Waheguru Ji Ka Khalsa, Waheguru Ji Ki Fateh!
Since the founding of the Sikh Coalition, our organization has been shaped by events that are at once profoundly beyond our control but also present opportunities for our community to rise to the occasion. From the post-9/11 wave of hate and discrimination to the tragedies in Oak Creek and Indianapolis, we have always worked to answer the needs of the sangat.
In the Mool Mantar (opening of Japji Sahib), Sikhs recite what we strive for: to emulate the virtues of the creator in our lives. Amongst those virtues are Nirbhau, Nirvair—without fear and without enmity. With the news of the recent weeks, we find these values tested and more relevant than ever.
U.S. authorities have confirmed a foiled plot by agents of the Indian government to assassinate a U.S.-based Sikh, and warned other U.S. sangat members of similar threats to their lives. This comes after Canada announced its own investigation into India’s link to the assassination of a Canadian Sikh on Canadian soil in June. These actions violate U.S. and Canadian sovereignty and attempt to intimidate the rights and voices of minorities. They also represent an attempt to export the chilling of any dissent that Sikhs, Christians, Muslims and other minorities face inside of India.
For more than 20 years, the Sikh Coalition’s work has centered on civil rights in the United States. We focus on issues impacting Sikhs, but in a way that benefits the rights of all—sarbat da bhala. Our efforts around hate crimes, employment discrimination, inclusive education, community empowerment, and more have improved the lives of not just sangat members but those of other communities, too. Within our limited resources, we have also tried to help behind the scenes on matters where our networks offer access, like the plight of Afghan Sikhs under Taliban rule or the fate of Punjabi immigrants and asylum seekers fleeing to the United States.
And every time the historical moment has called for it, we have expanded our work. Today, it is clearer than ever that our U.S.-based mission is inherently linked to the civil rights and safety of Sikhs throughout the global diaspora. While we intend to continue to center our legal, advocacy, community development, education, and media engagement work focused on the civil rights of U.S. Sikhs, in the coming years, the Sikh Coalition will also expand our resources and investment on supporting the connectivity of the global Sikh diaspora. More immediately, we will continue to invest staff time and resources in our efforts to combat transnational repression—including these assassination plots—and increasingly incorporate this broader context.
Neither Sikhs nor Americans back down in the face of intimidation. We did not withdraw after other watershed moments in our history, and we will not do so now as we persist with the ideals of Nirbhau and Nirvair in mind. And just as we will not shy from speaking hard truths, neither will we spread fear: We will respect those who engage in good faith but with different perspectives on these issues, we will hold governments accountable to protecting their people and the rule of law, and we will continue to condemn violence or attempts to blame tensions on any one demographic group.
Embracing Chardi Kala (eternal optimism) , we stand resilient, holding onto the conviction that we have the power to sculpt a fairer, brighter world for every soul. Our shared journey as humans binds us, whispering the truth that with time, this bond will outshine the shadows cast by division. Regardless of how challenging the currents may get, we are committed to navigating our world towards a dawn of compassion and understanding for all.
Chardi Kala,
Narinder Singh
Executive Board Chairman
The Sikh Coalition
Links to Important News and Recent Work
- First Sikh Coalition blog post /email on transnational repression, related to federal advocacy work
- Second Sikh Coalition blog post / email on transnational repression, related to available resources
- Third Sikh Coalition blog post / email on transnational repression, related to the Transnational Repression Policy Act
- Free advocacy tool you can use to contact your elected officials about the TRPA
- Letter led by Sikh Coalition with allied Sikh orgs in support of the TRPA
- Sikh Coalition statement regarding the unsealed indictment around a plot to assassinate a U.S.-based Sikh
- Latest Sikh Coalition letter to the White House regarding the unsealed indictment
- Sikh Coalition statement for the record submitted to Congress for the Senate Foreign Affairs Committee’s December hearing on transnational repression