After Khalistan flags were found tied on the gate and slogans were scrawled on the walls of the Himachal Pradesh Assembly complex in Dharamshala, interstate borders have been sealed. The banned outfit Sikhs For Justice, whose leader has been charged for the vandalism, has announced that it will hold a ‘Khalistan’ referendum on 6 June
Himachal Pradesh is on the edge and all interstate borders have been sealed after “Khalistan” flags were found tied on the main gate of the Assembly complex in Dharmashala and slogans were scrawled on its walls.
Strict vigils of hotels and other possible hideouts of miscreants have been ordered by Director-General of Police (DGP) Sanjay Kundu. Senior police officials were also directed to keep the special security units and bomb disposal squads on high alert and “strengthen the security of dams, railway stations, bus stands, government buildings and vital installations”, according to the order.
The high alert comes in the wake of the banned outfit Sikhs For Justice (SFJ) announcing that it will hold a “Khalistan” referendum on 6 June in Himachal Pradesh.
What is the Khalistan referendum?
The Khalistan referendum is the demand for a separate homeland for Sikhs – a “Khalistan” in Punjab – and behind it is the US-based group Sikhs for Justice (SFJ), which has been banned by the Indian government.
The secessionist campaign, called “Referendum 2020”, seeks to “liberate Punjab from Indian occupation”, according to the SFJ declaration made in August 2018
According to the “Referendum 2020” website, “Once there is a consensus within the Punjabi people that independence from India is desired, we [Sikhs for Justice] will then approach the UN and other international forms and bodies with the goal of re-establishing Punjab as a nation state.”
The so-called referendum was to be held in 2020 in Punjab along with major cities of North America, Europe, Australia, New Zealand, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Kenya, and the Middle Eastern countries. Voting was held in Britain in October 2021 and Switzerland in December 2021, according to The Indian Express.
In London, over 30,000 Sikhs participated in the first phase of voting and more than 6,000 Sikhs from Switzerland, France, Italy, and Germany gathered in Geneva to cast their votes for the “Khalistan” referendum, which is non-binding.
In the Italian city of Brescia, more than 40,000 Sikh men and women turned up on Sunday to cast their vote for the referendum.
Why does the SFJ want a separate Punjab?
The movement for “Khalistan” has its roots in Operation Blue Star, the military action ordered by then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi in Amritsar’s Golden Temple to flush out militants. The operation, which was carried out between 1 June and 8 June 1984 claimed several lives and left the shrine damaged.
The anger led to the assassination of Gandhi on 31 October and what followed was the anti-Sikh pogrom in which around 3,000 people were killed.
SFJ was founded by Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, a law graduate from Panjab University who is currently an attorney at law in the United States. He is the legal advisor of the group.
The outfit’s first campaign was against leaders with alleged links to the 1984 pogrom, where it urged courts in the US to prosecute Congress leaders Kamal Nath, Sonia Gandhi, and then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh for their “role” in the violence or in “supporting” the alleged culprits of the riots. Based on SFJ’s appeal, a Washington federal court had issued summons against Manmohan Singh during his September 2013 visit to the US. It did not amount to much, reports The Indian Express.
Sikhs For Justice leader Gurpatwant Singh Pannun has been charged under the stringent anti-terror law Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act for the vandalism. Image: Gurpatwant Singh Pannun/Twitter
What does the demand for ‘Khalistan’ have to do with Himachal?
Himachal Pradesh was carved out of Punjab in 1966 and has since then witnessed Sikh militancy in the neighbouring state.
In 2021, Sikhs for Justice had threatened Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur that they won’t allow him to hoist the Indian flag in the state. It was based on the fact that Himachal was once a part of undivided Punjab.
In June 2021, a road milestone near the famous Naina Devi temple was scribbled with “pro-Khalistan” slogans like “Khalistan border starts here”.
In March this year, the Himachal Pradesh government banned the entry of vehicles carrying flags of Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale, a Khalistan militant killed during Operation Blue Star.
It is this move that agitated the SFJ. An intelligence alert issued on April 26 had warned of such an incident. The alert claimed that Pannun had issued a letter to the Himachal Pradesh chief minister, stating that flags of Bhindranwale and “Khalistan” would be hoisted in Shimla, sources told NDTV.
How have politicians reacted to Sunday’s vandalism?
Chief Minister Jairam Thakur had ordered an investigation into the vandalism of the Himachal Pradesh Legislative Assembly building.
“I condemn the cowardly incident of raising Khalistan flags at the gate of Dharamshala Assembly Complex in the dark of night. Only winter session is held here, so there is a need for more security arrangements only during that time,” Thakur tweeted in Hindi.
“Taking advantage of this, this cowardly incident has been carried out, but we will not tolerate it. This incident will be investigated immediately and strict action will be taken against the culprits. I would like to tell those people that if you have the courage, then come out in the light of day, not in the dark of night,” a second tweet read.
The Aam Aadmi Party, which is trying to establish itself in the state, slammed the BJP on Sunday, asking how will the government save the people of the country when it failed in ensuring national security.
Calling it a “huge security failure”, the Arvind Kejriwal-led party demanded that either Thakur immediately resign or the Union government sack his government.
Taking to Twitter, Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia said that the putting up of the Khalistan flags outside the gate of the Himachal Assembly building was a “complete failure” of the BJP government in dealing with the matter pertaining to national security and keeping the respect of the people of the hill state.
Meanwhile, Pannun has been named as the main accused in connection with the case. He has been charged under the stringent anti-terror law Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.
With inputs from agencies
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