The Khalistan Movement and its Current Resurgence in the Sikh Community

The Khalistan Movement fights for a separate region in Punjab for the Sikhs called ‘Khalistan’. 'Khalistan' comes from the Punjabi word ‘Khālsā’, meaning ‘Pure’. It roughly translates to ‘Land of the Pure’. To understand the origin of the Khalistan Movement, we need to go back to the partition of India. The partition led to mass migration, riots and the displacement of thousands of people. Owing to the violence that ensued, many Sikh religious sites like Gurdwara Dera Sahib faced the horrors of societal unrest. The area was engulfed by gunfire. The shrine, once a symbol of peace, became a site of violence. The Shiromani Akali Dal, a Sikh religious party, believed that they were not being represented fairly in both Pakistan and India. The party then began a campaign for Khalistan or at the very least, an autonomous state. This movement, launched in the 1970s by the Khalistan Council reached its zenith in the 1980s under Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale. In response to armed militancy, Operation Blue Star was ordered by Indira Gandhi, the Prime Minister at the time. According to the Times of India, the purpose of the operation was the removal of the militia of Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale (an avid separatist) who operated out of the revered Golden Temple. The Indian Army raided the Golden Temple and this operation resulted in a plethora of casualties and irreparable destruction to the temple. This radicalised the Sikh community and led to a rise in armed resistance from religious groups within India. The resentment against Indira Gandhi grew deep, eventually leading to her assassination by her Sikh bodyguards. The subsequent Anti-Sikh riots marked a dark period in Indian history, one characterised by bloodshed and destruction. By the mid-1990s, The government reduced the momentum of the Khalistan movement leading to a gradual decline in the support for Khalistan in the state of Punjab. However, the movement led by the Sikh community abroad did not die down as quickly. This gave rise to many organisations like Sikhs for Justice (SFJ), World Sikh Organization (WSO), and International Sikh Youth Federation (ISYF) along with prominent leaders like Hardeep Singh Nijjar and Gurpatwant Singh Pannun in the Sikh diaspora who kept fighting for Khalistan. The SFJ has been promoting the Khalistan Referendum; an unofficial vote among the Sikhs aiming to gain support for the creation of Khalistan. They conducted it in many countries like the USA, UK, Australia, and Canada. However, not all the methods employed by the organisation have been as peaceful. According to the BBC, Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, a separatist from the SFJ, published a video calling for Indian Hindus to “go back home”. In another video, he wishes for the “political death” of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and a few other ministers. Indian authorities have accused SFJ of engaging in criminal activities such as sedition and have filed several cases against them. Coming to the present Why the sudden resurgence in support for the Khalistan Movement? It began last year, In June 2023. Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a prominent Khalistan Leader, who shone a lot of light on the movement, was assassinated in Canada Before his death, the Indian authorities labelled him "a terrorist". Consequently, they accused him of directing the Khalistan Tiger Force, a banned armed force aimed at promoting the separatist movement. These allegations made by the Indian government and authorities led many people to suspect their involvement in the assassination. The Canadian Prime Minister; Justin Trudeau, referred to it as “an unacceptable violation of our sovereignty,” suggesting the involvement of the Indian government in the assassination. This set back India and Canada's relations and deeply affected their ties. The death of Nijjar led to protests by the Canadian Sikhs. These groups possessed significant political influence that they employed to prompt the Canadian government to take strict actions and measures. These developments again shed light on topics such as Sikh Nationalism and the Khalistan Movement which were beginning to lose momentum. The SJF and other Sikh organisations took this opportunity to hold protests in Canada, alleging the Indian government’s involvement. They called upon the international community and international organisations such as the UN to take action and investigate Nijjar’s assassination. The Khalistan Movement is one of the most significant separatist movements in the history of India. It has unleashed great death and destruction upon the beautiful lands of Punjab. It has left a deep gash, staining the history books forever blood red. CITATIONS TIMESOFINDIA.COM / Jun 6. (2023, September 22). 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