Multi-school trust found pushing content claiming Sikh org are like “The Taliban” and “Ku Klux Klan”
Following recent examination of “extremism” definitions, an educational institute have been found pushing anti-Sikh curriculum comparing an award-winning UK org with the Taliban and Ku Klux Klan.
Oasis Community Learning, an educational multi-school trust which runs 53 schools serving 32,000 pupils across the UK, have been using a religious education presentation which includes a slide framing Sikh Youth UK alongside the Taliban and Ku Klux Klan. It is unclear how long this slide (which we will not share) has been used.
Sikh Youth UK, whose lead sevadaar (selfless servant) Deepa Singh is pictured in the slide, are a Sikh focused group which provides support networks for the community through events, content and grassroots engagement. In 2015 Deepa Singh was given an Outstanding Volunteer award by Sandwell Council for his work in the local area, which included social support to recovering addicts and newly released inmates.
The Taliban are an Islamic extremist group originally formed in Afghanistan which currently runs governs the country. The outfit are associated with beheadings, stonings and other brutal acts of violence, including the murder of countless Afghan Sikhs. The Ku Klux Klan are a USA based white-supremacist terror outfit responsible for countless lynchings of African Americans and wider persecution of other minority communities.
Meanwhile, not a single Sikh Youth UK sevadaar has ever been charged with any criminal act related to terrorism or extremism in the 11-years of their existence. Whilst some perceive aspects of their activism and safeguarding work as controversial, the comparison to some of the most notorious murderous groups on earth will shock many, and prompt serious examination of the intentions of those behind it.
Read more on some of major stories involving Sikh Youth UK at:
- Responses to Independent Sikh Youth UK article | SikhPA (right-wing affiliation accusations)
- Sikh Youth trial: Accused plead not guilty in charges based on ‘one email’ | SikhPA
- Sikh orgs push for inquests into police conduct following acquittal of Leamington protesters | SikhPA (Interfaith Anand Karaj protests)
The discovery of the anti-Sikh content now being pushed through UK curriculum comes as India has been proven to be running a transnational anti-Sikh repression program, which includes the assassination of a Sikh leader in Canada. The USA and Canada are conducting investigations with view to prosecuting Indian State terrorists behind this campaign. Meanwhile, Rishi Sunak’s UK government are yet to admit the issue exists.
Speaking to Sikh PA about the libelous comparison, Deepa Singh said:
“For Sikh Youth UK to be compared to groups that have decades of murders and terrorism behind them is not just ridiculous, it is dangerous anti-Sikh bigotry. It puts my life in danger and maligns the entire Sikh community.
“The reason Sikh Youth UK is demonised like this is because of our organising in support of the Khalistan (free Sikh homeland) movement, as well as our exposing of police failures in safeguarding UK Sikhs regarding grooming gangs and more.
“Through our wide-ranging efforts, Sikh Youth UK have become a key organiser for the national community, often bringing together thousands for protests, sports events other Gurdwara programs. This, combined with our advocation of Sikh sovereignty in all areas, seems to concern various UK authorities who want a quiet passive subservient Sikh community, who do not speak out about those failing or targeting our people.”
In recent years, evidence of India’s agenda against Sikh Youth UK can be seen in the social media censorship the group face, having seen their pages (Instagram, Twitter and Facebook) completely banned in India and also repeatedly removed from the site, due to their advocation for Khalistan and content on revered Sikh freedom fighters who fought back against the Sikh genocide. However, the focus on SYUK goes back and beyond recent censorship.
After gaining global attention from efforts against grooming gangs and the interfaith Anand Karaj protests of 2015-16, the targeting of Sikh Youth UK took a drastic turn when Deepa Singh (Kaldip Singh Lehal) was one of five Sikh activists whose home was raided by UK Counter-Terror police in 2018. The raids were quickly attributed by Indian media to the Indian State, with sources quoting a government source saying “diplomatic pressure” on the UK led to the move. The link to India was also all but confirmed when details of those raided – including Deepa Singh himself – went from UK police to Indian media, in what is an illegal leak.
Despite this heavy-handed approach by UK authorities, no evidence of any terror/extremist related crimes were found. After approximately a year, a single charge of a breach of Charities Commission rules was alleged against just Deepa Singh, even though he has never ran nor worked at a charity. After he pled not-guilty, the accusation is yet to be taken to trial by UK authorities nearly five-years since the allegation was made, underlining concern about the actual reasons behind the raids.
This was further underlined when prominent human-rights lawyer Gareth Peirce, who represented Julian Assange, stated there was a “paper trail” connected to the torture of Sikh political prisoner Jagtar Singh Johal in India and the raid on Deepa Singh’s house. Sikh Youth UK have been at the forefront of campaigning for the Scotsman’s freedom since his 2017 incarceration.
Read more on the #FreeJaggiNow campaign at SikhPa.com/FreeJaggiNow.
Due to the suspicious activity of the UK police and links to acting on behalf of India, Sikh Youth UK were one of several Sikh orgs implementing a ban on police presence in a promotional manner in Sikh spaces (recruitment, public relations etc). When the Sikh Youth UK group began enforcing this ban, this further caused Deepa Singh to become a known figure to UK authorities.
A 2019 UK Counter-Terror report on “Sikh extremism” was also forced to remove direct mentions of Deepa Singh, due to the possibly illegal act of naming him in such a document despite him never having faced charges for anything to do with “extremism”.
In 2022, Sikh Youth UK were behind the exposing of an Indian origin UK police officer covertly recording Sikh community gatherings, when Vishal Kapoor was found filming out of uniform at a #WestMidlands3 demonstration organised by the group.
Only this year in January, the targeting of Deepa Singh once again came to light when he was stopped and interrogated by authorities under the controversial and much criticised Schedule 7 anti-terror law when flying into the UK. Once again, no charges were brought forward against him.
Oasis have been contacted about concerns regarding the slide but are yet to respond. The Sikh Press Association can confirm that UK Sikh leadership orgs are also working on having Oasis formally address the anti-Sikh content they are pushing.
The UK’s Conservative government just last week redefined “extremism” in an attempt to target specific groups. However, various commentators have described the definition as “obscure”, allowing Rishi Sunak’s government to implement it as they wish. Previously, the Conservative led government have gone out of their way to claim the UK has “Sikh extremism” problems, despite no evidence showing such a thing exists.
- Priti Patel’s Problematic History Of Anti-Sikh Activities (baaznews.org)
- UK Sikh groups criticise Boris Johnson agenda to “help India” with “Khalistani extremists” | SikhPA
Speaking on the issue, The Sikh Press Association’s Senior Officer Jasveer Singh said “Framing Sikh Youth UK this way – a group which advocates for Khalistan – mirrors Indian State propaganda, which has long sort to demonise such groups in a sensationalist way.
“In 2023, Canada and the USA for the first-time publicly acknowledged India’s anti-Sikh transnational repression program. There have long been concerns about Indian State influence in this way on Western educational outlets, and this act by the Oasis Academy will only further those concerns.
“The fact is, the Taliban are known for beheading people, and Ku Klux Klan are known to lynch people. Sikh Youth UK are known for organising peaceful legal protests. Thus, the comparison can only be viewed as absurd and destructive.
“After the very suspicious death – likely via poisoning – of Bhai Avtar Singh Khanda, a close associate of Deepa Singh, this must be taken very seriously. Prior to this death, Khanda was also being framed as a ‘terrorist’ through Indian State influence. Khalistani activists are being targeted, and it is of serious concern to the panth (Sikh community/path).”