ACCORDING to US prosecutors, an Indian government official directed a plot to assassinate a prominent Sikh separatist leader living in New York City. The US officials became aware in the spring of the plot to kill Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, who advocated for the creation of a sovereign Sikh state and is considered a terrorist by the Indian government. The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration interceded and set up a sting, with an undercover agent posing as a hitman, after the conspirators recruited an international narcotics trafficker in the plot to kill the activist for $100,000.
The charges were the second major recent accusation of complicity of Indian government officials in attempts to kill Sikh separatist figures living in North America. In September, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said there were credible allegations that the Indian government had links to the assassination in that country of Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar. The Western intelligence community was fully aware of the conspiracy hatched by India to silence the voices of dissent through terrorist activities. After the Canadian tragedy, the FBI agents are reported to have visited several Sikh activists in California with an alarming message that their lives were at grave risk. It was because of the high alert that the plot against Gurpatwant Singh Pannun was foiled but the episode exposed India’s black face before the world community. The conspiracy also sent a dismaying signal to the world community that despite New Delhi’s diplomatic row with Canada over plot to kill a Sikh activist, India was continuing with its policy of eliminating all those who are raising their voices against human rights violations by Indian forces and denial of the right of self-determination. Just like Kashmiris, who are facing genocide at the hands of Indian occupation forces for demanding their birth right of self-determination, Sikhs are also being dubbed as ‘terrorists’ for demanding a separate homeland of their own. All this should serve as an eye-opener for those who consider India as the largest democracy. And with such dirty credentials, India has the audacity to seek a permanent berth at the UN Security Council. There are reasons to believe that the Indian attitude and policy towards religious minorities would not change until and unless the international community takes as serious notice of India’s terrorist pursuits as elsewhere in the world leaving aside commercial or strategic interests.
