Fury and outrage erupted in Slough Borough Council in the United Kingdom following the withdrawal of a motion to recognise and commemorate the "40th anniversary of the 1984 Sikh genocide" last week. According to reports, the motion faced a last-minute challenge from Dexter Smith of the Conservative Party, which led to its withdrawal. The motion, proposed by Councillor Sabia Akram, also condemned the killings of Sikh activists in other countries. Akram had resigned from the newly-elected UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer's Labour Party in June and is now an Independent. 

On July 25, Dexter Smith informed the council meeting that he had received a petition from 57 Sikh residents in Slough who strongly opposed parts of the motion. They argued that the motion was divisive, undermined community cohesion, and fostered hostility towards Sikhs. According to reports, the motion also urged the UK government to seek justice for the victims of the 1984 Sikh genocide, take firm action against those responsible, and condemn all abuses and human rights violations against Sikhs and other minorities in India and Jammu and Kashmir.  

Additionally, the motion requested Smith to write to Slough MP Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi to relay the demands of Slough Sikhs for independence in Punjab and to contact the Foreign Secretary to advocate for the release of British Sikh Jagtar Singh Johal, who is imprisoned. 

Dexter Smith described the motion as appearing to some as a "pro-Sikh motion," while others viewed it as "anti-Sikh, anti-Indian, and even anti-Indian government." He argued that while the motion expresses sympathy for the victims of the 1984 inter-communal violence in India, it also seems to attribute motives and assign blame for subsequent actions. 

Councillor Sabia Akram defended the motion, stating, "People in this chamber are safe to call the 1984 atrocities an act of genocide. It was also an accepted definition by India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi." She highlighted that the contact from security agencies to British citizens in Slough about threats to their lives underscores the serious risk to national sovereignty. Akram also referred to the 2023 killing of Khalistani separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Canada as evidence of "very real" anti-Sikh transnational repression. 

Ultimately, the vote resulted in nineteen councillors supporting Smith’s challenge, eight in favour of the motion, two abstentions, and eight non-voters, leading to the challenge prevailing and the motion being withdrawn. 

After the withdrawal of the motion, protests erupted with angry Sikhs chanting slogans like "Never forget 1984 Sikh genocide" and "Shame on you." They accused the council of condoning the genocide, with some protesters asserting, "There are Sikhs in Slough under threat from the Indian government. If they are murdered, you are all at fault." 

The UK Sikh Federation condemned the council's decision, stating that preventing the motion from being debated was a direct attack on democratic British values and would lead to community discord. They had previously warned the council leader that such actions would undermine democratic principles and exacerbate community tensions. 

Image source: The Times of India