Moninder Singh: No Sikh ready to give up their culture, faith

The Indian state seeks either the physical extermination of the Sikhs as a people or their assimilation-the destruction of their language, culture, heritage, and faith, Moninder Singh, chairman of the International Sikh Federation, said at an international conference entitled "Amritsar June 1984: Transnational Repression as an Extension of Genocide" in Baku, Report informs.

"Today, our struggle enters a new phase. In our opinion, the Indian state seeks either our physical extermination as a people or our assimilation-the destruction of our language, culture, heritage, and faith. No Sikh is prepared to accept this. We would rather die than allow this to happen. This is the position that every generation of Sikhs has taken since 1984," he stated.

According to Singh, the conference in Baku provides an opportunity to strengthen international cooperation and develop dialogue between different societies.

"Today's meeting gives us the opportunity to build bridges, explore new avenues of interaction, develop partnerships, and conduct genuine dialogues between societies," noted the head of the Sikh Federation.

He also emphasized that representatives of the organization have visited Azerbaijan several times over the past five to six months.

"We can confidently say that we were received with respect here. We were given the opportunity to engage in dialogue at the highest government level, to interact with the academic community and non-governmental organizations, such as the Baku Initiative Group. We were given the opportunity to discuss these issues with dignity and openness," added Moninder Singh.