40TH ANNIVERSARY FOR THE DECLARATION OF KHALISTAN

Brussels – 29 April 2026

Sikhs are today gathering in Panjab at the Akaal Takht (Throne of the Timeliness One) in Amritsar to mark the 40th Anniversary for the Declaration of Khalistan.

Sikhs across Europe will be holding a Freedom Rally in Brussels in Luxembourg Square opposite the European Parliament from 12 noon to 2pm.

A press conference will take place later on 29 April from 4 to 6pm in the Brussels Press Club. We can share a live feed from this event.

Key messages to be given in Brussels will be:

· India’s failure to act for nearly 80 years on the UN Security Council resolution from 1948, subsequent UN resolutions and its 1966 reservations against the right to self-determination of those living in India makes it clear India will never agree to allow Sikhs or any other groups to exercise their basic human right to self-determination.

· Sikhs therefore predict the global Hindutva threat and the Indian government’s aim of establishing a Hindu Rashtra (Hindu Nation) will lead to major conflict and the break-up of India.

· Nations across the globe, including the US, China, UK, Germany and other major nations, increasingly recognise India is an unreliable partner and the inevitability of the break of India for the better, but are waiting for the right opportunity to openly support freedom movements, like the one for Khalistan.

· An independent Sikh state, Khalistan will emerge in the Indian sub-continent along with other nations when India breaks up.

· Sikhs in the Diaspora will be leading an international campaign working with other major players to hold the right wing Indian government to account in the most populous country in the world as many nations currently remain silent publicly because of the importance of trade with India.

· The right wing Indian government recognise from Sikh history that Sikhs in the Diaspora connected to like-minded Sikhs in Panjab campaigning for a Sikh homeland, Khalistan represent a major challenge and is the backdrop to Indian transnational repression in recent years.

Short videos in English have been released in the last 10 days that provide helpful background information. These are available at the following link.

ENDS

Jaspal Singh Lead Executive Sikh Federation (UK)