ABOUT 40 MPs attended an online political lobby event today during which campaigners raised the government’s failure to tackle hate crimes against Sikhs.

The lobby was chaired by MP Preet Kaur Gill of the all-party parliamentary group for British Sikhs and organised by the Sikh Federation (UK) and the Sikh Network.

It focused on the network’s new Sikh Manifesto, which reported that anti-Sikh hate has not been adequately acknowledged by the government.

The report found that the number of crimes reported has risen by 60 per cent in the last 12 months, despite no government support to increase reporting.

The government has “unacceptably been sitting on resources” aimed at targeting increased reporting of Sikh hate crimes for almost two years, the report said.

Speakers at the lobby included Dabinderjit Singh OBE, who spoke for the first time of his personal experience of threats of being burnt alive — and the difficulties in reporting the hate crime.

MPs indicated support for the lobby and questioned what they could be doing. Shadow faiths, women & equalities ministerJanet Daby said she was keen to hear about recommendations.

Stop Hate UK’s chief executive Rose Simkins said there is “huge underreporting” of all hate crimes due to a “long list of barriers.”

“We know the damage hate crime causes,” she said. “If we don’t bring it to people’s attention, then nothing will change. 

“If we don’t say anything, the whole thing is ignored. It is really important to gather the intelligence and [know] how we can help people.” 

Ms Simkins also called for an alternative to police reporting, as “it will not get the information we need to make a difference.”