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British leaders denounce acts of Sikh radicals, India seeks action
A group of radical Sikh activists prevented Indian high commissioner Vikram Doraiswami from entering a gurdwara in Scotland on Friday
British leaders on Saturday denounced the actions of radical Sikh elements who prevented Indian high commissioner Vikram Doraiswami from entering a gurdwara in Scotland even as the Indian side urged UK authorities to act against those involved in the incident.
A group of radical Sikh activists scuffled with members of the management committee of Gurdwara Guru Granth Sahib at Albert Drive in Glasgow and sought to forcibly open the door of the vehicle in which Doraiswami had arrived at the place of worship on Friday.
In videos posted online, the activists linked their actions to the Canadian government’s allegation that the Indian government agents were linked to the killing of Khalistani leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar in June. India has dismissed Canada’s accusation as “absurd”.
People familiar with the matter said the Indian envoy had been invited by the gurdwara’s management but some radical activists tried to stop him from entering the shrine. Doraiswami left the scene in order to avoid any altercation. The British police arrived at the site thereafter, and the Indian side informed the UK foreign ministry about the incident, the people said.
Anne-Marie Trevelyan, the UK minister for the Indo-Pacific, expressed concern at the incident and said the security of foreign diplomats is of “utmost importance”.
“Concerned to see that the Indian High Commissioner @VDoraiswami was stopped from meeting with the Gurudwara Committee at the Gurudwara in Glasgow. The safety and security of foreign diplomats is of utmost importance and our places of worship in the UK must be open to all,” she posted on X.
Colin Bloom, who was appointed by former UK prime minister Boris Johnson to deliver an independent faith engagement review in 2019, said the British government needs to do more to deal with “extremist fringe elements” such as those who barred Doraiswami from entering the gurdwara.
“So that we are clear. The #Sikh Gurdwara committee in a Glasgow Gurdwara put on a community reception to host the Indian High Commissioner @VDoraiswami. A group of out of town Pro Khalistan activists turn up and physically intimidate the local Sikh committee, and try and attack the @HCI_London High Commissioner in his car, and they film themselves doing it and put it out on their social media accounts,” Bloom posted on X.
Bloom said his report, “The Bloom Review”, which was published in April this year, highlighted that the “vast majority of British Sikhs are amazing people, but this tiny and aggressive minority are not representative of them”. He added, “The UK Government need to do more to deal with these extremist fringe elements.”
The Indian high commission in London said in a statement that it had reported “this disgraceful incident” to the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) and Metropolitan Police.
“Multiple community organisations including the organisers have formally regretted the incident and have urged the authorities to take action against the culprits,” the statement said.
The statement said the incident on Friday had involved three persons, “all from areas outside Scotland”, who “deliberately disrupted a planned interaction organised by the Gurudwara Committee for the community, the High Commissioner and the Consul General of India”.
The organisers included senior community leaders, ladies and committee members, and a member of Scottish Parliament. “They were threatened and abused by these elements. In an effort to prevent any potential altercation, the HC and CG decided to leave the premises shortly upon their arrival,” the statement said.
“One of the non-local extremist elements attempted to violently force open the HC’s car door - a matter that will require suitable police consideration. It is due to the quick reaction of one of the organisers, who physically intervened at the car door, that a bigger incident was avoided,” it said.
Pro-Khalistan activists in Australia, Canada, the UK and the US have stepped up their activities against the backdrop of the India-Canada diplomatic row over the killing of Nijjar. They have organised protests outside Indian diplomatic facilities and engaged in activities that have targeted Indian diplomats.
