The UN headquarters in New York was witness to several members of the Sikh community protesting outside the building, raising concerns over the escalating India-Pak tensions and its impact on the lives of the people in Punjab.
The ‘Save Punjab Rally’, organised on Tuesday by rights group Sikhs for Justice (SFJ) in collaboration with civil rights groups and management committees of the Sikh temples across North America also demanded a referendum in Punjab.
Demonstrators in the rally, held across the street from the UN headquarters, including several pro-Khalistan Sikhs, carried placards that read ‘Boycott India’s Jingoistic War’ and ‘Support Punjab Referendum’.
The rights group also submitted a communiqué to officials from Uruguay’s Permanent Mission to the United Nations. Uruguay is one of the 15 members of the Security Council and is due to hold Presidency of the Council in January.
The communiqué alleged that the escalating tensions between the two south-east Asian countries is forcing thousands of Sikh farmers in Punjab to evacuate their homes, ‘turning them into refugees’.
Indian authorities have been evacuating people residing in Punjab villages falling within 10 kilometres of the international border.
