1984 remembered - 07 June 2026, London
07 Jun 2026
Another day of remembrance of the Sikhs murdered in 1984 and before and after that fateful year for Sikhs.
The route was the same as last year. Many Sikhs came from across the country and initially gathered at Wellington Arch, then proceeded down Constitution Hill towards Buckingham Palace then along the Mall then under Admiralty arch and on to Trafalgar Square.
At the Square, there was a stage with many speakers talking about 1984, the transnational repression of the Modi government, and the call for a separate Sikh nation, Khalistan. There was a display of the personal belongings of Sikh martyrs that had been donated to a collection in memory of Sikh martyrs.
There was also a stall that raised awareness of Sikhs persecuted by the UK government or by transnational repression by the Modi government. In particular, I came across the case of Gurpreet Singh Rehal. He has been sanctioned by the UK government. Details of his plight can be found on the Sikh Activism Silenced website.
Sanctions on him have caused severe financial and psychological damage to him and his family. He and his family are at risk of physical attacks because his personal details have been publicised, and his home has been attacked.
It is a shameful way to treat a UK citizen and his family. He has NOT been charged with any crime.
Adjacent to the stall were many banners explaining (in English and in Gurmukhi) the history of Sikh persecution in India from 1978 to-date. Images of that history can be seen below.
It was a well-attended rally with lots of colour and lots of flags for Khalistan. The movement for Khalistan appeared to be more visible and prominent this year judging by the number of flags on display.
The event lasted from late morning to late afternoon. There was a very small police presence and no trouble. In the last 30 minutes, there was a lot of noise (indecipherable) coming from behind the stage that might have been a deliberate attempt by troublemakers to sabotage the event. I don't know and I did not bother to look. If they were troublemakers, they were not successful.
I did my bit of sewa at the start - helping place seating for the elderly and infirm, and offload metal barriers. I also had a request from people to take a photo of them. I did so and emailed it to them.
I had a similar request last year from Sikhs who also were complete strangers. I think it's the tripod I carry for selfies and so they mistakenly think I'm a professional photographer and they enquire.
I met someone from Declassified UK who was there about the involvement of the UK government in the infamous Operation Blue Star in 1984.
Another day of remembrance of the Sikhs murdered in 1984 and before and after that fateful year for Sikhs.
The route was the same as last year. Many Sikhs came from across the country and initially gathered at Wellington Arch, then proceeded down Constitution Hill towards Buckingham Palace then along the Mall then under Admiralty arch and on to Trafalgar Square.
At the Square, there was a stage with many speakers talking about 1984, the transnational repression of the Modi government, and the call for a separate Sikh nation, Khalistan. There was a display of the personal belongings of Sikh martyrs that had been donated to a collection in memory of Sikh martyrs.
There was also a stall that raised awareness of Sikhs persecuted by the UK government or by transnational repression by the Modi government. In particular, I came across the case of Gurpreet Singh Rehal. He has been sanctioned by the UK government. Details of his plight can be found on the Sikh Activism Silenced website.
Sanctions on him have caused severe financial and psychological damage to him and his family. He and his family are at risk of physical attacks because his personal details have been publicised, and his home has been attacked.
It is a shameful way to treat a UK citizen and his family. He has NOT been charged with any crime.
Adjacent to the stall were many banners explaining (in English and in Gurmukhi) the history of Sikh persecution in India from 1978 to-date. Images of that history can be seen below.
It was a well-attended rally with lots of colour and lots of flags for Khalistan. The movement for Khalistan appeared to be more visible and prominent this year judging by the number of flags on display.
The event lasted from late morning to late afternoon. There was a very small police presence and no trouble. In the last 30 minutes, there was a lot of noise (indecipherable) coming from behind the stage that might have been a deliberate attempt by troublemakers to sabotage the event. I don't know and I did not bother to look. If they were troublemakers, they were not successful.
I did my bit of sewa at the start - helping place seating for the elderly and infirm, and offload metal barriers. I also had a request from people to take a photo of them. I did so and emailed it to them.
I had a similar request last year from Sikhs who also were complete strangers. I think it's the tripod I carry for selfies and so they mistakenly think I'm a professional photographer and they enquire.
I met someone from Declassified UK who was there about the involvement of the UK government in the infamous Operation Blue Star in 1984.
