27th March 2023

Dear [First Name, Last Name] MP,

I am writing to bring your urgent attention to the discriminatory, dangerous and highly-offensive remarks towards the Sikh community, made by your fellow MP, Bob Blackman.

On 24 March 2023, Bob Blackman openly referred to Sikhs as “Khalistani terrorists” in the House of Commons.

Pairing these two words together is anti-Sikh, and shows complete lack of understanding of the Sikh faith.

I’m sure you’ll condemn the use of “terrorist” used inextricably with the name of any country — past, present or proposed.

The word ‘khalis’ translates to ‘pure’ in Punjabi (and in Hindi, Urdu, Arabic, Sindhi).

The suffix ‘-stan’ comes from the Persian root ‘istan’ which means ‘land’ and is found attached to many other countries in Asia.

Therefore ‘Khalistan’ literally means ‘Pure Land’.

It is a derivation of ‘Khalsa’ which also translates to ‘The Pure’. The Khalsa was founded in 1699 and its formation is recognised as the birth of the Sikh faith. The formation of The Khalsa is marked by ‘Vaisakhi’ which is commemorated by Sikhs across the UK every year, in April.

The concept of Khalistan is simply a sovereign state where economic, social and political affairs are governed by religious authority — just like the Vatican.

Whether an MP agrees with the concept of a sovereign state (such as the Vatican or Khalistan), or not, is besides the point. The issue here is that elected MPs must tread carefully when using terminology linked to any religion. A deep understanding of religious and socio-political history is necessary to use such terminology so confidently on an influential public stage.

I would like to add that a Sikh sovereign state is not a new concept.

A Sikh sovereign state most recently existed under the better known title of ‘Khalsa Raj’ or the Sikh Kingdom, ruled by Maharaja Ranjit Singh, a well-documented figure by British historians. British museums dedicate space to showcasing Maharaja Ranjit Singh’s reign of the Khalsa Raj during the 19th century, including at the Victoria & Albert Museum. Based on this peaceful assembly, Bob Blackman’s claims may be deemed even more baseless.

There must be a zero tolerance policy for Bob Blackman’s religious bigotry and baseless claims in the House of Commons, or outside for that matter.

Members of Parliament are respected pillars of democracy and I sincerely hope that you will be a voice for Sikhs in the UK to place necessary pressure on Bob Blackman for a public apology in the House of Commons.

Moreover, Bob Blackman’s brazen comments open the floodgates to hate crime towards Sikhs, which is concerning.

Hate crime statistics for 2022 revealed a 169% increase in reported hate crimes against Sikhs from 2021. The 169% increase is telling when compared to a 38% increase reported religious hate crimes overall in the same time period.

Bob Blackman’s comments show a flagrant disregard for the contribution of Sikhs towards the prosperity of Britain. Sikhs have played a crucial role in the World Wars, for Britain. In World War I, Sikhs made up nearly 20% of the British Indian Army despite accounting for less than 1% of India at the time.

I firmly believe that better education is the answer to solving the problem of hate speech and acts.

I would welcome a meeting to discuss how awareness of the Sikh faith can be improved in your constituency.

In the meantime, I look forward to your response and hope that you will advocate for a public apology to be issued to the Sikh community from Bob Blackman and for matters related to the Sikh faith to be discussed and approached with respect, and consultation from appointed Sikh community leaders in future.

Kind regards,

[Your Name]