A Sikh diaspora group campaigning to achieve Punjab independence from India in the coming years plans to hold an unofficial referendum in November 2020 as the first step towards a UN-sponsored, binding vote on the issue. The move is sparking renewed political rifts on a very sensitive issue in Punjab and India, where anti-Sikh riots in 1984 claimed the lives of thousands of Sikhs. Keep reading

A European citizens’ initiative (ECI) calling for enhanced protection for minoritised languages and cultures in the EU will be shelved at least until the next term. The Federal Union of European Nationalities (FUEN), which launched the ECI, says “mistrust” exists over the real intentions of the current European Commission in relation to the Minority Safepack initiative. The story shows how, once again, civil society organizations meet serious obstacles in promoting the linguistic rights of speakers of minoritised languages. Keep reading

The government of the Netherlands and five provinces signed earlier in October an agreement that opens the door to boost official support for Low Saxon, a minoritised language spoken in the north-east of the European country. The covenant strengthens a slight recognition that Low Saxon already enjoyed, and makes it possible —though it does not guarantee it— a place for the language in some schools. Keep reading

One year after the 1 October 2017 Catalan referendum on independence, thousands —according to the local police, 180,000— took to the streets of Barcelona to commemorate the date and to demand action from the Catalan authorities to implement an independent republic in Catalonia. But after having seen devolution suspended for 7 months, the current pro-independence Catalan government is cautious about steps it takes. Yesterday’s demonstration left images in the form of symbols and signs that help explain where this political conflict stands right now. Keep reading