New Delhi: A joint crackdown against pro-Khalistan elements within and outside the country has started showing results with the National Investigation Agency (NIA) along with the law enforcement organisations arresting Bikramjit Singh alias Bikkar Panjwar, a pro-Khalistan operative and alleged mastermind of the 2019 Tarn Taran bomb blast in Punjab.
He has been arrested upon his extradition from Vienna last week. Based on an Interpol red notice, Panjwar was detained in Vienna on 22 March last year, since then the NIA has been pursuing his extradition from Austria.
Panjwar had allegedly left India in 2018 and was actively planning and coordinating terror activities from Vienna.
Panjwar’s arrest comes within days after the NIA brought another wanted terrorist – Harpreet Singh alias Happy Malaysia from Kuala Lumpur. He was the alleged main conspirator behind the December 2021 bomb blast in Ludhiana court.
There are countries which are allegedly harbouring Khalistani terrorists, but which are they?
Canada
The country boasts of being multiculturalist with one-fifth of the total population being foreign-borne. Apart from immigrants, the country also allegedly shelters extremists in order to appease.
Canada, the country bordered by Alaska (USA), has become the headquarters for Khalistani terrorists due to the policy appeasement. Bu harbouring Khalistani separatists, the Canadian government has for long been trying to appease the country’s powerful Sikh community.
A report by Global News says Canada has a secret program that enables it to harbour terrorists. Also, the country in April 2015 granted visa to Khaled Saber Abdel-Hamed Zahw, who was a high-ranking member of Egypt’s military when it orchestrated a coup against President Mohamed Morsi in 2013.
Canadian security officials refused visa to Zahw citing national security concerns but the government overruled the decision.
The report also claimed that criminals are granted public policy entry visas as long as they serve Canada’s national interests.
A report in 2018 on terrorism had listed Sikh extremists as one of the five terror threats to Canada.
In November this year, the Indian government asked Canada to stop the so-called “Khalistan Referendums” by the proscribed terrorist organisation “Sikh for Justice (SFJ)” in Ontario.
India also asked the Canadian government to act against those who promote terror and violence against the largest democracy in the world.
United States of America
In 2021, a report titled – ‘Pakistan’s Destabilization Playbook: Khalistani Activism with the US’ by a top American think stated that the Indian government has provided the US considerable evidence links between US-based Khalistan groups and terrorists operating in India but Washington has been largely “unresponsive”.
The report further said that there has been recent rise in “Khalistan-related anti-India activism within the US” and that the likelihood of Khalistan groups receiving funding, support, and military training from Pakistan is also substantive.
The report called for action by the US government in respect to Khalistan groups and said that all groups responsible for terrorist attacks in India should be included in its list of designated global terrorist groups.
In January this year, the US-based pro-Khalistan Sikhs for Justice (SFJ) group announced that it was dedicating $1 million to its ‘Raise Kesari Khalistan’ (Raise the Saffron Khalistan Flag) and ‘Block Modi Tiranga’ (Block Indian national flag) campaigns, and campaign members announced their intention to target India’s capital, Delhi, on Republic Day.
Australia
The Indian government officials have sounded out the highest levels in the Australian government about the growth of Sikh separatism after perturbed over the profusion of Khalistani flags at an event for the Indian community in Melbourne.
According to a report by The Australian, the large number of Khalistani supporters waved separatist flags at an event for the Indian community funded by the Australian government November 19.
After the event, the Indian government officials to approach Foreign Minister Penny Wong and Home Affairs Minister Claire O’Neil to express concern over the rising support for the Khalistan movement, particularly in Melbourne.
United Kingdom
There are Khalistani terrorists and supporters sheltering in the United Kingdom. In November, a campaign ‘Free Jaggi Now’ was announced in London and Manchester.
The Khalistani supporters of Jaggi Johal, who is lodged in Delhi’s Tihar jail have been on a worldwide campaign to get him free. Johal is a citizen of UK and was arrested by the Punjab police in November 2017 in Jalandhar under the arms Act.
The protests in UK were directed towards the British as reports revealed that Jaggi was arrested on the basis of information provided by the intelligence agencies in the UK.
Four of the nine Khalistani activists designated as terrorists by the Indian government in 2020 were based in Pakistan, and SFJ’s websites have been linked to Pakistani addresses.
All these nine men were declared as “designated terrorists” under the amended Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), the Indian government.
Those designated include US-based Gurpatwant Singh Pannun of banned Sikhs For Justice outfit, Paramjit Singh (Babbar Khalsa International), Hardeep Singh Nijjar (Khalistan Tiger Force), Gurmit Singh Bagga (Khalistan Zindabad Force), Wadhawa Singh Babbar (Babbar Khalsa International), Lakhbir Singh (International Sikh Youth Federation), Ranjeet Singh (Khalistan Zindabad Force), Paramjit Singh (Khalistan Commando Force), Bhupinder Singh Bhinda (Khalistan Zindabad Force) have also been designated as terrorists.
The government official had said that all were based abroad with the majority of them being in Pakistan. They have been trying to revive terrorism and support for pro-Khalistan sentiments, the senior functionary in the MEA said.
Pakistan
Pakistan has been extensively involved in training, guiding and providing arms to Sikh terrorists.
Wadhawa Singh, Chief Babbar Khalsa International (BKI); Lakhbir Singh Rode, Chief, International Sikh Youth Federation (ISYF); Paramjit Singh Panjwar, Chief, Khalistan Commando Force (KCF); Gajinder Singh, Chief, Dal Khalsa International (DKI); and Ranjit Singh, Chief, Khalistan Zindabad Force (KZF) are permanently based in Pakistan and have been allegedly coordinating terrorist activities of their outfits in Punjab and elsewhere in India under the guidance of Pakistan ISI.
Also, Pakistan ISI agents regularly escort Sikh terrorists for trans-border movement and provide safe havens for their shelter as well as dumps for weapons and explosives.
Pakistan Sikh Gurudwara Prabandhak Committee or PSGPC was created in April 1999 which has given a tailor made opportunity to Pakistan ISI to intermix with pro-Khalistanis, including those from India, and also control substantial amount of donations received by Gurudwaras.
With inputs from agencies
Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News,India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.