NOTABLE LEADERS OF SIKH DIASPORA ON HIT LIST OF MODI REGIME

WebDesk June 25, 2023 3 minutes read

Indian state Punjab – which has 58% Sikh and 39% Hindu population – was rocked by a violent Khalistan separatist movement in the 1980s and early 1990s, in which thousands of people have been killed. In the wake of military operation (operation Blue Star) in Golden temple, Sikhs’ most revered religious place, a large number of Sikhs were killed and many injured. To flush out Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale holed up in said temple was the apparent pretext to use disproportionate force to desecrate the sacred place of the Sikhs. Sequel to Operation Blue Star (June 1984) a Sikh guard had shot dead Indian Prime Minister Indra Gandhi. As a vindictive act Sikhs faced the backlash by the Hindu hardliners as they were hounded and persecuted including social boycott everywhere in India. A large number of Sikhs were killed and many were injured in different states including national capital New Delhi. An individual act of a guard was interpreted as a collective act of the Sikh nation. Thus Sikh nation was meted out collective punishment. Feeling marginalized Sikh population in India is still at receiving end. Recent upsurge in the wake of Amritpal Singh Sandhu’s emergence as a voice of Sikhs’ victimhood Indian government started “covert” operations against Sikh population. Indian state Punjab was placed under curfew and communication lines were cut prior to launch of security forces operation against the Sikhs despite the fact that Amritpal surrendered to authorities. With the consent of Modi government Indian intelligence agency RAW (Research and Analysis Wing) started a “covert” operation against the Sikh diaspora in Canada, UK, Australia and elsewhere. Diaspora has been raising its voice over the continuous security forces operation against Sikhs in India. Thus Modi regime has now started highhandedness against the Sikh Diaspora. On 18 June 2023, police recovered dead body of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, president of Sikh Gurdawara in Surrey in Canada’s British Columbia province from a car parked in the parking area of said Gurdawara. Nijjar’s body was bearing close range multiple gun shots. He was care-taker of the Gurdawara at its parking area his dead body was found. Nijjar was the head of Khalistan Tiger Force and active in the forum Sikhs for Justice – a collective voice that highlights the injustices against Sikhs in India. On 15 June 2023, 35-year-old Avtar Singh Khanna, a Khalistan movement leader poisoned to death. Khanda suddenly felt unease and was rushed to a hospital in Birmingham (UK) where he mysteriously died. Khanda had developed “excessive blood clots” that caused serious and fatal complications – indicating he has been poisoned or administered something that caused clotting of the blood. He was in the forefront of the protest demonstration (May 2023) staged in front of Indian mission in UK where Indian national flag was brought down and Khalistan flag was hoisted. RAW’s assassination acts are posing a serious challenge to the sovereignty of both the UK and Canada. Eliminating someone without challenging him in the court of law is the basic human rights violation. Sikh as nation and Sikhism as an independent religion have been facing Hindu supremacist attack since inception. Those left India escaping State sanctioned persecution are now being hounded and killed in other lands. Letter by 75 US lawmakers to Biden against Human Rights Violations in India is also a testimony by international community. India as a state persecutes minorities including Sikhs, Christians, Muslims, Jews etc”.