the UK’s dangerous far-right threat.
“It is telling these types have never reached out for dialogue with any Khalistan linked Sikh orgs. The Sikh Press Association has reached out before and will do again to these types for real dialogue with Sikhs – instead of just about Sikhs – so they can get real insight into the community and stop basing their views on Indian State propaganda.”
Some have also speculated that Hindu extremists could be behind the graffiti, with the swastika being of Hindu origin and the links between Nazism and Hindu extremists groups.
Media inquiries- media@sikhpa.com.
