India’s concern over preparations for Khalistan referendum

The government of India is bewildered after the announcement by the Sikh community around the world to hold a referendum on the establishment of Khalistan in August.

In favor of Khalistan, on June 6, Jathedar Giani Harpreet Singh (whose religious status is considered to be the highest in terms of religion) said that Khalistan is the dream of every Sikh. The statement raised demands for a treason trial and execution against him in India, while the Modi government is pressuring the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee to remove him.

Jathedar Giani Harpreet Singh’s security has been beefed up by Akal Takht and special measures have been taken to protect him. Meanwhile, the Khalistan Movement Canada has stated that relations between Khalistan and Pakistan will be exactly like those between the United States and Canada.

There will be no border, no visa, free trade and strong economic ties between the two states.The Delhi government has sent a letter of protest to Canada but failed due to Sikh influence in the Canadian government.

Sikh leaders say a referendum will be held in more than 100 cities globally to seek the opinion of the Sikh community around the world on whether they are in favour of Khalistan or not. We strongly condemn the atrocities perpetrated on Kashmiris and  understand the plight of Kashmiris.

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Before the outbreak of coronavirus last year, there were frequent joint Sikh and Kashmiri protests in the United States (US), Canada, the United Kingdom (UK), France and Germany. Protests took place in front of embassies and United Nations (UN) offices, while Sikhs and Kashmiris also protested during the visit of the Indian Prime Minister or any other senior government official to these countries.

The Indian government has been deeply disturbed by the joint demonstrations of Sikhs and Kashmiris.

Like Kashmir, the Khalistan movement dates back to before the Partition of India. The term Khalistan was used in a document written by Dr. Vir Singh in 1940 after the Pakistan resolution. Decided to go with India, which today’s Sikh leadership calls Nehru’s fraud. Under the agreement, Punjab was to be like a semi-autonomous state with East Punjab province having all the powers except defense, currency and foreign exchange.

However, after the partition, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru reneged on his promise. When the Indian Constitution was rewritten in 1950, article 25-A declared Sikhs, Buddhists and Jains as a branch of Hindus and stripped them of their separate religious identity. The Punjabi Province Movement was started by the Sikhs in response to this on which the Indian government resorted to violence to suppress the Punjabi Province Movement, during which thousands of Sikhs were killed in East Punjab and other parts of India.

In the 1980s, when Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale became a Jathedar (leader) under Akal. He initially organized the movement peacefully, but the Indian government conspired to include some spies in his movement who played a key role in turning the movement into violence. A new era of Sikh genocide began with the connivance of Indian intelligence agencies and spies.

In June 1984, when Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi planned to assassinate the Golden Temple, Saint Jarnail Singh told a BBC correspondent. They recorded an audio message that if the Delhi government released all the arrested Sikhs and stopped the violence against the Sikh nation, they were ready to surrender with their comrades. Instead of responding positively, the Indian government sent the army to the Golden Temple and ordered climbing with heavy artillery.

The Sikhs wanted to combine Indian Punjab with Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, part of Jammu and Kashmir and part of Pakistani Punjab to form their own separate country. They were shocked when Punjab was divided in 1947 during the partition of the subcontinent. However, Indian atrocities changed the direction of his movement towards Delhi.

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In 1966, Indira Gandhi passed the Punjab Reorganization Act, incorporating Haryana and Himachal Pradesh into the Indian Punjab and making Chandigarh its center. In 1973, Anandpur Sahib demanded that the religious and political position of the Sikhs be separated from that of the Hindus and recognized under Sikhism. In 1979, Dr. Jagjit Singh Chauhan founded the Khalistan National Movement and a council was founded.

Khalistan’s independence was declared in 1980 and its exile government was formed. In 1982, Akali Dal and Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale asked to revive the Anandpur Sahib demand together. Due to non-fulfillment of their demands, the Sikhs resorted to revenge and violence. Thousands were killed and arrested. Even an emergency was declared in Punjab by the Indian government.

Operation Blue Star from June 1 to 8, 1984 not only killed thousands of Sikhs but also desecrated their holy places. To avenge Operation Blue Star on October 31, 1984, Indira Gandhi sent his own Sikhs. Security guards killed him and launched an operation against Sikhs across India, which Sikhs still call the “genocide of Sikhs” operation, in which 3,000 Sikh homes were set on fire in Delhi alone, most of the occupants. At the same time, they were burnt to ashes.

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In 1985, the Rajiv–Longowal Accord was signed to control the situation, recognizing the political, religious, economic and social status of the Sikhs. However, the constitution was not amended. In 1985, the Sikhs withdrew from Air India’s Montreal after their demands were not met. A bomb blast on a flight to Bombay killed 329 passengers.

After 1986, the situation escalated back to violence and killings, and people began to be targeted outside the country. By 2001, the situation was dire. The Sikhs continued to adopt an extremist attitude.

In 2002, India alleged that influential people in Pakistan, Canada, the UK and the US were responsible for the deteriorating situation in Punjab.They were helping the Sikhs in Damascus on the occasion of the 31st anniversary of Operation Blue Star in 2015.

The tragedy of 25 young Sikhs being killed by the police has sparked outrage among Sikhs. The visit of Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to India in 2017 was met with a cold shoulder as the Indian government believes that Canada supports and aids Sikhs in their conspiracy to break up India, living in Britain, Canada and other countries.

Akali Sikh leaders say no decision has been taken yet to change the date of the referendum. In view of the situation in coronavirus, it is possible to change the procedure of the referendum, which includes online voting or postal voting. He will invite the world’s neutral institutions to monitor the referendum so that no one can point a finger at the results of the referendum.

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