The Khalistan Movement & Why Its Seeing A Revival In Canada | Akash Banerjee & Adwaith

On 2nd June 1984, a young Sikh army officer goes to the Golden Temple complex in Amritsar. Golden Temple is considered to be the most sacred place for Sikhism. But this officer goes there for some other reason.

He goes to see where all the sniper points are, where all the fortifications are, which lane has enough space for the militants. It was a tour in preparation of bloody war. Indian army on one side, Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale and Khalistani militants on the other On 3rd June, the road, rail and telephone network of Punjab was shut down.

Indira Gandhi's orders were that the matter should be resolved within 48 hours Major General Brar was leading this Operation Blue Star. The operation starts on the night of 5th June. It was expected that the operation would be over by 6th morning But Bhindranwale and his men were much more prepared than General Brar.

They had weapons and they fought till their last breath. In 1980s, a war was waged in Punjab. Separatist movement, assassination, bombings, massacres This was a common thing in the headlines of newspapers.

And now, after many decades, Khalistan has come back in the headlines. In 2023, separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar was killed in Canada. Sikhs for Justice organisation's Khalistani referendum.

Pro-Khalistani preacher Amritpal Singh's return to India and winning Lok Sabha elections. Canada saying that India is using the gangsters of Lawrence Bishnoi group to kill Sikh Canadian citizens India saying that Canada is giving shelter to Khalistani terrorists. All this shows how bad India-Canada relations have become And now, directly taking the name of Amit Shah in these assassinations, allegation that India has rejected But the situation on the ground is definitely worsening.

On 3rd November, in Brampton, Canada, Hindus are beaten up openly Prime Minister Trudeau has to make a statement that such incidents will not be tolerated. But his Liberal Party member, Chandra Arya, held the Khalistanis responsible for the violence and said that the extremists have crossed the line Indian High Commission was running a consular camp near this Hindu temple. MEA also stated that such disruptions are a matter of concern.

Khalistan has become a hot topic again. But is the Khalistan movement still a matter of concern as it was 30-40 years ago? How many people were killed then?

Thousands of people lost their lives. And how is Canada connected with this story? It is a complicated and sensitive issue.

But if we fail to understand the old mistakes, then we will repeat the same mistakes. That is why it is important to understand what is the issue of Khalistan? How did this movement start?

How did it spread? And where is it alive today? Who was responsible for militancy?

Why many people still see Bhindranwale as a hero? What was Indira Gandhi's role in this? Operation Blue Star and anti-Sikh riots after her death.

Is the US, UK and Canada a base for Khalistani operations? Is there a conspiracy? Or is Khalistan just a pipe dream for a few diasporas?

Can Punjab really go back to militancy? These are very important questions. After the murder of Guru Tegh Bahadur by Aurangzeb, Guru Gobind Singh started the Khalsa tradition in 1699.

Khalsa comes from the Khalis word of Arabic, meaning pure Khalsa is like a religious order which has a ceremony and you have to live your life according to the religious rules. You have to be a pure Sikh and this tradition is a warrior tradition. In the 1700s, the Mughal Empire becomes weak The Punjab region is under the control of independent Sikh leaders and their Khalsa soldiers.

In 1801, Raja Ranjit Singh united all and established Sikh Empire. But unfortunately, in 1849, the Anglo-Sikh war broke out and British rule took over the territory. In 1920, Shiromani Akali Dal was established.

It considered itself as a representative of Sikhs. When Muslim league talked about India to be divided on the basis of religion, then Shiromani Akali Dal also talked about a Sikh homeland. Khalistan's idea was basically the autonomy of Sikhs.

Some suggested a separate country, some suggested a separate autonomous state within India. Nehru had promised at one time that Sikhs would definitely get some special considerations in India, a large level of autonomy will be given. Then comes 1947 and Partition.

Partition is a traumatic event for the Sikh community. Lakhs of people are killed, lakhs of houses are destroyed, people are destroyed. But even after that, they do not get a state for themselves.

Nehru changed his opinion after seeing the violence of Partition. That if autonomy is given on the basis of language, then the unity of the country will be more at risk In this context, the Shiromani Akali Dal started the Punjabi Suba Movement. It was a matter of identity.

The demand was to make a separate state of Punjabi-speaking regions. Remember, at that time, parts of Haryana and Himachal Pradesh were also included in the Punjabi state. And they wanted a Punjabi language state to be formed in which the majority of Sikhs is there But the Hindu Mahasabha, Arya Samaj and Congress did not show their consent for this move.

But in 1966, Prime Minister Indira Gandhi finally accepted the statehood demand. But the Akali Dal saw a deception in this Some Punjabi speaking areas were left in Haryana. Chandigarh was made a Union Territory and a Shared Capital.

There were complaints that the water of the rivers of Punjab was given to Haryana and Rajasthan in the name of River Water Sharing. And there were also demands that the state should have more autonomy, especially on fiscal issues. That is, there is still an issue of identity and along with that, social and economic issues such as water sharing are also included.

In 1973, a working committee of the Akali Dal passed the Anandpur Sahib Resolution. The agitation continued. The demand for autonomy was also coming from outside the country.

Even before independence, Sikh diaspora was present in countries like the US, UK and Canada. Some Sikh diaspora even spoke about free Khalistan, but they did not get much traction in 1950s, 60s In the 1970s, some visibility started to increase. In 1969, Jagjit Singh Chauhan, who had also been an MLA in the Punjab Assembly, went to the UK and started a movement for an independent Khalistan.

In 1971, an ad was published in the New York Times, in which the announcement of Khalistan's independence was also made. it did not have much impact on domestic situation It remains just an international propaganda and media creation. Then comes 1975 and Emergency.

In 1977, there are elections. In Punjab state election, Akali Dal wins and the agitation and speed of autonomy starts. And here, the entry of Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale.

A young 6-foot athletic and blue turban. Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale, an influential young Sikh religious preacher, was the leader of the orthodox Sikh religious institution of Damdami Taksal. He believed that in independent India, Sikhs are being treated like slaves.

Just like the Mughals, the Indian government also has an anti-Sikh attitude. His solution was Sikhs should improve their religion and culture. Stay away from alcohol and other drugs.

And stand together and raise your voice for your rights. But how did Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale become so popular? First, he talked about Sikhs and Punjab's autonomy.

He didn't openly talk about secession. He didn't ask for a separate country. But he made it clear in a few words that he wanted an independent Khalistan.

2 - talked about Identity . . .

Punjab village, Sikh religion and Punjabi region all these things were the basis for radicalization. Identity politics is so important that you don't need to be taught about it in India. 3.

He also started a social issue. Anti-drugs campaign and community living. 4.

Green revolution benefits zamindar class in Punjab leading to economic inequality. Small, landless farmers are attracted to Bhindranwale's agenda. People were attracted because of economic issues.

It was not just religious matter. Some analysts believe Congress Party supported Bhindranwale in the beginning so that he could cut the support base of Akali Dal. But Congress later understood that Bhindranwale was not going to follow anyone's instructions.

In April 1978, a convention was being held in Amritsar for the Nirankari Sikh community. Bhindranwale and his orthodox followers believed that these communities were not real Sikhs at all. During the convention, Bhindranwale gave a provocative speech in the Golden Temple.

His followers attacked the Nirankari Convention. 15 people were killed. This is the turning point of Bhindranwale's movement.

. . an openly violent and militant turn.

Some pro-Khalistani figures support from outside In 1979, in Britain, Jagjit Singh Chauhan established the Council of Khalistan and started collecting money from the diaspora. But even up to this point, the support of the diaspora was symbolic. Meetings were being organized but they themselves were not attracted to violence nor did they want to get involved.

But this issue was getting international visibility In India, followers of Bhindranwale took up arms. In April 1980, in New Delhi, Nirankari leader Baba Gurbachan Singh was shot dead In September 1981, editor of Punjab Kesari, Lala Jagat Narayan was murdered. Bhindranwale was arrested but released after two weeks due to lack of evidence.

After release, his popularity grows with Punjabi Sikhs And Akali Dal also decided to join hands with him In 1982, both of them established Dharam Yudh Morcha They decided to implement Anandpur Sahib Resolution. On 5 October 1983, Khalistani terrorists stopped a bus in Punjab and killed six Hindu passengers The next day, Indira Gandhi established President's rule in Punjab. Bhindranwale started living in Akal Takht, inside Golden Temple complex with his militant companions.

The same Akal Takht from where Sikh Gurus issued their orders. Shabeg Singh, Indian Army's Major General, who was a member of the Indian Army during the 1971 Indo-Pak war, joined hands with Bhindranwale. This was a shocking thing.

But he started training the militants in guerilla warfare. Bhindranwale and his militants started fortifying the Golden Temple and made it their base. They knew that Indira Gandhi was going to take action.

Bhindranwale wanted an attack on the Golden Temple. This would lead to a huge uprising in the villages of Punjab. A march towards Amritsar.

Khalistan's dream would come true. But it doesn't happen. Operation Blue Star starts on 5th June 1984.

The army has to use tanks Tanks start shelling on Akal Takht. By evening, the infantry took control of the entire complex. In the basement of Akal Takht, the bodies of Shabeg Singh and Bhindranwale are found.

Many innocent devotees lose lives, known to have been hostage by Bhindranwale and his companions. Many people in Sikh community raised the question that whatever it is, India govt should not have shelled Holy site of Golden Temple. Government's side said that holy site was made war zone by Bhindranwale and his associates.

After Operation Blue Star, intelligence agencies advised Prime Minister Indira Gandhi to replace her Sikh bodyguard officers. Indira Gandhi replied, are we not secular? And this step was, unfortunately, very costly for her This decision hit her hard on October 31, when two Sikh bodyguards shot Indira Gandhi with 30 bullets at point-blank range.

After Indira Gandhi's death, anti-Sikh riots spread in Delhi and many other cities. More than 10,000 Sikhs are killed. Congress leaders were involved in this violence and cases against them are still going on After 1984, there is a police crackdown in Punjab.

Militants are successfully caught but in the midst of police crackdown, many innocent Sikhs also have to face police repression Again, many young Sikhs disappear and many have not been found out till date. Despite the crackdown, organizations like Babbar Khalsa International and Khalistan Commando Force continued militant attacks. They targeted innocent Punjab Hindus.

When Akali Dal's leader Sant Longowal made a peace treaty with Rajiv Gandhi, the militants shot him for this. Indian government also accused such organizations of funding from Pakistan After Bhindranwale's death and anti-Sikh riots, Sikh diaspora is now more active in this movement. Some Sikh diaspora organizations fund Khalistani militants and some unfortunately get involved in violence themselves.

Sikh diaspora militants' biggest terrorist attack comes on 23rd June 1985 when Babbar Khalsa's terrorist planted a bomb in baggage of Air India Flight 182 from Montreal to Mumbai A mid-air bomb blast took 329 lives, of which 216 were Canadian citizens. But in India, the Khalistani militancy slowly diminished The police had a big role. The Akali Dal also moderates its political position and raises voice against extremists.

The people of Punjab also wanted peace. Public support for militancy was also decreasing. Yes, the sentiment of Khalistan can still be in some people.

But no one wants to pick up a gun and fight for a separate country. There is a lot of peace in Punjab. No one boycotts elections.

Farmers protest happened at such a high level. But Punjab's farmers did not use violence anywhere. It is evident that there can be anger and political demands against the centre.

But Punjab's people want to operate in a democratic space Not to raise the flag of Khalistan, and do violence When there is no demand for Khalistan in Punjab where did Nijjar, Pannun, five eyes, Canada come from? This is important to understand There are 4 lakh Sikhs in the US, 5. 5 lakh in UK and 8 lakh in Canada.

It is a tightly knit community. Now, it is not that all Sikhs in Canada are demanding Khalistan. But many observers say that many Sikhs in Canada and UK have a clear pro-Khalistani sentiment.

Many people from Diaspora left Punjab in 1980s and 1990s and came here. And they have a sentiment of Khalistan in their hearts. Now, many people are keeping that sentiment alive.

Take the example of Munindar Singh, a close friend of Nijjar. . .

He grew up in Canada. In 1990s, he used to have a Vancouver-based pro-Khalistan newspaper. His father used to hang photos of killed Khalistani militants on the walls of Gurudwara.

And this way, Muninder also joined the Khalistani movement, even though he is full Canadian he is a spokesman of British Columbia Gurdwara Council and a director of a pro-Khalistan group, Khalistan Centre. Similarly, some Sikh diasporas are connected to the Khalistan movement and have kept it alive. In the last 20 years, we have seen different pro-Khalistani protests and demonstrations in Canada.

We have seen such mobilization in the last few years as well. Sikhs for Justice, which India considers a terrorist organization, conducted Khalistan independence referendum in different cities of Canada. It has no recognition but it was used as a propaganda tool.

The leader of Sikhs for Justice Canadian branch was Hardeep Singh Nijjar. Khalsa day celebration was organized on April 29, 2024 in Toronto Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Leader of Opposition Pierre and New Democratic Party leader Jagmeet Singh were also present. Khalistan Zindabad slogans were also raised and flags were also hoisted Canada says that this is freedom of speech and they can allow it.

But Indian government says that Canada is not taking any action on militant activity and is encouraging it. In 1985 Air India bombing, Canada spent 20 years in trial of the two accused And then both of them got acquitted. The accusation is that the police of Canada did not investigate properly.

And some important wire-tap tapes were erased by mistake before the investigation. A Canadian judge called it unacceptable negligence. In 2018 Trudeau's India visit, a convicted Khalistani criminal was invited to reception dinner A person who has tried to kill an Indian minister In the case of Khalistani terror, India has requested 26 extradition requests from Canada govt, only 5 were resolved High Commissioner Sanjay Verma has called it result of deliberate inaction.

When India says that Canada is not taking Khalistan militancy seriously, then it is true somewhere. Sikh community is 2% of Canada's population. It is a powerful voting bloc in provinces like British Columbia, Alberta, Ontario.

So, a vote bank politics is being played here. Not everyone has Sikh-Khalistan sentiment. But there is a vocal pro-Khalistan minority which is being tried to please by Canadian politicians.

Is this a right strategy or wrong strategy? Will it backfire for Canada? Everyone is worried about their vote.

Maybe that is why Trudeau made the matter public in the case of Nijjar's murder. Nijjar was murdered on 18th June, 2023. We have already made an episode on the recent standoff between India and Canada.

Watch it in detail. . On October 14, Canadian charge d'affaires to India said that Canada has given credible irrefutable evidence to the Indian government.

of how Indian agents were involved in Nijjar's murder But on the same day, Indian MEA issued a strong worded statement in which Indian diplomats were defended and said that Trudeau is doing vote bank politics, and there is truth to that But, the matter could have been handled better. There is no debate on this But, are the allegations true or not? You can find out from this that all these allegations have been made by the USA with proof that a former senior field officer of RAW Vikas Yadav, was trying to kill US citizen Pannun, who is another Sikh separatist Now, the person who was given the contract to kill Pannun was an undercover law enforcement officer in the American Drg Enforcement Administration or DEA.

But on one hand, Canada was politicizing this matter and on the other hand, USA gave it to India through diplomatic channels and intelligence channels So, what is the solution to this problem? If India has killed Nijjar, then should we do it or not? You decide, as many big powers have done this The problem is, if you have taken help of gangsters, then it is not good for our image and reputation.

And is this why Lawrence Bishnoi is becoming so powerful who is trying to give himself an image as a Hindu don? The information we got from NIA there is a whole episode about it. The Rise of Lawrence Bishnoi, you can watch that too.

But the main issue is, is there really a comeback of Khalistani militancy which we should be worried about? One thing is clear from the history of the Khalistani movement's history is clear A movement cannot be established domestically just because of a wish by diaspora A referendum in Canada will not affect our domestic situation until it is solid. Is the situation solid or not?

Amritpal Singh is a rising figure in India. He comes from outside. He wins elections He becomes a MP in 2024.

There can be temptation of strong crackdown, police after whoever takes Khalistan name, online trolling But reacting to such sensitive issues can backfire. There are 2 solutions The first is to focus on the social and economic issues of Punjab. If you tackle issues like unemployment, drugs and inflation, people will not be attracted to militancy.

There is an economic desperation behind all these movements. You can see the Naxal movement in the most backward areas of the country. But, it is also about identity and autonomy.

we have a federal structure in our country. So, respect federal rights. If you take decisions like farm laws, if you don't consult Punjab's farmers, then they will obviously raise their voice against you.

Whenever BJP government talks about Hindu nation, Amritpal's supporters say that if you talk about Hindu nation, then why can't we talk about Khalistan? So, BJP has to think that their Hindu fundamentalism is boosting Sikh fundamentalism By the way, when a nation is being built in the name of religion, you know what usually happens. India has to take strong stand with Canada At least, give us those people whom we are legally demanding.

This diplomatic tension is not going to end suddenly. It will take time. And it is going to be a pain in the ass for the students, millions of students who wanted to go to Canada for a better life.

The basic fact is that today, Punjab wants peace, peace, development, not a war By understanding history, we learn that nothing is going to be achieved by religious fundamentalism. And if four people are waving a flag in Canada, then let them. You focus on your Punjab.