Activist Rattandeep Singh believed to be latest Indian State murder victim

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Rattandeep Singh (49, from Haryana) was shot dead last week in Nawanshahr (Punjab), in what many believe is India’s latest killing of a Khalistan (free Sikh homeland) activist.

Unidentified gunmen shot Rattandeep Singh several times on the evening of 3rd April. The news was immediately reported across Indian media and celebrated by various Indian nationalists. Rattandeep Singh was accused by India of being part of the Sikh resistance, most active against India’s Sikh genocide in the 90s.

Rattandeep Singh was a known affiliate of Paramjit Singh Panjwar, the Pakistan based Khalistan figure who was shot dead last year in May by “unknown gunmen”. A Guardian newspaper investigation last week confirmed what Sikh groups said since the shooting; that the Indian State was responsible for the killing of Panjwar. After leaving India to escape State persecution for his advocacy for Sikh sovereignty in 1999, Rattandeep Singh spent years living with Panjwar, whilst he also for times lived in Thailand, Belgium and Germany for periods.

In 2014 Rattandeep Singh was caught back in India and imprisoned again. However, by 2017 he was acquitted on all terror-related charges in a sign of yet more fabricated cases put against Sikhs. By 2019 Rattandeep Singh was completely free, having spent remaining years imprisoned on a non-terror related charge. He was still prevented from leaving the country though, which is partly why he regularly spoke (often on social media) about his life being under threat from the Indian State.

The murder came just a day before the Guardian broke their story, which sourced Indian and Pakistan intelligence agencies to confirm a “Taliban affiliate” was used to kill Panjway, part of an Indian State campaign using Islamic extremists groups – including ISIS – to target Khalistan activists.

Read more on the Guardian revelations here: Groundbreaking media revelation: India used ISIS to assassinate Sikhs | SikhPA

The murder is being linked to a local gangster. Many believe such criminals are paid to carry out the Indian State’s dirty work.

The killing comes as Canadian and US authorities continue investigations on India’s anti-Sikh transnational repression campaign, with view to prosecute Indian State terrorists targeting the respective nations’ Sikh communities. The actions of the North American governments are based on the assassination of Khalistan figure Shaheed (martyr) Bhai Hardeep Singh Nijjar (Canada, killed in Surrey 2023) and the attempted assassination of Gurpatwant Singh Pannun (New York, 2023).

Meanwhile, UK authorities are accused of ignoring the suspected murder via poisoning of Shaheed Bhai Avtar Singh Khanda last year in June in Birmingham.

https://www.satlujnetwork.com/index_detail/4024

Groundbreaking media revelation: India used ISIS to assassinate Sikhs

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A new report from the Guardian newspaper has revealed that Indian State intelligence agency RAW (Research and Analysis Wing) “recruited jihadists” to target “Sikh separatists in the Khalistan movement…in Pakistan and the west”.

The report (4th April) from the UK newspaper revealed “Indian agents used social media to infiltrate networks of Islamic State (IS) and units connected to the Taliban, where they recruited and groomed Pakistani Islamist radicals to carry out hit jobs on Indian dissidents”. Khalistani (free Sikh homeland supporting) groups have long been cited as some of India’s biggest dissidents, which groups like the NSYF have documented in detailed fashion.

The source for the information was cited as both “Indian and Pakistani intelligence operatives” and documents from “Pakistani investigators”, all of which revealed India had “assassinated individuals in Pakistan“, a campaign linked to “almost 20 killings since 2020” in the country which has seen major political upheaval during that period. The killers have nearly always been cited as “unknown gunmen”. The term has since become regularly used as a threat by Indian nationalist accounts to Sikhs on social media, including to The Sikh Press Association’s own Senior Press Officer Jasveer Singh on his personal Twitter account.

India were able to infiltrate these networks using help “from former IS fighters from the Indian state of Kerala” who had deserted in 2019 and began working for India. The alarming news has seen many now question India’s role in the notorious March 2020 Kabul Gurdwara massacre by ISIS, which saw 25 Sikhs, including a three-year-old, slaughtered by a group of ISIS fanatics which included a Kerala Muslim. The massacre was said to be an act of revenge against comments from Hindutva (Hindu extremist) politician Nupur Sharma.

The article also expanded on last year’s killing of respected Khalistani activist Shaheed (martyr) Bhai Paramjit Singh Panjwar, who was shot dead in May in Pakistan, in what can now be seen to be a textbook incident of the type described through the Guardian investigation. According to the article, the killer “thought he was working on the instructions of the Pakistan Taliban affiliate Badri 313 Battalion”.

The investigation also further confirmed the Indian State was behind the assassination of Shaheed Bhai Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Surrey (BC, Canada), and also likely Shaheed Bhai Avtar Singh Khanda (Birmingham, UK), both in June last year. India’s involvement in the attempted assassination of Gurpatwant Singh Pannun in the USA last year has already been confirmed by authorities, with an ongoing effort to extradite and prosecute Indian State terrorist Nikhil Gupta for running the operation. The article also stated “such operations ‘needed approval from the highest level of government'”. Recently India claimed that “rogue operatives” were behind the Pannun plot, a confession which was mocked by various Sikh orgs. However, in response to the recent Guardian revelations, yesterday India’s Defence Minister Rajnath Singh confessed India does carry out such killings.

“The suspicion in Delhi was that firebrand Sikh activists living abroad, particularly those in Canada, the US and the UK, were fuelling the farmers’ protests and stirring up international support through their strong global networks. It stoked fears that these activists could be a destabilising force and were capable of reviving Khalistani militancy in India” the Guardian reports.

However, even individuals less associated with Khalistan have likely suffered due to India’s inflammation of anti-Sikh rhetoric in Pakistan. As reported by Sikh PA, the Islamic State took responsibility for the killing of another Sikh man, also in June 2023, and were also linked to two other murders of Sikh men before that shooting of Tarlok Singh.

Speaking on the revelations, Sikh PA’s Jasveer Singh said:

“For the sake of formality, the Guardian article has to say India is only ‘alleged’ to have carried out these killings, but their own investigation makes things as about transparent as they can be, directly from the mouths of Indian and Pakistani agents working on these very cases.

“However, it is important to note that Sikh groups were again the first to report what is now being detailed a year later. Namely, that Shaheed Bhai Paramjit Singh Panjwar could only have been killed by the Indian State, although how they got it done may have shocked many, including Hindu nationalists who would not think their nation would work with Islamic militants to target Sikhs. But that’s how low India will go to target Sikhs.

“Everything the Guardian article confirms can be found being said by Sikh activists and orgs at least months ago, if not years. For this reason, it is imperative media take Sikh understandings of such situations on board, instead of being dismissive, such as in the case of the suspected poisoning of Bhai Avtar Singh Khanda, which the UK government seems determined to ignore.”

Pakistani authorities have confirmed there are other Sikh activists living in Pakistan who are believed to be under threat from the Indian State. Suspicious deaths of Sikh activists and prominent figures from Italy to India have continued in 2024, with many close to the situations insisting it is Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government behind the deaths, including activist Rattandeep Singh just yesterday.

Media inquiries- Media@SikhPA.com.

UK Gurdwara looking to take “legal action” against Indian nationalist influencer agitator

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Sri Guru Singh Sabha Gurdwara Southall, one of the world’s largest Sikh institutes outside of India, is looking to “initiate legal action” against a man who took to social media with defamatory statements about the Gurdwara and esteemed Sikh leader Sant Jarnail Singh Ji Khalsa Bhindranwale.

The statement by SGSSS, made on 31st March, was referring to the previous week when Indian nationalist social media influencer Harman Singh Kapoor came outside both SGSSS Gurdwaras and made TikTok videos containing defamatory and malicious statements targeting the Gurdwara and Sant (Saint) Jarnail Singh Ji Khalsa Bhindranwale, a Sikh leader revered by the Sikh community worldwide.

Although Kapoor is not specifically mentioned in the Gurdwara statement, it is understood he is the person being referred to. Kapoor is a known agitator that has long posted disrespectful anti-Sikh content on social media, insulting respected Sikh figures, organisations and movements. Other Indian nationalists accounts have referenced the statement, acknowledging it is about Kapoor. Sikh PA will not be sharing any links to his disrespectful content.

Kapoor has been amplified by orgs such as Indian State propagandists the Henry Jackson Society, pushing his claims his life is under threat from “Khalistanis” (supporters of a free Sikh homeland). Despite his claims of a threat to his life, he has himself admitted police say there is nothing to investigate. However, his provocation towards the Sikh community continues, with regular posts mocking and insulting respected Sikh figures, as well as ideas of Sikh sovereignty (specifically the Khalistan movement and supporters of it).

In the video which prompted the legal action, Kapoor shows both SGSSS Gurdwaras, on Guru Nanak Road and Park Avenue, claiming that images of Sant Ji (as Bhindrandwale is affectionately known within Sikh circles) had been taken down by the Gurdwara’s committee because of pressure from the UK and Indian governments. Kapoor makes the false claim despite the video clearly showing that scaffolding is up where a 7ftx4ft picture of the Sikh saint was previously up on Guru Nanak Road, and thus the picture was removed to prevent damage during the building work. Kapoor constantly refers to Sant Ji with derogatory and demeaning nicknames throughout the video in a manner typical of his divisive ways.

The Gurdwara committee expressed their disgust towards the slander said against Sant Ji saying, “We unequivocally state that any form of disrespect directed towards revered Sikh personalities will be met with the strongest possible legal recourse. Our commitment to preserving the dignity and honour of these figures is unwavering.” A social media statement from the committee said they are now “consulting with legal experts” to take preventative action against the agitator.

In a move concerning many Sikhs, UK Government Faith Advisor Colin Bloom, who was last year heavily criticised for an inadequately researched report referencing “Sikh extremism”, responded to Indian nationalist troll influencer Puneet Sahani, saying he would be “pleased to hear more about your concerns”. Many have wondered why Bloom is more keen to engage with an American overseas-Indian, rather than one of the biggest Gurdwaras in the UK.

Read more about concerns on Bloom’s report: https://www.sikhpa.com/citing-wikipedia-lol-sikhs-react-to-uk-govt-sikh-extremism-report/

Bloom has shown an obvious desire to connect with Indian nationalist supporters and media outlets since his report was released last year, prompting various Sikh orgs to call for more focus on Indian interference in the UK, amid ongoing geopolitical focus on India’s anti-Sikh transnational repression.

The Sikh Press Association has been told the picture of Sant Bhindranwale that was previously hung outside Guru Nanak Road Gurdwara will be put back up once the construction is over. Updates on the legal action from SGSSS will be published as they are announced.

Supreme Sikh authority join global outcry against UK education trust

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The supreme Sikh institution of authority the Akal Takht (meaning eternal throne) has released a statement condemning UK education trust Oasis Community Learning, after it was discovered they were pushing anti-Sikh content.

The Akal Takht released the statement this week, joining groups like the World Sikh Parliament, one of Punjab’s most respected MPs and some of the biggest Gurdwaras in the UK in condemning Oasis Academies, who were found sharing a slide on religious extremism which compared community group Sikh Youth UK with the Taliban and Ku Klux Klan.

The Oasis Academies are schools across the UK which are under the Oasis Learning Community trust. Thousands of students are likely to have been shown the slides on Sikh Youth UK, which seem to regurgitate Indian State anti-Sikh propaganda, demonising groups which advocate for Khalistan, as SYUK do.

International outrage followed, as countless Sikh individuals and communities baulked at the comparison between bigoted groups who are behind countless murders, and Sandwell council award winners Sikh Youth UK, whose most controversial act was a protest at a Gurdwara in 2016. Read more on this here.

See the statement, referencing a reaction from Akal Takht Jathedar (head) Giani Raghbir Singh in full below:

Amritsar, March 29th: Sri Akal Takht Sahib Jathedar Giani Raghbir Singh has taken strong notice of the inclusion images of Sikhs alongside extremist groups like the Taliban and the Ku Klux Klan in the religious educations curriculum of some schools in the UK. He said that the Sikhs are a separate and unique faith from the whole world that seeks ‘the good of all’ and that Sikhs have no comparison with extremist forces like the Taliban and the Ku Klux Klan whatsoever. In a statement issued by the Secretariat of Sri Akal Takht Sahib, Giani Raghbir Singh said that by showing images of Sikhs in association with the Taliban in the curriculum of UK schools the sentiments of the whole Sikh community were deeply hurt.

He said that even if “Oasis Community Learning Multi Academy Trust” allegedly removed said objectionable pictures and apologized for its mistake after the UK Sikh community spoke out, showing images of Sikhs along with groups that are defined by their murderous and terror activities even by mistake or error, is not only a baseless and outrageous act, it’s a dangerous form of anti-Sikh extremist bigotry, which has dangerous far-reaching implications on the future of the whole global Sikh community.

Giani Raghbir Singh has also ordered Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee to approach the UK embassy in India and the Indian Ministry of External Affairs to contact the UK government and convey the sentiments of the Sikh community so that in the future Sikhs are not portrayed any way in which the lifestyle, way of life and ideology of Sikhs are in risk of being misrepresented.

“If Amritpal Singh is a terrorist, the entire Khalsa panth are terrorists”- Akal Takht Jathedar speaks out

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The head of the highest seat of authority in the Sikh nation this week stated that if political prisoner Bhai Amritpal Singh is a terrorist, “the entire Khalsa panth (initiated Sikh community) are terrorists”.

During Holla Mohalla celebrations at holy Sikh site Anandpur Sahib, Akal Takht Jathedar (head) Raghbir Singh addressed sangat (Sikh congregation) on Tuesday (26/03/2024) regarding India’s ongoing imprisonment of the Waris Punjab De members, saying if the “Sikh youth lodged in Dibrugarh jail of Assam are terrorists, the entire Khalsa Panth are terrorists.”

The Jathedar was referring to the Indian government’s move to reinvoke the much criticised National Security Act (NSA) against Bhai Amritpal Singh and the nine other members of the WPD social reform group, all of whom are imprisoned in Dibrugarh jail in Assam, 1000km+ away from Punjab.

Speaking on the matter, the Jathedar further said:

“What is the fault of the youth sent to Dibrugarh jail after being labelled as terrorists and charged with NSA? It’s that they had in an emotional state picked up weapons for their rights and religion. If they are terrorists, the entire Khalsa Panth is terrorist.”

The NSA was first invoked against the group when they were arrested in April 2023, allowing authorities to detain the group for 12 months without charge. They were therefore due for release in April 2024. The Singhs (Sikh men) and their families began hunger strikes in February 2024 pushing for a move to a Punjab based prison, after discovering that the prison authorities were caught planting cameras in the bathrooms of the Singh’s shared cell. The group have also complained of tainted food, sometimes poisoned or mixed with tobacco, which is forbidden for Khalsa (initiated Sikhs). At a Panthic (Sikh community/path focused) Ikath (gathering) on 17th March, a hukum (command) from the Akal Takht ordered the Singhs to end their hunger strike, after serious deterioration in the health of the group. Their incarceration under the NSA has been extended for at least three months.

The Jathedar continued on to say that “Amritpal Singh and others tried to rescue Punjab’s youth from drugs, spread the message of Sikhi and preach religion. If preaching religion is a sin or crime, then I say every Sikh will commit this crime. Every Sikh should become a preacher.” He added that the Sikh community was facing danger academically, financially, socially, culturally, and geographically, referencing a cultural genocide ongoing in Punjab, with local groups highlighting efforts to stop the Punjabi language being spoken, attempts to takeover farmland, a state facilitated drug epidemic and more as examples of the issue.

Bhai Amritpal Singh, as head of the WPD group, became a target of the Indian State by challenging such issues whilst advocating for Khalistan (free Sikh homeland movement), leading to him being at the centre of the biggest manhunt in history in 2023, until he eventually handed himself in to authorities. An incident which saw Bhai Amritpal Singh lead a group in freeing Sikh men unjustly detained in a police station where torture was being reported has been cited as the official crime of him and the WPD team. The man hunt against him saw Punjab shutdown, with internet and phone networks cut, amid one of the biggest military operations in Punjab in recent years, leading to the period being labelled #PunjabUnderSiege. Since then, Bhai Amritpal Singh’s wife has also been prevented from leaving India, despite being a British passport holder.

Jathedar Raghbir Singh asked people to question politicians about the “faults farmers and Sikh prisoners (Bandi Singhs) have committed”, before further asking, “is it written in any law that someone can be imprisoned for 30 years, even after suffering double punishments? Sikh prisoners are still languishing in jails while the governments turn a blind eye.”

There are an unverified number of Sikh political prisoners currently arbitrarily imprisoned by the Indian government, such as Professor Devinderpal Singh Bhullar.

The Jathedar finished his statement by calling Sikhs to follow the example of Bhai Amritpal Singh in the face of the current challenges faced by the community, saying:

“The challenges we are facing internally and externally can only be overcome if we unite as a community, preserve our religion, society, traditions and Punjabiyat (Punjabi culture).”

Meanwhile, global demonstrations in support of the plight of Bhai Amritpal Singh and the WPD team continue, such as a protest outside the Birmingham (UK) Indian High Commission. See images- https://www.instagram.com/p/C5EkuagsUgL/?igsh=MW5zNzl1YmVkZGxzYQ==

Sikh bodies challenge Indian-Canadian MP on claim foreign interference inquiry is “anti-Hindu”

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Two of Canada’s biggest Sikh representative groups have released a statement addressing a Liberal Party MP’s opposition towards plans for foreign agent registry to be compulsory in the country.

The Ontario Gurdwaras Committee and BC Gurdwaras Council released a joint statement (26.03.24) regarding the recent move by Indian origin Hindu Liberal Party MP Chandra Arya “to remind Mr Arya that he is an elected official for the government of Canada and should behave accordingly” regarding the proposed motion for foreign agent registry.

Chandra Arya, an MP for Nepean (Ontario), is the official government sponsor of a petition which launched last week and calls for Arya’s own Liberal Party government to drop plans for the registry, which would make it illegal to work for a foreign government in Canada without it being public knowledge. Arya has many-a-time been accused of being a propagandist pushing Indian nationalist agendas in Canada, including provably false allegations towards “Khalistanis” (free Sikh homeland supporters).

Foreign agent registry, which is a law nations like the USA already have in place, was among demands made by Sikh orgs towards the government after the assassination of Shaheed (martyr) Bhai Hardeep Singh Nijjar, last year in June in Surrey (BC). The joint statement by the Sikh bodies said “this motion (for the registry) condemns foreign interference and transnational repression within Canada and calls for stronger protections for effected diaspora community“. The motion was launched by Surrey-Newton MP Sukh Dhaliwal, who is a fellow Liberal Party rep, just like Arya.

The petition Arya has backed, meaning it could possible be raised in parliament, was created by an individual from Coquitlam (BC), which is more than 4000km from the riding (constituency) Arya represents. Speaking on the motion, Arya claimed that it “will further encourage the well-organized and well-funded anti-India and anti-Hindu groups in Canada and will escalate the fear of Hindu-Canadians about the safety of their families”, whilst also claiming Canada has a growing “Hinduphobia” issue.

However, as pointed out by respected Sikh-Punjabi focused Canada based news outlet Baaz, the references made by Arya regarding evidence of Hinduphobia are viewed as possible “false flag” attempts to malign Sikh groups.

See the statement from BCGC and OGC in full below.

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Reaction: India claim “rogue operatives” behind Sikh assassination plot

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An Indian investigation into a foiled plot to assassinate a prominent American Sikh activist last year has claimed that “rogue operatives” were to blame.

The USA remains in the process of extraditing Indian nationalist terrorist Nikhil Gupta from the Czech Republic, after the known trafficker was found by undercover US intelligence working on behalf of India to attempt to arrange the assassination of New York lawyer Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, the General Counsel of the Sikh For Justice group, last year.

However, a newly released report claims the Indian government was unaware of these actions by their agents.

With the USA pressing for transparency from India about the situation, an Indian investigation report covered by international media confirmed that, according to an unnamed senior official, at least one person directly involved in the plot was employed by the Indian government. US prosecutors alleged that an Indian government agent – described as a “senior field officer” with responsibilities in “security management” and “intelligence” – had instructed known criminal Nikhil Gupta to organize the assassination of Pannun. It is believed that this is the ‘rogue agent’ that India is referring to. The agent is said to no longer work for the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), India’s foreign spy agency, but they are still employed by the Government and India has not taken any criminal action against him. The US is demanding criminal prosecution of the individuals involved.

Gurpatwant Singh Pannun is the lead figure of the global Khalistan (free Sikh homeland) Referendum campaign, which has been successfully held in the UK, Italy, USA, Canada and Australia. The attempt to have him killed was arranged in June, the same time that Shaheed (martyrs) Bhai Hardeep Singh Nijjar was assassinated in Canada and Bhai Avtar Singh Khanda died of suspected poisoning, both of whom were targets of threats from Indian nationalist figures and also placed on NIA (National Investigation Agency- Indian intelligence bureau) hitlists.

In November 2023 drug trafficker Nikhil Gupta was charged by the US Justice department for his involvement in organising the assassination. Gupta was arrested in the Czech Republic and is awaiting extradition to the US to face these charges.

The Sikh communities have long affirmed that the Indian government is behind these deaths, as part of ongoing attempts to subjugate Sikh activism. India’s new angle of now blaming the Pannun assassination attempt on a “rogue agent” is viewed as a deflection tactic, which many prominent Sikh community figures refuse to believe.

See reaction from Sikh activists, journalists and more below.

Contemporary Sikh Art Exhibition comes to Leicester

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The Sikh Museum Initiative have organised a Contemporary Sikh Art Exhibition in Leicester
starting next week!

It will showcase contemporary interpretations of Sikh traditions and values, exploring unique perspectives on religion, spirituality, and identity. There will be 100 artworks on display from local, national, and international artists in the forms of painting, poetry, and 3D printed material, amongst others.

The exhibition is a follow-on from Sikh Museum Initiative’s 2018 exhibition which had thousands of visitors.

The exhibition will run from Thursday 21 st March to Thursday 30th May in the Lower Gallery of the Leicester Adult Education College.

MP suggests “foul play” in Sikh journalist death

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Indian State MP of Sangrug (Punjab) Simranjeet Singh Mann has suggested “foul play” may have behind the “untimely” death of respected Punjab based journalist Preet Singh Saini, on 4th March after a sudden illness.

Saini, had over 106k subscribers on his Youtube journalism channel, was known to cover corruption of Punjab institutions and Indian central government, amplifying Sikh community concerns about government overreach. Saini was also a regular reporter on Gurbani Akhand Bani channel on Youtube, which has over 900k subscribers.

Mann, of the Shiromani Akali Dal party which advocates for Sikh sovereignty, tweeted on 5th March saying Saini passed in “suspicious circumstances”, with many echoing the view Saini would have been a target of the Indian State, and some suggesting he was poisoned. Saini’s passing came shortly after his latest in a series of videos claiming to expose corruption between the Indian State and Sikh representative orgs such as the SGPC (Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandakh Committe). Mann called for a “high level probe” into the death.

The death of Saini, which came after days of illness in Manipur hospital, comes after an ongoing militant crackdown by the Indian State against Sikh journalists, as well as evidence of India’s involvement in the murder of Sikh leader Shaheed (martyr) Bhai Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Surrey (Canada) and the planned murder of Gurpatwant Singh Pannun in New York (USA). The targeting of the Sikh diaspora has now been affirmed as a transnational anti-Sikh

The media censorship – particularly through targeting of Sikh journalists in India – seems to have been amped up since the 2023 #PunjabUnderSiege military operation.

Read more on India’s clampdown on Sikh media:

Saini was a known affiliate of the late Deep Sidhu, a respected actor turned activist who became a beloved Sikh icon during the 2020 #FarmersProtest movement. Deep Sidhu also died in suspicious circumstances in 2022. He was also known to be critical of the notorious political Badal family and a supporter of Sant Jarnail Singh Khalsa Bhindranwale, the revered Sikh leader central to the historic incidents of 1980s in Punjab, slain by the Indian Army as part of the 1984 State perpetrated Sikh genocide.

Comparisons have been made between the way Saini passed and the suspicious death of Bhai Avtar Singh Khanda, the UK Sikh activist who is believed to have been poisoned.

It is unclear if any further information on his death will come via an autopsy or other means of inquiry.

Multi-school trust found pushing content claiming Sikh org are like “The Taliban” and “Ku Klux Klan”

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Following recent public reexamination 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 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:

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, with 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.

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 his 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).”