BAKU, Azerbaijan, June 1. An international
conference titled "June 1984, Amritsar Events: India's
Transnational Repression Against Ethnic Minorities in the Context
of Genocide" will be held in Baku on June 3, organized by the Baku
Initiative Group (BIG), Trend reports via BIG.


According to the information, representatives of the Dalit
community, who suffer from the repressive and systematic
discriminatory policies of the Indian government, will participate
in an event held in Azerbaijan for the first time. The conference
will also be attended by influential representatives of the Sikh
community operating in Canada, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands,
Germany, Switzerland, Australia, and the United States, as well as
heads of think tanks, experts in the field of human rights and
ethnic minorities, and individuals who state they are victims of
the repressive policies of the Indian government.


It was noted that the event will feature discussions on keeping
the issues of the alleged transnational repression and systematic
persecution policies carried out by the Indian government against
ethnic and religious minorities, particularly representatives of
the Sikh and Dalit diasporas and their family members, on the
agenda of international organizations. Alongside this, views will
be exchanged on strengthening cooperation between diaspora
organizations affected by the repression, developing legal defense
mechanisms against transnational persecution, and opportunities for
joint action on international platforms.


Within the framework of the conference, issues related to the
attacks, acts of violence, and loss of human life carried out
against the Sikh community and their religious and cultural values
during the Amritsar events in June 1984 will be discussed, as well
as the provision of a legal assessment of these events at the
international level and India's compliance with its international
obligations regarding the rights of ethnic minorities.







It was noted that in early June 1984, an armed operation was
carried out by the Indian government against the Harmandir Sahib
(Golden Temple) complex in Amritsar, which is considered one of the
sacred religious sites of the Sikh community. According to the Baku
Initiative Group, referencing reports of international
non-governmental organizations, independent sources, and eyewitness
accounts, up to 8,000 civilians were killed in Amritsar and
surrounding areas as a result of those events.


The report also emphasized that a joint report titled "Beyond
Borders: India’s Transnational Repression Against the Sikh
Diaspora," prepared in March this year by the Baku Initiative Group
and the Sikh Federation International, reflects facts regarding the
Indian government's policy against diaspora representatives living
abroad and the 1984 Amritsar events.