I am filing for asylum because I feel unsafe in my country. I am a Sikh, and I have faced mistreatment under Modi’s government. As a Sikh, my role is to protect minority groups from political leaders who try to deny them their rights and freedom. I have witnessed many Sikhs being murdered for trying to fight for the rights of minority groups in Punjab. In June 2023, Sikh separatist Hardeep Sigh Nijjar was murdered by the government (Raj et al., 2023). India sees Punjab as a threat to its development and has thus denied Punjab its consequential rights, weakened its political power by allocating other states part of its territory, and diverted Punjab’s river waters to other states.
As a Sikh, I have tried to make the minority groups in India realize how the Indian government is continuously eroding their cultural, economic, and political rights. The government often calls Sikhs anti-nationalists and has labeled us as a threat to the nation. Sikhs are killed like animals, and their lives are often at risk. I have evidenced the anti-Sikh Pogroms that have killed many Sikhs and displaced others. The killing of Sikhs at the Golden Temple was the worst. I have narrowly escaped the killing of Sikhs by Punjab police officers. Some Sikhs have been recently abducted, killed, and abducted. Some are being followed in foreign lands, such as Canada and the U.K., by assassins who believe they deserve to die.
I am confident that my life is on the line, especially since I was on the frontline during farmers’ protests as I attempted to protect the agrarian livelihood of Punjab and minority groups (WADE, 2023). The government called me and other Sikhs anti-nationalists and attacked us during the protest. A few of us managed to escape, while others were killed mercilessly. I have received notes warning me to be careful because I will soon get murdered. I have also been attacked on the streets by an unknown person who pointed a gun at my face and tried to kill me. I fought so hard to get away from the assassin. I can barely sleep at night, as I often think about possible attacks I might face when I close my eyes. Everything around me reminds me of the murder of other Sikhs and the pain they went through at the hands of their killers. I am scared of being the next victim of the cruel rule by Modi’s government. I want to continue fighting for the rights of minority groups, but that can only happen when I am still breathing.
I recently learned about the attempt by an Indian official to kill a Sikh activist on American soil (Aljazeera News, 2023). I was pleased to learn that the Czech authorities managed to stop the murder and detained the alleged assassin (JEET & KAUR, 2023). From the news, I realized I could be safe in the U.S. since I could be protected from Modi’s government. I have received threats from government officials, and I am convinced that if I do not take precautions early, I may end up like other Sikhs who have been sent to early graves. I ask you to give me a chance to reside in your country. If I spend a few more nights in India, I might not be so lucky as I will be another statistic, a record of the many more Sikhs that have been killed under Modi’s government. I would appreciate it if you saved my life.
References
Aljazeera News, (2023). Did India Order the Murder of a U.S. Sikh Separatist? Here’s what we know. https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/11/30/did-india-order-the-murder-of-a-us-sikh-separatist-heres-what-we-know
JEET S., & KAUR G., (2023). Why India Is Targeting Sikhs at Home and Around the World. Time. https://time.com/6342873/india-sikhs-persecution/
Raj et al., (2023). Sikh Separatism Is a Nonissue in India, Except as a Political Boogeyman. New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2023/09/28/world/asia/india-punjab-separatism.html
WADE F., (2023). Narendra Modi’s Punjab Problem. Noema Magazine. https://www.noemamag.com/narendra-modis-punjab-problem/
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