A candlelight vigil was held at Leicester’s clock tower to pay tribute and remember the Sikhs killed in India last week.
Candles were lit and prayers said to remember two Sikhs who were killed and dozens of others wounded by police during a peaceful protest in India last week.
Torn up copies of the Guru Granth Sahib were found in parts of the northern Indian state of Punjab leading to widespread protests by Sikhs, who claim that those responsible are not being brought to justice.
Kartar Singh Bring, from the Sikh Council UK said, “This comes in a wider narrative of persecution against minorities in India, we have seen a growing number of attacks against minorities, and minorities being killed whether they are Muslims, Christians, Sikh, Dalits, Kashmiri. There is a growing trend, and many people who have connections back in India feel quite worried with the way things are going”
Speaking about the vigil Kartar added “I think its about standing up and uniting for the rights of people in the Punjab.”
“I think whether or not this highlights this issue to the authorities in India it definitely shows the world that there is an issue for minorities and the Sikh communities in India and it gives people the sense of hope that even though their voices are not heard in India that we hear their voices and we will champion and speak out for them”
