Mohammad Jamil
SIKHS’ demand for a separate state dated back to the partition of India, when Sikhs had tried to convince the British Raj that Sikhs were a separate entity from Hindus and Muslims. In the first and second world wars, Sikhs had participated in large numbers and played a prominent role while fighting on the side of allied forces. Colonel FT Bird Wood OBE in his book titled ‘The Sikh Regiment in the Second World War’ published in Great Britain by Jarrold and Sons Ltd, Norwich, wrote: “In the last two world wars 83,005 turban wearing Sikh soldiers were killed and 109,045 were wounded. They all died or were wounded while fighting for the freedom of Britain and the world, and during shell fire with no other protection but the turban, the symbol of their faith.” Britain remembers the sacrifice made by them during the wars.
Anyhow, the Sikhs have been demanding a separate homeland since 1947, but the movement got impetus by the efforts of Sant Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale in the 1980s. In 1984, Indian Government launched the most brutal operation against a highly sacred Sikh religious place, the Golden Temple, which resulted in the killing of large a number of Sikhs. Gopal Singh Chawla leader of Khalistan Movement, has announced that “Justice for Sikhs” has stepped up registration process from 4 July for the ‘Khalistan Referendum 2020’. Moreover, the Movement has asked Sikh soldiers to resign from Indian Army and join the Khalistan Movement. According to him, from 11000 to 13000 Sikh soldiers have already left Indian Army without any benefits and joined Khalistan Movement. Gopal Singh claimed that Khalistan is the basic right of Sikh nation, and Sikhs will now create Khalistan at any cost. He referred to the promise by Gandhi made with Sikhs in 1947 for Khalistan.
There is realization that Indian military leadership always post Sikh regiments on borders in any confrontation and it is either Sikhs or low caste Hindus who lay down their lives for India. Meanwhile, thousands of Sikhs have registered for Referendum 2020, the India Army is in a fix especially at a time when it has faced defeat and humiliation at the hands of Chinese. The Indian vulnerabilities have been exposed first during the mishandling of Covid-19 and lately by the Chinese capturing Ladakh area as per their claims prior to 1959. Many analysts believe that India is a rudderless ship destined to sink, as BJP/RSS fascist policies have not only weakened the Indian Federation but created disconnect between society and institutions. In the first week of June 2020, Sikhs remembered the martyrs of Indian Army’s operation ‘Blue Star’ carried out from June 1 to 8 in 1984.
According to official figures, the operation saw 83 military deaths and 439 deaths of civilians and militants. The riots that followed killed over 2,733 Sikhs in Delhi alone, according to the Human Rights Watch data. Addressing the media, Giani Harpreet Singh, the head of Akal Takht, the highest temporal seat of the Sikh faith, said that all Sikhs wanted to see a separate Sikh nation “Khalistan,” who is known for speaking his mind on controversial issues. He is working on his PhD in the comparative study of teachings of Quran and Guru Granth Sahib, the holy scripture of Sikhs. During the week-long observance of the Operation Blue Star, the members of the Akal Takht raised pro-Khalistan slogans. Some members even tried to force themselves into the Golden Temple to observe the operation’s anniversary, but were stopped by the police due to Covid-19 lockdown.
Since the decision to launch the operation was taken by the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, a hate campaign had been started against her. On 31 October 1984, five months after the operation, she was assassinated by her two Sikh bodyguards in Delhi. The killing of Gandhi led to the 1984 anti-Sikh riots, which killed over 3,000 Sikhs and is seen as the “Black Day” among the community. The Sikh-centric political party in India, Shiromani Akali Dal, observed the deaths of the bodyguards who assassinated Gandhi as “martyrdom” on Oct. 31, 2008, and ever since the day is being observed as the martyrs’ day. According to a Sikh scholar, those who lost loved ones and suffered during the genocide of 1984 have never been able to forgive and forget the genocide by Indian government, especially because the Congress men have not been punished.
In addition, almost all Sikhs still nurse a deep sense of hurt for the unwarranted attack on Golden Temple in 1984, the killings that happened, and the debasement and destruction of Akali Takht. In addition, they still remember that top Hindu leaders had been passing derogatory remarks against Sikhs and badmouthing them. Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, first Indian Prime Minister had reportedly said: “The Sikhs are a lawless people and a menace to the law-abiding Hindus … The Government should take strict measures against them.” Vallabh Bhai Patel, late Indian top politician is on record having said: “I hate the very physique of a Sikh because of the turban and beard”. Balram Jhakhar, a colleague of P.V. Narsimharao, the former Indian Prime Minister had said: “To preserve the unity of India, if we have to eradicate 2-crore (20 million) Sikhs, we will do so.”
On Saturday, Indian government started granting domicile certificates to thousands of Indian nationals in Muslim-majority Jammu and Kashmir, characterizing it as an attempt to change the demographic structure of the disputed region. Eligible non-locals, along with those who have lived in India-occupied Kashmir for 15 years or studied for seven years and appeared in class 10th or 12th examinations in a local school, can apply for the certificate under the new law. Sikhs, other minorities and northern states are watching such sinister moves of Indian government that are a recipe for disintegrating India.
—The writer is a senior journalist based in Lahore.
