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ISLAMABAD, LATEST

KHALISTAN REFERENDUM IN AUSTRALIA

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Over 31,000 Sikhs voted for Khalistan Referendum in Sydney amid stiff resistance from the Indian government and Indian PM Modi’s personal campaign to stop Sikhs from holding the third phase of the referendum in Australia. The Sydney phase of the Khalistan Referendum was organized to mark the anniversary of the 1984 Operation Blue Star Amritsar Genocide when Indian authorities killed thousands of Sikhs during a bloodied attack on Sri Harmandir Sahib (Golden Temple). Two weeks before the Khalistan Referendum voting in Sydney, PM Modi was in Australia where he met the Australian government authorities and urged them to stop Sikhs from going ahead with voting but the Australian government told Modi that the whole of Canberra respected India’s position it was no in position to stop its citizens from expressing their legal and democratic right.

Sikhs for Justice (SFJ) had booked Khalistan Referendum voting at four different venues but all venues ended up canceling it citing security and organizational issues as Hindutva groups, backed by India, raised false alarms of potential violence between Sikh and Hindutva groups. Large-sized banners and posters hung outside the venue carrying slogans: “Khalistan Referendum Australia, Shimla Capital secession of Punjab from India”; “1984 Sikh Genocide, 100+ Sikhs burnt alive in furnaces by India’s Hindu mobs”; “Khalistan Referendum, the last battle to liberate Punjab”; “Khalistan Referendum – Punjab – Shimla Capital”. Sikhs for Justice, General Counsel Gurpatwant Singh Pannun said, “Sydney Khalistan Referendum voting is a prodigious journey of Sikh sovereigntists from June 1984 while defending Sri Akal Takht Sahib with ‘bombs-bullets’ to ‘ballot-voting’ in 2023 to liberate Punjab from Indian occupation.”  Pannu said, Sydney turnout was a reflection of an extraordinarily growing global support for the liberation of Punjab from Indian occupation. Dr Bakhshish Singh Sandhu, President Council of Khalistan said: “Sikhs in their thousands in Sydney have sent a clear message that they want liberation of Punjab from the Indian occupation, in the same way Hindus got freedom from the British Raj. We are under occupation of India and the only solution is liberation. We will liberate Punjab to save Punjab from India, to preserve our values, religion and culture. Tens of thousands of Sikhs have taken part in the Khalistan Referendum all over the world to express their democratic right in a peaceful manner.” According to the 2021 census, around 230,000 Sikhs live in Australia but local Sikhs say the real number is close to 300,000. The number of Sikhs in Australia was 130,000 in 2016. According to the census of 2021, the number of Hindus in Australia stood at around 700,000. The highest number of Sikhs live in Melbourne, followed by Sydney and Brisbane.The Referendum’s voting in Sydney was the third phase of the Australian campaign. The first phase was held in Melbourne in January when over 50,000 Sikhs turned out to cast their votes. The second phase was held in Brisbane in March where more than 11,000 Sikhs had voted. Throughout this period, Indian government campaigned to foil the voting using diplomatic pressure but failed.

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ISLAMABAD, LATEST, WORLD

HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS IN IIOJK

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Indian atrocities in IIOJK can well be defined as war crimes as per international law as the Kashmiris continue to suffer under brutal Indian occupation. Women, men and children living in IIOJK have “faced pellet guns, sexual assault, electrocution, and physical and mental torture” at the hands of Indian forces. The genocide in IIOJK continues unabated leaving a blotch on India’s face of a ‘so-called champion of human rights’. Continuation of inhuman military siege, machinations to bring demographic changes and gross violations of HR and international laws are perpetuating humanitarian and security crises in IIOJ&K that imperils regional security. Indian troops in their unabated acts of state terrorism, martyred 96,186 innocent Kashmiris including 7,292 in custody, widowed 22,960, orphaned 107, 903 and molested 11,257 women since January 1989.  India occupied forces are involved in war crimes against Kashmiris. UK based law firm, “Stoke White” has also filed an application along with dossier against Indian Army Chief and Home Minister Amit Shah vis-à-vis Indian war crimes in IIOJK with British Police. UN Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion or Belief, Ahmad Shaheed, who presented the report to the Geneva-based UN Human Rights Council also denounced the wide-ranging Indian atrocities in occupied Jammu and Kashmir. Indian occupied forces are relentlessly targeting Kashmiris, especially the youth, in IIOJK and are driven by extremist Hindutva ideology that provoked and condoned genocide of Muslims. Indian occupation army has intensified arbitrary detentions, night raids, coercion, harassment and humiliation of Kashmiris and the extra-judicial killings in staged encounters and Cordon-And-Search-Operations continued unabated. Burial of the last remains of martyrs at unknown locations since April 2020 without the consent and presence of their families, is yet another abhorrent manifestation of the callous behavior and moral bankruptcy of BJP-RSS combination.

ISLAMABAD, LATEST, WORLD

COLD-BLOODED MURDER OF SIDHU MOOSE WALA 2022

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Sidhu Moosewala’s death anniversary was held on 19 March before the actual date keeping in view, the government would suppress their voices by launching an operation against them. His father Balkaur Singh alleged that the ongoing crackdown on Amitpaul Singh was an attempt to prevent Moosewala’s fans to attend the barsi event. Slogans of ‘Khalistan Zindabad,’ ‘Punjab Sarkar Murdabad’, ‘BJP Murdabad’ and others were raised during the event. On 29 May 2022, RSS Hindu goons shot dead a famous Sikh singer and Congress Leader Sidhu Moosewala in Indian Punjab who was a rising voice against atrocities on Sikhs, Muslims & minorities. Moose Wala was also known for his pro-Khalistani and Punjabi songs, which openly glorified Sikh fighters. Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal expressed ‘grief’ over the murder of Sidhu Moosewala. The news of Sidhu Moosewala’s murder sent shockwaves across the world with prominent Sikh celebrities expressing their anguish over the tragic incident. This is an open declaration of War by Hindus against the Sikh community.  From the Golden Temple massacre in 1984 to the present situation of minority rights, the memory of Sikhs in India is etched with a series of tragedies. The ‘Operation Bluestar’ to target Sikhs at their holiest temple in Amritsar is a gory tale written by the then Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.  After 39 years, religious persecution of Sikhs still continues under the rule of Premier Narendra Modi, where the community faces violations of human rights.  A Sikh journalist Manmeet Kaur said that persistent acts of target-killings and desecration of holy sites in India is the main reason behind the Khalistan movement. Sikh voice against Indian atrocities and discrimination is getting stronger with each passing day to save their coming generations from ethnic cleansing. Dupinderjit Singh, leader of the Sikhs for Justice Movement said, the Khalistan referendum is a strong call for freedom and marked the genocide of Sikhs under the rule of India.

He said, during elections in Indian Punjab, the Commission would hold a parallel referendum and would present the demand for freedom with the United Nations and other countries. The demand for a free Sikh country is being supported by different communities and the human rights watchdogs, in view of the atrocities faced under the Indian rule.

ISLAMABAD, LATEST, OPENION, WORLD

“Hindutva’s Unrelenting Attacks on Religious Minorities – RSS-Backed Plan to Convert India into Hindu Rashtra Threatens Communal Diversity”

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On 21st September 1949, Manipur, which was once an Independent Princely State, was merged with the Indian Union. The state was taken over by the British in 1891. Manipur subsequently became a Union territory of India in 1962 and achieved full statehood in 1972. Moreover, Article 371C of the Indian Constitution provides protection to tribal areas and prohibits people from the valley or outside buying land in hill districts inhabited by Scheduled Tribes (ST). However, the attempt to alter the ST status is fueled by the political desire of the Hindutva movement, with an objective to acquire resources/land of the ST community for the Meitei community (predominantly Hindus).

The RSS, which has mentored Modi, has plans to convert India into a Hindu Rashtra, creating a Hindutivized polity that threatens the communal diversity of the country. As a result, religious minorities like Muslims, who make up 14.23% of the total population (over 200 million), are being oppressed and subdued.

Exposing the Darkness: The Brutal Reality of Hindu Extremism and the Plight of Dalits in India

Hindu extremists have committed heinous acts like the Gujarat pogrom, Delhi riots, and Babri Mosque demolition. The recent daylight murder of Atiq Ahmed and his brother Ashraf in police custody by Hindu goons is just the latest example. Similarly, Dalits (over 20.14 million population) are also being treated as sub-humans with frequent occurrences of rape/molestation of Dalit women, harassment/murder of Dalit men, and social discrimination against them- such as not being allowed to use the same water tape as Brahmins.

Despite the fact that Christians in India make up only 2.3% of the population, they are facing severe persecution due to anti-conversion laws passed by BJP-ruled states. This has resulted in attacks on bishops, religious leaders, and even nuns. In addition, RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat dehumanized Noble Laureate Mother Teresa, accusing her of proselytizing and claiming she didn’t deserve the Nobel Prize.

“Standing Strong Amidst Adversity: The Plight of Christians in India”

The recent case of Indian Catholic priest Stan Swamy, who was imprisoned under anti-terror law and died in custody, illustrates the lack of attention given by Prime Minister Modi to the persecution of Christians. This is exemplified by the case of Manipur, which has a diverse religious population, including 41.29% Christians, yet Christian victims are frequently ignored.

The predominantly Christian ST population in Manipur is facing targeting due to their opposition towards the High Court’s decision to award ST status to the predominantly Hindu Meiteis community. The tribal population in Manipur has certain privileges protected under Article 371C, including job quotas, admission in educational institutes, and a bar on non-Scheduled Tribes from buying land in hill districts.

“Betrayal and Targeting: The Plight of Manipur’s Christian ST Community in Demand for a Separate State”

The BJP-led Manipur State government is seeking to undo Article 371C, similar to Modi’s actions in IIOJK, which has led the ST (Christians) to demand for a separate or independent state. Therefore, the situation in Manipur justifies the demand for a separate or independent state.

ISLAMABAD, LATEST, WORLD

“Yasin Malik Faces Death Penalty Again: India’s Pursuit for Justice Continues”

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According to official sources, India’s top anti-terrorism investigation agency has requested the death penalty for Yasin Malik, chief of the Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF), after he received a life sentence. Last year, the JKLF leader pleaded guilty to funding the separatist movement but refused to accept a government-appointed lawyer or to defend himself against the charges. The National Investigation Agency (NIA) had previously sought the death penalty, but the court rejected the plea, citing that capital punishment was reserved for crimes that “shocked the collective consciousness” of society. The NIA has now filed a petition in the High Court to seek the death penalty for Malik, as confirmed by a senior official in Srinagar. The hearing for the petition is scheduled for Monday.

In 1989, JKLF led the armed resistance in India-held Kashmir, and in response, India launched a military campaign resulting in the deaths of tens of thousands of civilians and troops. Malik ceased armed resistance in 1994 and has since campaigned peacefully for independence.