KHALISTAN MOVEMENT – INTERNAL SECURITY
News: Bhagwant Mann says Pakistan, other nations funding Khalistan supporters
What's in the news?
● Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann said Khalistan supporters were getting funding from Pakistan and other countries, amid the ongoing turmoil in his State surrounding the recent activities of Khalistani sympathiser Amritpal Singh and his supporters.
Key takeaways:
● He said that the Punjab Police are capable of handling the issue and only a handful of persons support the movement in the State.
Khalistan Movement:
● The Khalistan movement is a fight for a separate, sovereign Sikh state in present-day Punjab (both India and Pakistan).
● Over the years, it has survived in various forms, in various places and amongst different populations.
● The movement was crushed in India following Operation Blue star (1984) and Operation Black Thunder (1986 and 1988), but it continues to evoke sympathy and support among sections of the Sikh population, especially in the Sikh diaspora in countries such as Canada, the UK and Australia.
Objectives of the Khalistan Movement:
● The primary objective of the Khalistan Movement was to create a separate Sikh state, which would be an independent nation for the Sikh community.
● The proponents of the movement believed that a separate state was necessary to safeguard the interests of the Sikh community and to protect their religion and culture.
● The movement also aimed to bring justice for the victims of the 1984 anti-Sikh riots and to address the grievances of the Sikh community.
● The Khalistan Movement was not limited to the demand for a separate state. It also had a socio-economic and political agenda. The movement aimed to bring about social and economic reforms in Punjab, which would benefit the Sikh community.
● The proponents of the movement believed that the Indian government had neglected the development of Punjab and that a separate state would be better equipped to address the needs of the people.
Reasons for the origin of the movement:
1. Partition of India:
● The origins of the movement have been traced back to India's independence and subsequent Partition along religious lines.
● Lahore, the capital of Maharaja Ranjit Singh's great Sikh Empire, went to Pakistan as did holy Sikh sites including Nankana Sahib, the birthplace of Guru Nanak, the founder of Sikhism.
● While most Sikhs found themselves in India, they were a small minority in the country, making up around 2 percent of the population.
2. Need of Autonomy:
● The political struggle for greater autonomy began around the time of Independence, with the Punjabi Suba Movement for the creation of a Punjabi-speaking state.
3. Regionalism:
● The States Reorganization Commission, in its 1955 report rejected the demand of autonomy, but in 1966 after years of protest, the state of Punjab was reorganized to reflect the Punjabi Suba demand.
● The erstwhile Punjab state was tri-furcated into the Hindi-speaking, Hindu-majority states of Himachal Pradesh and Haryana and the Punjabi-speaking, Sikh-majority Punjab.
4. Anandpur Sahib Resolution:
● The Punjabi Suba Movement had galvanized the Akali Dal which became a major force in the new Sikh-majority Punjab.
● The party met at the sacred town of Anandpur Sahib the birthplace of the Khalsa, in 1973 and released a list of demands that would guide the political path of the Akali Dal.
● Among other things, the Anandpur Sahib Resolution demanded autonomy for the state of Punjab, identified regions that would be part of a separate state and sought the right to frame its internal constitution.
5. Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale:
● Bhindranwale emerged as the extremist voice of Sikhs, over-ruling the moderate voices of leaders, declared himself as the protector and arbiter of Sikh rights and acquired arms.
● Demands for separate nation-hood for Punjab was carried out through violent protests and killings of high profile persons in the Indian government.
● He took up residence inside the Golden Temple, directing demonstrations and clashes with the Police.
● The Movement was geared towards the demands first articulated in the Anandpur Sahib Resolution, especially the socio-economic demands, which addressed concerns of the state's rural Sikh population.
● However, amidst growing religious polarization, sectarian violence and Bhindranwale's harsh rhetoric against Hindus, Indira Gandhi's government declared the movement tantamount to secession.
Operation Blue Star:
● Operation Blue Star began on June 1, 1984, but due to fierce resistance from Bhindranwale and his heavily armed supporters, the Army's operation became larger and more violent than had been originally intended, with the use of tanks and air support.
● The image of Indian Army tanks shelling the holiest shrine of Sikhism was traumatic and the very large number of civilian casualties that occurred during the operation added to the trauma.
The aftermath of Operation Blue Star - Communal Clashes:
● While the operation was ostensibly successful in its aims Bhindranwale was killed and the Golden Temple was freed of militants it gravely wounded the Sikh community around the world. It also galvanized the demand for Khalistan.
● On October 31, 1984, Prime Minister Indira Gandhi was assassinated by two Sikh bodyguards.
● This triggered the worst communal violence since Partition even according to conservative estimates, over 8,000 Sikhs were massacred in massive anti-Sikh street violence.
Causes for the Revival of Khalistani Movement:
1. Political instability:
● Punjab in recent years has witnessed a political crisis leading to a change in governments, ruling political parties and CM’s giving chance for radical outfits to grow.
2. Economic challenges:
● Punjab state has a high unemployment rate (According to data from the Centre’s Periodic Labour Force Survey 2019-20, Punjab’s unemployment rate is higher than the national average).
● The year-long Farmers protest in 2021 and railways blockades have led to the creation of negative sentiments among investors about the state’s investment environment leading to decreasing investments in Punjab and rising unemployment.
3. Rising communalism:
● Multiple events of blasphemy have taken place in the state which is flaming the fire of communalism among the people of the state.
4. Provocation from Pakistan:
● Investigations by security agencies suggest links between Khalistani groups and Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) – further increasing the likelihood of feelings of separatism due to drug trafficking and networking through Sikh pilgrimages.
5. Feeling of persecuted minority:
● Images of the 1984 anti-sikh riots and the topic of the non-persecution of culprits of the riots are being used to suggest that Sikhs are a persecuted minority and thus they must have their own land in the form of Khalistan.
6. Propaganda by parts of the Sikh diaspora:
● There is a threat of a re-emergence of the idea of Khalistan due to an increase in the propaganda by parts of the Sikh diaspora in Western countries, effectively utilizing social media.
7. Use of Social media as a uniting platform:
● It is pertinent to understand the re-emergence of Khalistan, wherein traditional propaganda machinery is being used to generate social media acceptance.
8. Identity consciousness among the youth:
● Further, it signifies a trend of identity consciousness among the youth residing in the West and Punjab. As discussed in the following paragraphs, ISI and the terror outfits operating from Pakistan heavily oversee the internet presence of elements spreading Pro-Khalistani content.
● Such social media activity is generated through traditional networks that still work on the ground in collaboration with Pakistan’s ISI, seeking to create a groundswell for the idea of a Sikh homeland.
Cause of Concern:
1. Threat to national security and integrity:
● The resurgence of the Khalistan movement is a threat to national security similar to the Kashmir and NE insurgency.
2. May darken Punjab’s future:
● A poor law and order situation may deter investors to invest in Punjab thus further deteriorating its economy and leading to spillover effects in social and political sectors.
3. Involvement of diaspora:
● The idea of forming a separate state for Sikhs has died down in Punjab.
● However, it has attracted the attention of a large audience in the diaspora who now have settled in other nations for long and thus have lost their affinity with India as their homeland.
4. Misuse of social media:
● It defies any international boundary, thus misused by separatists in Pakistan and other nations.
5. Bilateral relations may be harmed:
● The Khalistan issue has already harmed Indo- Canada relations and now straining Indo-UK due to the conduction of Referendum 2020 in these countries despite the Indian Government’s objection.
Calls for Proactive Measures:
1. Recognizing new challenges:
● Recognizing the challenge posed by traditional stakeholders and new social media recruits is necessary.
2. Collaborate with foreign governments:
● The Indian security and intelligence forces need to collaborate with foreign governments to monitor anti-India activities carried out by the Khalistani forces and restrict their funding sources.
3. Enhance security efforts:
● The Indian government must heighten security efforts to counteract the increase in Khalistani social media activity since the opening up of the Kartarpur Corridor.
4. Promote economic and social development:
● At the domestic level, the Punjab and Union governments and security forces must collaborate to improve the economic condition of the state to again put the state on the path of development.
5. Engage with the Sikh diaspora:
● Indian agencies, such as the missions established in those countries, must diplomatically engage with the Sikh diaspora to tackle the misinformation campaign being peddled by Khalistani organizations. Such engagements will facilitate a positive relationship between the Indian state and the Sikh diaspora.
6. Beef up security:
● Indian security forces need to step up their preparedness to tackle the increase in drones used to deliver weapons and drugs to Punjab.
7. Engage Pakistan:
● In addition to Western countries, India should not back away from exercising diplomacy with Pakistan and should work to extradite terrorists hiding in Pakistan.
8. Trained Armed Forces:
● Police must be effectively trained to deal with this new phenomenon of urban terror.
● Every state should have an NSG-type of commando force to counter lethal terror strikes.
9. Multi-pronged strategy:
● Focusing on rational and logical counter-propaganda should be adopted with the help of civil society, NGOs, etc. We need to have very strong online surveillance capabilities.
● Social media monitoring capabilities to counter such kind of radicalization of youth by Khalistan supporters
The secessionist movements such as the Khalistan movement should be tackled smoothly without hurting the sentiments of Sikhs. It is need of the hour that the Indian government must take steps and measures to prevent the movement from gathering attraction by arresting the sympathizers and supporters of Khalistan as done in the recent Punjab case (arrested Khalistani terrorist).