Challenging Significant Human Rights Breaches in the Punjab State of India, and impact on the Global Diaspora 

This branch notes:

• Cutting off the internet to 27 million people of the Indian state of Punjab on Monday 20th March 2023. We have seen the Indian Government use the same reasoning to stop communication and in 2021 with the farmer’s dispute in Punjab- here farmers united all faith groups on a single issue. This is a deprivation of civil liberties and impacts the communication between residents of Punjab and the global Punjabi diaspora, Hindus, Sikhs, Christians and Muslims have all campaigned against injustices in the area. Furthermore, the trade union movement wish to remind the Indian government that their thwarting of communication will impact the ‘workforce’ in Punjab, and their ability to earn money for their families at a time where cost of living is high- this action again impacts all faith communities. The international community are unable to communicate with their loved ones and assure their safety. 
• Many reports of individuals’ arbitrary arrests and detentions. The recent arbitrary arrests and detentions of Sikhs (and their families) in Punjab is of concern to the trade union movement. We wish for Amnesty International (or other like organisations) to investigate these recent events in addition to this investigation:   https://www.amnesty.org/en/location/asia-and-the-pacific/south-asia/india/report-india/ We wish for India reinstate organisations like Amnesty International to investigate human rights breaches in India. Furthermore, to repeal the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Amendment Act, 2019 (UAPA 2019) that has made it possible for the Indian Government to designate individuals as terrorists without following any formal judicial process.  
• Given the mass global protests that have taken place across the globe to challenge human rights abuses in Punjab. The right to protest, freedom of speech and expression are key to the democracy of the UK, and indeed the Global Sikh community. Yet, when the Sikh community from Gurdwaras  led a peaceful protest outside the Indian consulate on March 22nd 2023, they were provoked with missiles of objects thrown by consulate employees from a height- women, children and elders were in the crowd. We believe that everyone has a right to protest peacefully in UK, and this behaviour against a faith community was unacceptable and contravenes the Human Rights Act (1998), Article 11 Freedom of assembly and association. 
• The increasing authoritarianism of the Indian Government and the deployment of similar tactics in Kashmir as well as systematic oppression of minoritised groups in addition to Sikhs, such as Muslims, Christians, Dalits and more. BTUC imminently supports the need to write to the UK government and Amnesty International (or other like organisation) to challenge the Indian government about these recent significant human rights breaches against Punjabi communities, and specifically the minority group of Sikhs,  both in Punjab and the Global diaspora. 

This branch condemns:

• The action of the Indian authorities that have infringed on the human rights of the Punjabi community in India and specifically minority community of Sikhs, both in Punjab and the global diaspora. 
• The position of Conservative MP Blackman who has made racist and religiously discriminatory comments homogenising the Sikh community, with no understanding that these inflammatory statements are inaccurate and have the potential to increase hate crime towards Sikhs across the diaspora. The potential to develop subcultures and divide with Sikh youth will upset community relations by such comments. There is a tarnishing of Sikh activists as ‘big, brown and dangerous’ or ‘terrorists’, when there is no evidence to suggest this. We condemn such racist and religiously discriminatory language by a white politician, which scapegoat and pathologise a whole community for what is a historical religious and political debate within Punjab.  

This branch resolves:

• To write to the UK government raising the issue of the increasing hostility and attacks on such groups with the Indian government and urge the UK government to not agree any trade or collaboration agreements with India until there are signs of such authoritarianism abating.   
• To support organisations that wish to raise the above issues with Amnesty International (or other like organisations) to investigate  breaches in Human Rights, which are imminent.
• To encourage members and organisations to write to their MPs to question the actions of the Indian government in parliament and express a stance against such oppression. (Appendix A: Model email) 
• To encourage individuals and organisations to sign this petition against Sikh human rights violations. Educational Institutes and students/scholars can sign an open letter to the Indian government, too.

Motion adopted 18 April 2023