Azerbaijan’s anti-colonialist Baku Initiative Group turns its focus on India’s treatment of Sikhs
The Azerbaijani government-linked Baku Initiative Group, ostensibly focused on anti-colonialist advocacy, has now turned its aim on India with a new conference focused on the ill-treatment of Sikhs and other minorities in India. Previously, the organisation has largely dedicated its activities towards criticism of France — which is a key ally of Armenia, along with India.
The conference, entitled ‘Racism and Violence Against Sikhs and Other National Minorities in India: The Reality on the Ground’, is being held in Baku on Friday.
The Azerbaijani pro-government media outlet APA described it as being a discussion of the ‘Indian government’s systematic policy of racial discrimination, violence and repression against Sikhs and other ethnic minorities’. The event is being attended by Ramesh Singh Arora, Minister for Human Rights and Minorities of India’s Punjab state, representatives of the Sikh diaspora from the US, UK, and Canada, as well as scholars and human rights activists.
Abbas Abbasov, the head of the Baku Initiative Group, said the conference would be an ‘opportunity for the voices of individuals who are direct victims of the Indian government’s repressive, racist, and persecutory policies to be heard internationally’.
‘As an international non-governmental organisation, we will raise this issue to the UN and other relevant international organisations’, Abbasov said.
The event has been accompanied by extensive coverage in Azerbaijani pro-government media outlets, such as an article by the often vitriolic and conspiracy-tinged Azerbaijani media outlet Caliber on Thursday.
An organisation focused on anti-colonialism? Or smearing Armenia’s allies
There are few details on the Baku Initiative Group’s website about the makeup of the organisation, its funding, or its goals — the about us page is empty and the ‘activities’ section simply says the group is focused on ‘human rights, women empowerment, environmental issues, and colonialism’.
Previous iterations of the group’s website said their mission was ‘supporting the struggles for freedom and independence of those living under colonial and neocolonial rule, committing to solidarity and practical assistance’.
While the specific direction of its anti-colonialist conferences is not explicitly spelled out, the vast majority of past events have been focused on France, and the website is available in three languages — Azerbaijani, English, and French. The group’s activities have yet to focus on the colonial and neo-colonialist legacies of countries closer to the South Caucasus, namely Turkey and Russia.
The group’s anti-France rhetoric has been repeatedly echoed by Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, officials, and government-linked media. Much of the criticism has been personally levied at French President Emmanuel Macron. The realities of French colonialism and neocolonialism notwithstanding, the obsession with France is widely thought to be primarily motivated by France’s support for Armenia.
Friday’s conference on the oppression of Sikhs is the first time the Baku Initiative Group has turned its focus on India.
As with France, India is also a key ally of Armenia, which has repeatedly strained New Delhi’s relations with Baku.
At the same time, Azerbaijan has maintained close ties with Pakistan, India’s primary geopolitical foe.
During the brief war between Pakistan and India in May 2025, both Armenia and Azerbaijan backed their respective allies and engaged in a simultaneous proxy information war.
Bahruz Samadov
