UK Authorities Urge Sikh Activist To Beef Up Security Amid Hindu Nationalist Threats
A prominent Sikh activist living in the UK has been advised by police to bolster his home security measures due to threats from Hindu nationalist elements. Paramjeet Singh Pamma, 52, said he received verbal warnings about increasing security after receiving intelligence suggesting potential dangers to his safety.
Pamma, a vocal supporter of the Khalistan movement - an independent Sikh state campaign that is outlawed in India - accused British ministers of not taking transnational repression from the Indian government seriously. He pointed out that the UK has been strengthening ties with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Hindu nationalist government while allegedly ignoring concerns raised by Sikhs living abroad.
According to MI5, foreign governments are increasingly targeting dissidents on UK soil, and the number of investigations into state threats has grown by 48% since 2022. The UK's human rights committee has listed India as a country of concern, alongside China and Russia, in its latest report on transnational repression.
Pamma's experiences have been echoed by Gurcharan Singh, another Sikh nationalist activist living in the UK. He was warned by police that attending a planned protest against Indian Foreign Minister's visit to London posed an unacceptable risk to his safety.
Singh's warnings come after the deaths of two prominent Sikh activists, Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Canada and Avtar Singh Khanda in the UK. The investigation into Khanda's death was recently closed without finding any suspicious circumstances.
Pamma's claims highlight concerns about India's handling of dissenting voices abroad, particularly among Sikhs living in the diaspora. His experience is being watched with interest by human rights groups and politicians who have raised questions about the UK's relationship with the Indian government.
The British government has stated its commitment to ensuring public safety for all communities, including Sikh Britons. However, Pamma believes that more needs to be done to address the growing threat of transnational repression targeting Sikh activists abroad.
A prominent Sikh activist living in the UK has been advised by police to bolster his home security measures due to threats from Hindu nationalist elements. Paramjeet Singh Pamma, 52, said he received verbal warnings about increasing security after receiving intelligence suggesting potential dangers to his safety.
Pamma, a vocal supporter of the Khalistan movement - an independent Sikh state campaign that is outlawed in India - accused British ministers of not taking transnational repression from the Indian government seriously. He pointed out that the UK has been strengthening ties with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Hindu nationalist government while allegedly ignoring concerns raised by Sikhs living abroad.
According to MI5, foreign governments are increasingly targeting dissidents on UK soil, and the number of investigations into state threats has grown by 48% since 2022. The UK's human rights committee has listed India as a country of concern, alongside China and Russia, in its latest report on transnational repression.
Pamma's experiences have been echoed by Gurcharan Singh, another Sikh nationalist activist living in the UK. He was warned by police that attending a planned protest against Indian Foreign Minister's visit to London posed an unacceptable risk to his safety.
Singh's warnings come after the deaths of two prominent Sikh activists, Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Canada and Avtar Singh Khanda in the UK. The investigation into Khanda's death was recently closed without finding any suspicious circumstances.
Pamma's claims highlight concerns about India's handling of dissenting voices abroad, particularly among Sikhs living in the diaspora. His experience is being watched with interest by human rights groups and politicians who have raised questions about the UK's relationship with the Indian government.
The British government has stated its commitment to ensuring public safety for all communities, including Sikh Britons. However, Pamma believes that more needs to be done to address the growing threat of transnational repression targeting Sikh activists abroad.
It's wild how British ministers can be strengthening ties with Modi's govt while ignoring concerns from Sikhs living abroad, and now they're telling Paramjeet Singh Pamma to beef up his security? 
What's next? Are they gonna start censoring dissenting voices too? 
The UK needs to do more than just pay lip service to public safety, they need to take concrete action against transnational repression targeting Sikh activists. 
. I mean, I get it, security concerns are real and all, but the UK's being super chill about it, you know? They're like "oh, we've got our hands full with transnational repression" while basically doing business with a government that's, well...not exactly known for its human rights record 
. I'm all for public safety, but this doesn't feel like a priority 
.
it's crazy how threats from Hindu nationalists are getting to a Sikh activist in the UK 
he's right to say that the UK gov't is strengthening ties with India at the same time they're not taking care of dissidents abroad 
this is a big concern for human rights groups & it's not just about Sikhs, it's about all those living in exile who are being targeted 
like wat happened 2 hardeep singh nijjar and avtar singh khanda?? they died for their beliefs 
its not fair that paramjeet singh pamma has to beef up his security just cuz he's speaking out against india's human rights abuses 
the uk gov should be doing more to protect sikh activists abroad, it's like they r being left high and dry 
I can only imagine how scary it must be for Paramjeet Singh Pamma and others like him, living in fear of their safety just because they're vocal about a cause they believe in. It's heartbreaking to think that the UK government's ties with India might be putting these individuals at risk 
. I mean, come on, if you're not taking transnational repression seriously, why bother having a human rights committee that lists countries of concern? It's all just a big show to keep everyone quiet while the Indian government does its thing... and we're supposed to believe it's about public safety instead of just covering their own backsides 
They're basically telling a Sikh activist to increase his security measures because of threats from... wait for it... HINDU NATIONALISTS?! 
Like, come on! This is just another example of the UK's complicity in India's oppression of its own people.
.
This stuff is just not right.
.
, these human rights groups need to do more to support sikh activists abroad 
.
MI5 has got a lot on their plate right now.
It highlights the issue of transnational repression, which is becoming increasingly common. I've looked at some data, and it shows that Sikh activists abroad are 4x more likely to face threats than other communities 
They're saying that more needs to be done to address the growing threat of transnational repression targeting Sikh activists. The British government has said they're committed to public safety, but Pamma thinks more can be done 
. I mean, can't the authorities take care of him properly? It's not right that British ministers are still strong-arming ties with India while ignoring concerns about Sikhs abroad 
. I'm not surprised the human rights committee has listed India as a country of concern alongside China and Russia 
.
It's not like the UK government can just ignore human rights issues or something. They've got to do something to support their Sikh citizens and show that they care about their safety. Maybe it's time for them to take a closer look at India's record on transnational repression and see if there's anything they can do to address it 
. So yeah, I think there's definitely more that needs to be done here to support Sikh Britons and address these growing threats 