New Delhi: The Bloom Review, an independent report commissioned by former UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson, has highlighted the existence of “a small, extremely vocal and aggressive minority of British Sikhs who can be described as pro-Khalistan extremists”. Is”. The report examines how the government should engage with faith groups in England and identifies the need for a more nuanced understanding of “subversive and sectarian activity” within the Sikh community. The report warned that some pro-Khalistan Sikh groups aim to artificially inflate their influence by lobbying political bodies under the guise of human rights activism, which offers a false semblance of legitimacy.
It also notes that some groups use various aliases to “subvert the British political system”, a tactic historically used by white supremacist and Islamist terrorist groups.
It notes that the subversive, sectarian and discriminatory activities of these groups do not reflect the true nature of the majority of British Sikh communities. However, it recognizes that these activities have adversely affected these communities, making it important for the government to take steps to define and tackle such harmful extremism.
Bloom Review draws on more than 21,000 responses to a call for evidence on a range of questions about how people of all faiths view the government’s engagement with faith organizations. It contains 22 recommendations to the Secretary of State for Housing and Alignment Communities on how engagement can be improved, in terms of recognizing the contribution of faith communities and addressing harmful practices linked to faith.
The report also suggested that Lord Singh of Wimbledon, a prominent Sikh in public life, was deliberately bad-mouthed in his recent evidence to the House of Lords Conduct Committee to silence him. He claimed that he was being threatened and harassed by certain individuals and organizations seeking to restrain him from expressing views contrary to theirs on Sikh issues.
Lord Singh was ill-treated by the Sikh Federation UK (SFUK), a prominent pro-Khalistan organisation, which runs the All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for British Sikhs, an informal cross-party group. Colin Bloom reports that there may be some overlap of membership between some Sikh groups operating in the UK and those that are banned.
The report recommended that the All-Party Parliamentary Group for British Sikhs take note of these findings and that parliamentary authorities take steps to prevent the involuntary hosting of individuals and organizations associated with bullying, harassment and subversive behaviour.
The report’s main recommendations have been that the British government should, “clearly define and investigate extremist activity and identify where it exists within the Sikh community” and “subversive and sectarian Sikh extremist activity It suggested that the government should ensure that “unacceptable and extremist behavior is not inadvertently legitimized by government or parliamentary engagement.”
The report assumes significance as India-UK ties were hit earlier this year after Khalistani elements ransacked the Indian High Commission in the UK. Britain had assured the security of the Indian mission after the incident. Indian missions have been targeted in the past as well.