The Sikh Activist Network, a North American based youth group, has released a statement expressing solidarity in remembrance of the 30th anniversary of Black July.
The statement, released as the Tamil nation worldwide remembers the pogrom, has been reproduced in full below.
"It is with a profound sense of solidarity that The Sikh Activist Network marks the 30th Anniversary of the Tamil Genocide during Black July.""Approximately one year before a similar massacre of Sikhs - Sri Lanka was host to the organized and mass killings of Tamils throughout across the country. The murder, looting and targeted destruction of Tamil owned property was well organized. As mobs armed with petrol roamed the streets, Tamils were targeted and burnt alive. Members of the tamil community were also knifed and/or clubbed to death."
"The Sikh community extends it’s solidarity, as a community that was also victim to a Government orchestrated and organized genocide, by the Indian state in 1984.
"As one sovereign people to another, Sikhs stand in solidarity with Tamils in their peaceful pursuit of social justice and freedom in India, Sri Lanka and abroad."
We need your support
Sri Lanka is one of the most dangerous places in the world to be a journalist. Tamil journalists are particularly at threat, with at least 41 media workers known to have been killed by the Sri Lankan state or its paramilitaries during and after the armed conflict.
Despite the risks, our team on the ground remain committed to providing detailed and accurate reporting of developments in the Tamil homeland, across the island and around the world, as well as providing expert analysis and insight from the Tamil point of view
We need your support in keeping our journalism going. Support our work today.
For more ways to donate visit https://donate.tamilguardian.com.
