*LONDON: The World Sikh Parliament while advising Sikhs not to become apart of Indian extremism against Pakistan has urged Sikh soldiers to avoidtaking part in any action against Pakistan.*
In a policy statement the World Sikh Parliament (WSP) said that Hindutvachauvinism is responsible for the current crisis in South Asia which hasbrought nuclear armed Pakistan and India to the brink of war.
The WSP said that the events following the Pulwama attack showed India’sincessant journey to an ever more right-wing Hindu extremist position, interms of its treatment of other nations, minorities and even neighbouringstates.
It said that the spectre of full-scale war with Pakistan over the disputedterritory of Kashmir has, quite rightly, led to global alarm and evencasual observers of the crisis will know that the current crisis is beingdriven entirely by the vote bank politics of the forthcoming Indian generalelections.
The statement said that the Indian government has launched an anti-Pakistancampaign desperately vying to play the ultra-nationalist card in order togain the Hindutva vote and this is being done at the expense of the peopleof Indian Occupied Kashmir and, in case of war, the people of Punjab whereexperts have long believed that any military conflict will be largelyfought.
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“The Sikh homeland in Indian-controlled Punjab, which itself is goingthrough its own struggle for self-determination, is therefore at the heartof the issue and the World Sikh Parliament will hold India strictly toaccount for any loss of life or destruction in our homeland.”
The WSP urged the Indians to stop using the Sikh homeland and Sikh troopsin its military aggression against Pakistan. “The Sikh nation is not aparty to the Indo-Pak conflict and our homeland and resources must not beutilised for that purpose.”
“We call on Sikh soldiers serving in Indian forces, in case of war, torefuse to engage in offensive actions and instead to go to Punjab toprotect its people in the face of an existential threat to the Sikh nationand other Punjabis. The World Sikh Parliament extends its full support tothose in Kashmir who are struggling to secure self-determination inaccordance with international law,” the statement added.
