UK (Parliament Politics Magazine) – British Sikhs warn Labour of losing votes and barring MPs from Sikh venues if no judge-led inquiry into the UK’s role in the 1984 Golden Temple attack.
As reported by The Guardian, the UK’s Sikh community plans to exclude Labour MPs from gurdwaras over the missing investigation into Britain’s involvement in the 1984 Golden Temple massacre, with growing support for Reform UK.
What did over 450 Sikh groups write in a letter to Sir Keir Starmer?
A coalition of over 450 Sikh organizations, including gurdwaras and charities, has written to Sir Keir Starmer demanding a thorough inquiry, warning Labour MPs face serious electoral backlash if he fails.
On 1 June, the letter expressed the Sikh community’s deep frustration at the “deafening silence” following their previous appeals. The letter demanded a clear timeline to investigate the
“UK involvement in the Indian military operation and anti-Sikh measures in Britain when Margaret Thatcher was in power.”
The letter stated,
“Regrettably, we are today being forced to put the Labour leadership on notice.”
It added,
“If a judge-led public inquiry is not announced in parliament by the end of July 2025 the Sikh community will implement a ‘no platform’ policy for all Labour MPs from 1 August that are not supporting a judge-led public inquiry … Sikhs are well-respected (and) can build political alliances. Sikhs may need to make it their business to campaign with others locally and nationally to get the wider public to punish Labour for broken promises.”
What did Dabinderjit Singh warn Labour about Sikh support?
According to Dabinderjit Singh, executive lead of the Sikh Federation UK, Labour risks losing permanent support from the majority of British Sikhs.
The federation estimated the Sikh population in Britain to be around one million, nearly double the number recorded in the last census, citing unreported religious identification and recent migration as major factors.
He revealed that talks were underway with the Liberal Democrats, Reform UK, and the Scottish National Party to secure cross-party backing for an inquiry.
He stated every Labour MP would be written to, adding,
“There are 105 [seats] we’re monitoring where the Sikh vote will matter, including Ilford North, Ilford South, Wolverhampton seats, Birmingham seats, Derby seats. Labour announced the [Pat Finucane] inquiry in September … don’t tell us, when there were thousands of people killed in 1984, that our lives matter less.”
Mr Singh said,
“Following the 1 May [local and mayoral] elections … some people are saying Sikhs are going to start to vote Reform. I think it’s the frustration. Lots of people just get so frustrated with politicians making promises and then doing the exact opposite, on a range of issues.”
He stated,
“That’s the bigger danger – that people therefore look for something different, independent candidates, Reform candidates, Green candidates.”
He expressed discomfort with Reform’s overall stance, stating:
“I’ve met Nigel Farage before, and Ukip, as it was then, were greatly supportive on Sikh issues … for their own reasons. I can see things getting really divisive.”
What did the Foreign Office say about the inquiry?
When asked for a comment, the Foreign Office highlighted a January statement from Commons leader Lucy Powell. At that time, when asked about an independent inquiry, she said,
“I know that this matter is of great importance to the Sikh community across the UK … we need to get to the bottom of what happened.”
What did the 2014 document leak reveal about the UK’s knowledge of Operation Blue Star?
The accidental release of documents in 2014 revealed that the British government had prior knowledge of the Indian Operation Blue Star. An insider had advised on the plan before it was carried out.
David Cameron tasked his top civil servant with an investigation into the leaked Operation Blue Star files. The review found that British advice was ignored by the Indian military, a conclusion that frustrated the Sikh community. Labour figures, including Keir Starmer, have since pledged an independent inquiry, notably in a 2022 letter.
Key facts about the 1984 Golden Temple massacre (Operation Blue Star)
Casualties & damage
- Official Indian Army Deaths: 83 soldiers killed (per the Indian government’s White Paper)
- Unofficial Army Deaths: Up to 700 claimed by Rajiv Gandhi (as alleged by journalist Kuldip Nayar)
- Militant & Civilian Deaths:
- Government figures: 492+ killed (including militants and pilgrims)
- Sikh sources: Estimates range from 5,000-10,000 civilians killed, including pilgrims caught in crossfire
- Injured: 249 soldiers wounded; civilian injuries unquantified but severe
- Structural Damage:
- Akal Takht (Sikhism’s highest temporal seat) was destroyed by a tank fire and later rebuilt
- The Golden Temple itself survived, but surrounding buildings were heavily damaged
Military & militant forces
- Indian Troops: Involved divisions included the 9th, 7th, and 15th Infantry Divisions
- Militant Strength: 80–200 armed Sikh separatists (per government estimates), though some sources claim higher numbers
- Weapons Recovered: Grenade factories, RPGs, machine guns, and caches of gold/diamonds (likely funding sources)