The UK will not tolerate attempts by foreign countries to harass or intimidate British citizens, the security minister has warned, after a number of Sikhs complained they were being targeted either by or on behalf of the Indian government.
Dan Jarvis has written to the Sikh Federation after reports of harassment involving British Sikhs, including people being stopped at UK airports and asked about their views on the Indian state.
Jarvis also urged the Indian government to cooperate with Canadian investigations into the murder of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a Canadian-based Sikh activist whom Ottawa believes was killed with the involvement of the Indian government.
In his letter dated 10 December, Jarvis wrote: “We do not tolerate intimidation or threats to life, and through our intelligence agencies and police forces will continue to use all the tools at our disposal to keep people safe. Any attempt by any foreign power to intimidate, harass or harm individuals or communities in the UK will not be tolerated.”
He added: “We take the findings from the Canadian investigations very seriously and the UK has full confidence in Canada’s judicial system. All countries should respect sovereignty and the rule of law, and we encourage all involved parties, including the government of India, to cooperate with the legal process.”
British Sikhs have complained about harassment they say they have faced at home, much of which has centred on their views over whether Sikhs should be given part of India as their own homeland.
The Khalistan movement has long been one of Delhi’s primary security concerns, with attention turning in recent years to the Sikh diaspora in the UK and North America.
Earlier this year, the Guardian revealed that the Sikh activist Avtar Singh Khanda had complained about being harassed over the phone by Indian police, before his sudden death in June last year.
Sikh community leaders say British Sikhs are increasingly being stopped at UK airports and questioned about their views on India under schedule 7 of the Terrorism Act 2000.
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The Guardian revealed this week that Preet Gill, a Labour MP and one of the most prominent Sikhs in parliament, recently wrote to the home secretary, Yvette Cooper, voicing her concern about the treatment of British Sikhs arriving back in the country.
She detailed the case of one man who was stopped and asked about his views on Sikhism, the partition of India, and Nijjar’s death in Canada. In her letter, Gill said: “The anecdotal evidence I have gives me cause for concern that law-abiding Sikhs are being targeted, and that they are being subjected to inappropriate questioning that centres on their identity and religious beliefs, for no apparent reason.”