Documents unveiled in 2018 link Pakistan’s ISI to this initiative, painting a picture of a well-orchestrated campaign aiming to destabilize India’s northern frontier. …writes Dr. Jasneet Bedi
The recent surge in pro-Khalistan sentiments in countries like Canada, the US, the UK, and Australia has not only taken the Indian government by surprise but has also revealed the intricacies of global politics.
While these nations shelter behind the guise of ‘democratic processes’, the crux of the matter is that the Khalistan Referendum has turned into a chessboard where pawns are moved by forces external to the Sikh community.
Let’s begin by unraveling the “Referendum 2020” campaign. Touted as a grassroots movement for Sikh rights, its origins are murkier than they appear.
While the initiative supposedly stands for the independence of the Indian Punjab, there is no call for the inclusion of West Punjab, which lies in Pakistan. The glaring omission only reinforces India’s long-held suspicions about Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence’s (ISI) hand in fanning the flames of separatism.
Khalistan
Documents unveiled in 2018 link Pakistan’s ISI to this initiative, painting a picture of a well-orchestrated campaign aiming to destabilize India’s northern frontier.
Pakistan’s strategy is clear: as the nation struggles with international scrutiny over its Islamist militant groups, the Khalistan agenda serves as a covert channel to achieve its objectives.
Events such as the Punjab Referendum Conference in 2018 and the London Declaration on Punjab Independence Referendum 2020 illustrate the global reach of this campaign.
However, the involvement of dubious personalities like Lord Nazir Ahmed, a convicted felon, not only challenges the legitimacy of these gatherings but also underscores Pakistan’s insidious designs.
Logo of Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence organization(wikipedia)
Interestingly, the narrative is not just being driven through offline events. The surge in Twitter accounts promoting the Khalistan agenda, corroborated by Google Trends, paints a picture of a digital warfare strategy. In the age of information, it’s clear that the battle for Khalistan is as much online as it is on the ground.
The connections don’t just stop at the ISI. Pakistan’s overt support can be witnessed through figures like Ghazala Habib, head of Friends of Kashmir, and Gurparwant Singh Pannu’s audacious letter to former PM Imran Khan.
Their intertwined relationships and public endorsements are hardly covert, revealing a direct line between Khalistan advocates and Pakistan’s establishment.
While the Khalistan referendum might parade as a voice of the Sikh diaspora, its underpinnings suggest a nefarious agenda driven by external influences.
It’s high time that nations housing these activities recognize the machinations at play and prioritize global peace over localized politics. After all, in this game of chess, it’s not just India’s peace at stake but the stability of the entire South Asian region.
Mr. Bloom voiced his apprehensions regarding Western governments’ inaction in confronting the troubling and assertive conduct exhibited by certain individuals within the Sikh community….reports Dr. Jasneet Bedi
Colin Bloom, a former adviser to the UK government and renowned author, has raised a red flag regarding the growing menace of Khalistan extremism in Western countries.
In a recent interview, Mr. Bloom expressed his concerns over the lack of action by Western governments in addressing this sinister and aggressive behavior among some members of the Sikh community.
This article delves into his observations and emphasizes the urgent need for collective action to counteract this disturbing trend.
It is crucial to note that the majority of the Sikh population in Western countries does not endorse extremist ideologies.
These radical elements within the community are causing immense frustration and disappointment among law-abiding Sikh individuals who want no part in such activities.
So that we are clear. The #Sikh Gurdwara committee in a Glasgow Gurdwara put on a community reception to host the Indian High Commissioner @VDoraiswami. A group of out of town Pro Khalistan activists turn up and physically intimidate the local Sikh committee, and try and attack…
Colin Bloom highlights the Western governments’ failure to address and tackle the rise of extremist and aggressive behavior within the Sikh community.
He asserts that British Sikhs, who have reached out to him, feel abandoned by their government. The same sentiments likely echo in Canada and the United States, where similar issues persist.
Mr. Bloom insists that Western governments, including the UK, US, and Canada, should collaborate to address this growing concern. He calls for stronger efforts to protect Sikhs who distance themselves from extremist elements.
Khalistan
Urgent Need for Action
The recent incident in which a Sikh restaurant owner’s car was shot at and vandalized in West London demonstrates the gravity of the situation. It is clear that these extremist elements pose a significant threat to both individuals and communities.
Mr. Bloom urges the British government, as well as other Western governments, to step up their efforts to protect those who want nothing to do with such extremism.
He also emphasizes the importance of monitoring online materials, as they can play a pivotal role in radicalization. If left unchecked, this issue could spiral out of control, leading to more intimidation and harm to innocent people.
False Appearance of Legitimacy
Colin Bloom’s report for the UK government warns that some pro-Khalistan Sikh groups aim to inflate their influence by masquerading as human rights activists.
These groups present a false image of legitimacy while engaging in subversive, sectarian, and discriminatory activities. It is vital to recognize that the actions of these fringe groups do not represent the true nature of the broader Sikh community in Western countries.
Colin Bloom’s report and his recent comments highlight the pressing need for Western governments to address the escalating Khalistan extremism issue. The disruption of events involving Indian officials, threats against vocal individuals, and the potential for further harm necessitate immediate attention and action.
It is incumbent upon Western governments to protect their Sikh communities from the divisive and dangerous actions of a small minority while upholding the values of free speech and religious freedom. Failure to do so may allow this issue to spiral out of control, harming more people and damaging the fabric of multicultural societies.
(180710) -- RIGA, July 10, 2018 (Xinhua) -- Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau speaks during a joint press conference with Latvian Prime Minister Maris Kucinskis (not seen in picture) in Riga, Latvia, on July 10, 2018. Trudeau pledged sustained commitment to Latvia's security during his visit to Riga on Tuesday, saying that Canada would extend its leadership of the NATO battalion stationed in the Baltic country for four more years. (Xinhua/Janis)
Trudeau faced the stark reality of standing alone on the world stage, pitted against India, a nation with a population 35 times larger than Canada and a rapidly growing economy….writes Jasneet Bedi
In the hustle and bustle of New York’s United Nations General Assembly, where world leaders converge to discuss the globe’s most pressing issues, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau found himself standing alone, his once-dazzling smile now fading amidst the mounting pressures of international diplomacy.
The spotlight had firmly fixed on Trudeau due to a startling allegation he made earlier in the week, one that sent shockwaves across diplomatic circles and raised eyebrows around the world. Trudeau claimed there was credible evidence suggesting the Indian government’s involvement in the extrajudicial killing of a Canadian citizen on Canadian soil. The victim? A Sikh activist, whom India had accused of terrorism.
Delhi vehemently denied any wrongdoing, further complicating an already strained relationship between the two nations.
As reporters pressed Trudeau for answers, he carefully navigated the diplomatic minefield, stating, “We’re not looking to provoke or cause problems. We’re standing up for the rules-based order.” However, one persistent journalist asked the question on everyone’s mind, “Where are Canada’s allies in this hour of need?”
The uncomfortable truth for Trudeau was that, at least in the public eye, he stood virtually alone on the world stage, facing off against India, a nation with a population 35 times greater than Canada’s and one of the fastest-growing economies in the world.
unjab police seeks extradition of Canada-based Khalistani Hardeep Nijjar.(photo:IN)
While his Five Eyes intelligence alliance partners, including the UK and Australia, expressed concern over the allegations, their support appeared tepid at best, with statements lacking the fervor Trudeau had hoped for. Even Canada’s closest neighbor, the United States, remained conspicuously silent, causing observers to question the depth of their alliance.
President Joe Biden’s praise for India’s contributions to the global economy during his UN speech only fueled further speculation about the US’s stance. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan attempted to downplay any rift, stating that Canada was being closely consulted, but the broader message was clear: Canada’s interests appeared dwarfed by India’s strategic importance in the eyes of its allies.
Xavier Delgado, a researcher at the Wilson Center’s Canada Institute, noted, “The United States, the UK, and all these Western and Indo-Pacific allies have built a strategy that largely focuses on India, to be a bulwark and counterweight to China. That’s something they can’t afford to toss out the window.”
The Canadian network CTV reported that the Five Eyes partners had shared intelligence on the matter, but when questioned about whether these allies had rebuffed Canada’s appeal for public condemnation of the murder, US Ambassador to Canada David Cohen remained tight-lipped.
These events spotlighted Canada’s current shortcomings on the global stage. While a dependable Western ally, Canada lacks the “hard power” to influence international affairs decisively. Christopher Sands, director of the Canada Institute, described the situation as a “moment of weakness” for Canada.
Despite these challenges, few questioned Trudeau’s decision to disclose the allegations publicly, given the gravity of the situation. However, the harsh geopolitical realities meant Trudeau faced days of isolation as tensions with India escalated. Diplomatic expulsions, travel advisories, and the suspension of visa services for Canadians traveling to India only added to the Prime Minister’s woes.
Trudeau’s challenging week unfolded against the backdrop of a difficult summer, marked by issues such as inflation, alleged Chinese interference in Canadian elections, and a controversial prison transfer. As a result, his approval ratings plummeted to a three-year low, with 63% of Canadians expressing disapproval.
Campbell Clark, chief political writer for the Globe and Mail, noted that Trudeau’s once-soaring popularity has waned over eight years in office. Yet, some experts speculate that this international standoff with India may provide Trudeau with a much-needed respite from domestic troubles, offering him a chance to regain his footing.
As Trudeau navigates these treacherous waters, the world watches to see whether he can muster the diplomatic finesse and resilience to reassert Canada’s presence on the global stage and, in the process, resurrect his own political fortunes at home.
After temples, Khalistanis target Indian consulate in Brisbane.
Khalistani Chief Panjwar, who was given a large amount of funds to resurrect Khalistani sentiments in India, had failed to do, which led to him being declared as an entity who had lost his use and hence become expendable….writes Abhinandan Mishra
A senior retired decorated Pakistan Army officer has confirmed how the Pakistan Army and its intelligence agency, the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) was funding, supporting Khalistani armed groups in India and facilitating the entry of drugs and fake Indian currency notes into India.
On 6 May, hours after the absconding chief of Khalistani Commando Force, Paramjit Singh Panjwar, who was given a new identity under the name of Malik Sardar Singh by ISI, was gunned down in Lahore, Major (Retired) Aadil Farooq Raja on his much followed YouTube channel attacked the Pakistan military and the ISI for not being able to protect Panjwar.
As per Raja, who has long ties with the Army, going back three generations, Panjwar was killed in the heart of Lahore in what he claimed was an operation that was executed by the Indian intelligence agency, Research and Analysis Wing (R&AW).
However, independent investigation done by The Sunday Guardian, indicates that Panjwar, who was given a large amount of funds to resurrect Khalistani sentiments in India, had failed to do, which led to him being declared as an entity who had lost his use and hence become expendable.
Informed sources told The Sunday Guardian that this money that Panjwar received had come through people suspected to have connections with the Chinese intelligence agency, Minister of State Security (MSS). However, his failure to do what he had committed led to his violent death. Panjwar was a key player in the “K2 project” of ISI and MSS. The K2 project refers to the joint coordination of ISI-MSS to spread disturbance in Kashmir and propagate Khalistani sentiments in Punjab.
Raja, in his “live” telecast, provided details that have not come out in the public domain until now. According to him, Panjwar was provided two gunmen as bodyguard who managed to kill one of the two assailants, while injuring the other. The assailants had come on a motorbike to carry out the attack even as the 50-year-old Panjwar was taking his routine morning walk outside his home at Sunflower Housing society of Lahore.
At least ten of Raja’s cousins are still serving in the Army and all his course mates are working in the position of lieutenant general and above and hence the pool from where he collects his information is quite large.
To be sure, R&AW has never claimed in the past or is unlikely to do in the near present, responsibility for any such operations that have taken place targeting proclaimed offenders and terrorists.
“His protection was the responsibility of ISI and the Army. This is a massive failure of Brigadier Rashid Naseer, who is heading ISI in Punjab, Director General of ISI Nadeem Anjum and Pakistani Army chief Asim Munir. The ISI and the Army should not have given refuge to the Khalistani commando chief if they could not protect him and they failed to protect him because either they are busy in doing politics or have backstabbed the Sikhs again,” Raja said.
According to Raja, the timing of the attack too has raised questions, as it came even as Pakistan Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto was visiting India, whose mother he claimed (former PM Benazir Bhutto) shared with India the details of all the Khalistani operatives that were infiltrated by ISI in Punjab, India through marriages and other methods in December 1988.
Raja claimed that the said list was provided to Indian officials by Choudhary Aitzaz Ahsan, the 26th interior minister from December 1988 to August 1990 on the orders of Benazir.
Raja also mentioned the name of former ISI director, Shamsur Rahman Kallue who served as the agency’s ninth DG from May 1989-August 1990 as being a part of this whole Benazir Bhutto led plan, which he said was a part of the “peace initiative” that Bhutto wanted to execute with India.
Raja then went on to reveal how Panjwar came to Pakistan as the head of KCF in the 1990 and carried out many attacks in India. According to him, General Arun Kumar Vaidya, the former Chief of Indian Army, was killed by Panjwar and KCF in August 1986. Raja revealed that the Majha belt of Punjab was Panjwar’s stronghold and after the death of Vaidya, the KCF chief fled India and was given refuge in Pakistan.
Significantly, Raja mentioned about the present role that Panjwar was playing in distributing drugs in Pakistan.
“Panjwar had kept alive the KCF until now. He was the man behind ‘udta Punjab’ and he was sending the heroine to Punjab. He was the main link between handlers, drug peddlers in India and Pakistan. Panjwar used Radio Pakistan to propagate Khalistani propaganda in Pakistan and India. He was involved in drug distribution and Fake Indian Currency Trade (FICN) which was necessary as he had to raise funds to keep the issue of Khalistan alive,” Raja recalled.
According to him, multiple serving Pakistani Army generals were earning money through this oil, arms, drug and FICN smuggling.
The 1978 Peshawar born Major Aadil Farooq Raja is no ordinary Pakistani Army officer. Raja, who is based in London now, is a staunch supporter of ousted Prime Minister Imran Khan and a known critic of the present Pakistani military establishment.
However, it is not his present, but his past that makes his claims credible.
He is a third-generation Army soldier. His grandfather Mohammad Akbar Khan served in the 1948, 1965 and 1971 wars with India. He became a prisoner of war (PoW) for four years before he was released by India. Khan, who had four sons, shifted to Canada after his release.
All his four sons later joined the Pakistani military. Two of his sons, including the father of Aadil Farooq Raja joined the Army. Of the remaining two, one son joined the Air Force, while the youngest son joined the Navy.
Raja’s maternal uncle too was in Armoured Corp, his grandfather was an officer of the Intelligence Bureau and was based in London.
Adil Raja himself joined the Pakistan Army in 1996 through the 99 long courses of the Pakistan Military Academy and passed out in August 1999. He started with the 18 Horse Regiment of the Armed Corp. He served during the Kargil War and then was posted at the Siachen Glacier. He also served with the 12 Frontier Force and then as wing commander in the Khyber Rifles. He faced four IED attacks and one suicide bomber attack.
He resigned in 2015 when he was posted in the SWAT region. He was given retirement on medical reasons and for post traumatic stress disorder. While in the Army, he completed his Masters in International Relations from the University of Peshawar.
After retiring, he started working with the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the media and PR wing of the Pakistan Armed Forces on 5th generation warfare and constituted a team that was actively engaged in hybrid war against Pakistan’s adversaries.
For three years, he served as the Spokesperson of the Pakistan Ex Servicemen Society from which he resigned on 19 April 2018. His house was then raided by the ISI on 21 April 2022 after which he shifted to London. The Sunday Guardian reached out to Raja for a response on his claims, but no response was received till the time the story went to print.
(140901) -- ISLAMABAD, Sept. 1, 2014 (Xinhua) -- Pakistani paramilitary troops stand guard during a clash in Islamabad, capital of Pakistan on Sept. 1, 2014. At least 15 more people were injured on Monday afternoon as clashes erupted again between protesters and police in Pakistani capital of Islamabad, local media reported. (Xinhua/Stringer)
This smuggling network has allegedly fueled the Khalistan movement and played a key role in the formation and operation of narco-terrorism.
A recent interview between retired Pakistani military officers Colonel Akbar Hussain and Major Adil Raja has revealed that the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) of Pakistan operates an extensive smuggling network that involves high-ranking army officers.
This network has allegedly fueled the Khalistan movement and played a key role in the formation and operation of narco-terrorism.
Colonel Akbar Hussain, in the video interview, spoke to retired Pakistani military officer and YouTuber Major Adil Raja, who provided insight into the activities of the ISI.
The intelligence agency facilitated the smuggling of drugs into India, using terrorists like Panjwad as pawns, according to Major Adil Raja.
Colonel Hussain explained that several high-ranking military officials are complicit in this illegal drug network, which reflects poorly on the battalion units and dishonours the Pakistani flag.
Major Adil Raja also alleged that the ISI raises funds under the guise of black operations, which are then misappropriated or used to finance smuggling and contraband networks.
He claims that Panjwad, under ISI protection, supplied illegal arms and drugs to India from across the border. The intelligence agency relied on Panjwad to escalate Khalistani separatism in Punjab and orchestrate terrorist attacks, such as the 1999 bomb blast near the Chandigarh passport office.
Panjwad, who was known as Malik Sardar Singh in Lahore, was ultimately gunned down by unidentified assailants on May 6, 2023, in Johar Town, Lahore, Pakistan, and his organization, the KCF, was designated as a terrorist group by the Indian government in July 2020.
Major Adil Raja also alleged that the Pakistani army employed actresses as honey traps. Pakistani actress Sajal Aly has since responded to these defamatory allegations on social media.
Additionally, Major Adil Raja accused the ISI of tracking him and attempting to hack his virtual presence last month.
The Bloom Review urged British government to take measures to define and tackle harmful extremism…reports Asian Lite News
An independent report commissioned by former UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson has expressed concerns over the rising influence of pro-Khalistan extremists within the British Sikh community, Khalsa Vox reported.
The Bloom Review, an independent report commissioned by former UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson, has called on the Rishi Sunak government to address the issue urgently and safeguard most of the Sikhs in the UK who do not support the extremist ideology.
The report stressed on the timeliness of addressing the issue. The report noted that the Sikh communities in the UK face coercion and intimidation by fringe Khalistani elements, Khalsa Vox reported. These pro-Khalistan groups artificially inflate their influence and attract disproportionate attention by lobbying political bodies under the guise of human rights activism.
As per the news report, the actions of pro-Khalistan groups create a false image of legitimacy which is not according to the beliefs of the Sikh faith. It is important to understand that Khalistani separatists do not represent the views of most of British Sikh communities, as per the Khalsa Vox report.
The Bloom Review highlighted the negative effect these extremist groups create on Sikh communities. The Bloom Review stressed on the need for the UK government to take measures to define and tackle harmful extremism, as per the Khalsa Vox news report.
The report has identified individuals and organizations that fuel the separatist agenda in the UK. One such group is related to the mistreatment of Lord Singh of Wimbledon. Lord Singh, a prominent Sikh figure in public life, has said that he was harassed and silenced by certain people and organisations for expressing his views which were opposed to theirs on issues related to Sikhs.
The incident showcases the power struggle among the British Sikh community over representation at official levels and recognition as the pre-eminent Sikh body in the UK. The Bloom Review noted that most of the British Sikhs consider the intimidating and subversive ways used by pro-Khalistani groups to be alien to the basic tenets of the Sikh faith, as per the news report.
The report called on the UK government to create a more nuanced understanding of subversive and sectarian Sikh extremist activity. It urged the UK government to ensure that such extremist behaviours are not legitimized by government or from the parliamentary engagement.
The report stressed on the importance of differentiating between mainstream Sikh communities and extremist elements to ensure the safety and well-being of Sikhs in Britain and maintaining ties with India, according to Khalsa Vox report.
London, Mar 20 (ANI): Khalistani elements attempting to pull down the Indian flag but the flag was rescued by the Indian security personnel at the High Commission of India, in London on Sunday. (ANI Photo)
The report comes after the Khalistani vandalized the Indian High Commission in the UK in March. After the incident, the UK government assured the safety. As per the news report, addressing pro-Khalistan extremism in the UK is essential for the well-being of British-Sikh communities and for strong diplomatic ties between the UK and India.
Earlier this month, Prime Minister Narendra Modi in a telephonic conversation with his UK counterpart Rishi Sunak raised the issue of the security of Indian diplomatic establishments in the United Kingdom. PM Modi called for strong action against anti-India elements.
“PM Modi raised the issue of security of Indian diplomatic establishments in the UK and called for strong action against anti-India elements by the UK Government. PM Rishi Sunak conveyed that the UK considers the attack on Indian High Commission totally unacceptable and assured of security of the Indian Mission and its personnel,” Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in the official press release. (ANI)
In the last few months, the reach of the Khalistan movement in Britain has made itself known…reports Asian Lite News
Britain has seen a recent upsurge in activity by the Khalistan movement, a faction of Sikh extremists. To many, even within the counter-extremism community, the Khalistanis are rather obscure, but it is a social and security challenge, with an international network operating.
Background
Sikhism began in the early sixteenth century in Lahore, in the Punjab area of the Subcontinent, founded by Guru Nanak, who was born to a Hindu family. Sikhs gradually grew in numbers and two centuries later, in 1710, were able to set up a state centred on Punjab. Though this first state was overwhelmed quickly, at the end of the eighteenth century a more durable Sikh Empire was created, which lasted until the Punjab was conquered by the British East India Company in 1849.
A few years later, during the Indian Mutiny, Sikhs largely sided with the British. In the aftermath, the British imposed direct rule on India, under the Raj, and the Sikhs found this a somewhat agreeable arrangement, benefiting from economic and educational investment in Punjab, and being admired for their martial prowess and loyalty. A disproportionate number of the Indian troops who fought under the British flag in the two World Wars were Sikhs. Relations began to break down in the early part of the twentieth century as the Indian Independence Movement gained momentum. The protesters killed at Amritsar in April 1919 were mostly Sikhs, for example. (Sikhism’s most sacred site, the Harmandir Sahib or Golden Temple, is in Amritsar.)
Britain withdrew hastily from the Subcontinent in August 1947. The planned partition, to create India and Pakistan, was contested, with Pakistan trying to grab Kashmir, starting a war that ignited spasms of popular mass-inter-communal violence and ethnic cleansing. Punjab, adjacent to Kashmir, was a particularly violent theatre. Of Punjab’s twenty-eight million people at the time, nearly four million (roughly 15%) were Sikhs; they suffered about a quarter-million fatalities. When the dust settled, Punjab had been divided and most Sikhs were on the Indian side of the line.
Indian consulate building in San Francisco attacked by Khalistan supporters(grab)
The Khalistan Movement
The origins of the Khalistan movement trace back to Partition. With Pakistan established as an overt Islamic Republic for the Subcontinent’s Muslims and India established as a secular republic with an overwhelming Hindu majority, some Sikhs advocated for the creation of an independent Sikh state, to be known as Khalistan, constructed in their old homebase of Punjab.
As Terry Milewski, a Canadian journalist who has studied the Khalistanis for decades, points out, what is most notable about the territories claimed for this future Khalistan is what they do not include: any part of historic Punjab that is within Pakistan.
Throughout the 1970s, Pakistan supported Sikh separatists in Punjab as a form of political warfare and in the early 1980s an armed campaign began. In October 1984, months after a military operation to suppress the rebellion in the Punjab, then-Prime Minister of India, Indira Gandhi, was assassinated by her two Sikh bodyguards, and a wave of popular violence against Sikhs erupted. The Khalistanis exploited this situation to further their victimhood narrative—a common tactic by extremist groups. For the next decade, a war raged, ending in the defeat of the Khalistani insurgency in 1993.
Since that time, the Khalistan movement has become largely a diaspora phenomenon. Milewski documents that in Punjab, where ninety percent of the world’s Sikhs live and participate in free elections, they vote overwhelmingly for anti-separatist Sikh candidates. In the diaspora, however, with the help of the ISI, especially in terms of propaganda, the Khalistan cause lives on.
Challenge of Khalistanis in Diaspora
Diasporas being more radical than populations “at home” is not an unusual phenomenon: jihadism has a disproportionate hold over Western Muslim populations as compared to Muslims in Islamdom, for example, and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) or “Tamil Tigers” relied significantly on diaspora funding to wage their war against Sri Lanka. After the downfall of the LTTE in 2009, one of the most decisive defeats of an insurgency in modern times, the LTTE’s appeal in Sri Lanka has faded and Tamils have been working to integrate into the state and society, but “most Tamils abroad remain profoundly committed to Tamil Eelam, the existence of a separate state in Sri Lanka”.
In a similar fashion, the Khalistanis outside India have worked to foster a “Lost Cause” myth among diaspora Sikh populations, presenting their aims in the language of a repressed minority seeking its rights. What this narrative leaves out is the Khalistanis acting as the pawns of Pakistan in a geopolitical game and the horrendous violence of the Khalistan movement during its war in the 1980s, not only in India.
From Milewski:
[An operative of the Khalistan movement] schemed to place bombs on two Indian planes in late June of 1985. One bomb erased 329 lives aboard Air India’s flight 182 from Montreal to Heathrow. The other blew up early, on the ground at Narita airport in Japan, killing two baggage handlers as they moved it to another Air India flight. … [The destruction of Flight 182] was, by far, Canada’s worst mass murder and the deadliest attack on aviation in world history until 9/11. And yet, as horrifying as that is, the number of victims amounts to only one-and-a-half percent of all the deaths piled up in more than a decade of armed struggle for Khalistan.
Canada has been known for some time as a central node in the Khalistani network, grouped around an organisation calling itself “Sikhs for Justice” (SFJ). The current Canadian government is currently embroiled in a public scandal relating to its inaction, despite warnings, against Chinese espionage, but before that Ottawa had clashed with the Indian government over its inattentiveness to the activities of the Khalistani extremists.
London, Mar 20 (ANI): Khalistani elements attempting to pull down the Indian flag but the flag was rescued by the Indian security personnel at the High Commission of India, in London on Sunday. (ANI Photo)
The Khalistanis in Britain
In the last few months, the reach of the Khalistan movement in Britain has made itself known. In February, the Independent Review of Prevent, the British counter-extremism program, by William Shawcross, warned of “pro-Khalistan extremism emerging from the UK’s Sikh communities”. Shawcross recorded that the Khalistanis were inciting Sikhs in Britain against the government, spreading misinformation that the British government was repressing Sikhs and helping the Indian government do the same in India, while “glorify[ing] violence carried out by the pro-Khalistan movement in India”. This was, said Shawcross, “a potentially toxic combination for the future”.
The future arrived rather quickly. On 19 March, Khalistani extremists attacked the Indian High Commission in London, injuring two security guards. One person was arrested and an investigation is underway into how this happened.
The investigation should not focus solely on how this one event happened, but the broader environment that led up to it and correcting the missteps that led to this threat being neglected for too long. Khalistani activists, similar to Islamist hate preachers, have been propagating an ideology and a set of conspiracy theory narratives that encourage Sikhs in Britain to believe they are under relentless attack and thus violence is justified in “self-defence”. This is dangerous for Sikhs, risking drawing young people and others into terrorism and criminality, and it endangers the wider society by creating divisions within a diverse population that needs cross-community understanding and harmony to thrive.
