“They’ve said nothing about the safety and security"
Should British Sikhs be worried about threats to their lives from Indian agents?
The question has come to light after three Sikhs in the West Midlands were issued “threat to life” warnings.
Such warnings are called ‘Oman warnings’ meaning there is credible intelligence of a death threat or risk of murder but not enough evidence to justify an arrest.
Officers did not provide information about why the warnings were issued.
A spokesperson for West Midlands police said: “We received information that suggested that members of a family may have been at risk of harm.
“We have processes in place when we receive information about threats to people, and in line with our duty of care, family members were made aware and advice provided.”
One of the individuals said he received the warning along with his father and brother, believing it could be linked to their views on the Indian government.
He said he had “posted stuff on Twitter and Instagram against the regime [in India]” and “an Indian government connection would make sense because myself and my dad are vocal in the community and we are independent”.
He also said the threat could have come from local religious fundamentalists.
This comes amid growing concern about the safety of separatist campaigners who Sikhs claim are being targeted by the Indian government.
Leaders of the Sikh community have expressed dissatisfaction with the UK government’s failure to publicly denounce the Indian government following the assassination of a Sikh separatist leader in Canada.
The US, having thwarted a plot to kill an activist, accused India of “transnational terrorism”.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau attributed the killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar to the Indian government, resulting in Canada recalling 41 diplomats from India.
The FBI issued warnings to at least three active members of the Sikh community in the US, cautioning them about potential threats to their lives post the assassination.
During a recent meeting of the Federation of Sikh Organisations (FSO), a resolution was adopted, criticising the UK government for neglecting the safety concerns of Sikh activists in Britain and failing to publicly condemn the Indian government’s transnational repression.
Another resolution passed at the meeting urged Sikh leaders to withhold permission for UK politicians to speak in gurdwaras unless they publicly condemned the Indian government’s transnational repression of Sikh activists in the diaspora.
The federation also endorsed a legal challenge initiated by the family of Sikh activist Avtar Singh Khanda, seeking an inquiry into his sudden death in June 2023, coinciding with the murders and attempted murders of Sikh separatists in Canada and the US.
Dabinderjit Singh, a principal adviser for the Sikh Federation, said:
“We’ve been concerned generally with the approach by the UK government and authorities here, we’ve seen an almost complete silence from them.
“They’ve said nothing about the safety and security of Sikhs in this country.
“It feels like we’re not necessarily that safe any more.”
“My biggest concern is that Sikhs in the UK will stay away from protests, they won’t raise their voices, because they fear what will happen.”
A government spokesperson said: “The UK is proud of its diverse communities, and British Sikhs contribute immensely to the strength of our society.
“We continually assess potential threats in the UK, and take the protection of individuals’ rights, freedoms and safety in the UK seriously”
In Parliament, Tan Dhesi addressed the matter and tweeted:
“Whether or not we agree with someone’s views, everyone has the right to freedom of expression in a democracy, without the threat of violence or being put on ‘enemies of the state hit-list’.
“Given ‘threat to life’ notices, Govt must ensure safety and security of British Sikh activists.”
Whether or not we agree with someone’s views, everyone has right to freedom of expression in a #democracy, without threat of violence or being put on “enemies of the state hit-list”.
Given ‘threat to life’ notices, Govt must ensure safety and security of British #Sikh activists. pic.twitter.com/MFKG0t4B6N
— Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi MP (@TanDhesi) January 18, 2024
Although it is just speculation, it is clear that some British Sikhs see the connection between recent events in the United States and Canada and the warnings in the UK.
Whatever the truth, it is evident that Sikhs in the UK are becoming more worried for their safety.
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