"More than anything else, Khalistan is a project for bringing about the destruction of the Indian state in a welter of communal disturbances."
- Connor Cruise O’Brien, 1988
Image credit- Times of India
On September 29, 2022, an unknown figure, Amritpal Singh, took over the “waris Punjab de” organisation- which propagates the cause of an independent sovereign state of Khalistan- initially created by the late Punjabi Actor Deep Sidhu. Since taking over the organisation, Amritpal Singh has attempted to advance the cause of Khalistan, which posed serious national security threats. But what exactly is the Khalistan movement, how did it arise, and how is it still relevant today?
History of Khalistan
The Khalistan movement is a separatist movement whose aim is to create a separate sovereign homeland for the Sikh community called Khalistan (The land of pure). The roots of Khalistan lie in the British colonial Policies of the 19th and 20th centuries. During the 1857 revolt, a large number of Sikh soldiers were recruited in the British Indian Army, who were used against the Hindu rulers that rebelled against the British raj. After the revolt, the British declared the Sikhs as a Martial race- a concept through which the British divided the Indian society. Those communities who were loyal towards the British or helped them during the 1857 revolt were declared as Martial races which gave them preference in the recruitment process of the army and several other benefits such as land concession .
Through this division, the British started sowing seeds of separatism in the Sikh society by separating them from the Hindus. Organisations such as Tat Khalsa and Shiromani Akali Dal were created and supported by the British through which they divided the Sikh and the Hindu society. Therefore, the first demand of Khalistan came in 1929 when Motilal Nehru demanded Total independence (Purna Swaraj) from the British. This demand was opposed by 3 leaders: Mohammad Ali Jinnah, representing the Muslims, Dr. Ambedkar, representing the Dalits and Master Tara Singh, representing the Sikhs.
Following independence, the Punjab State covered present-day Haryana and Himachal Pradesh, with a Sikh population of approximately 6 million. Leaders of Shiromani Akali Dal desired a distinct territory for the Sikh population, which evolved in the Punjab Suba Movement- which was a political campaign led by Punjabi-speaking individuals (mainly Sikhs) who sought the establishment of an autonomous Punjabi-speaking state, in the post-independent Indian state of East Punjab. The Akali Dal's ultimate goal was to establish an autonomous state within India, followed by a sovereign state. Later, proponents of Khalistan used the issues raised during the Punjabi Suba movement to justify the foundation of a separate Sikh nation. The Sikh majority Punjab was established in 1966, following huge protests from the Akali Dal, when the Punjab Reorganisation Act was enacted in Parliament. However, the Sikh leaders' quest for autonomy grew stronger. The Movement was officially launched in 1970 by the Khalistan Council of West London, led by Jagjit Singh Chouhan. Throughout the 1970s, several extremists in Punjab campaigned for greater autonomy for the region and incited hostility towards non-Sikhs. One of these leaders was Jarnail Singh Bhindranwalla, a well-known Sikh preacher and controversial leader who was responsible for the deaths of thousands of Nirankari Sikhs and Hindus who disagreed with his teachings. Because of Punjab's vote-bank politics, the Congress Party openly supported him in the state election to oppose the Akali Dal. Kamal Nath, a Congress leader and Sanjay Gandhi’s friend recalled "The first we interviewed did not look a ‘courageous type’. Bhindranwalla, strong in tone and tenor, seemed to fit the bill. We would give him money off and on, but we never thought he would turn into a terrorist.”The Movement was at its peak in 1984 when Bhindrawalla and his supporters sought refuge in the Golden Temple by creating it as their base.
Image credit- The Quint
Operation Blue Star was thus carried out by the Indian armed forces, which resulted in neutralising the militants and killing Bhindrawalla in the process. However, the damage caused by the army was severely criticised by the Sikh community, as the main complex of the Golden temple was destroyed due to the conflict. This event led to the assassination of Indira Gandhi, the then Prime Minister of India, which caused riots against the sikh community across the country. Around 3000 sikhs in Delhi and an estimated 8000 Sikhs were killed across 40 cities in India. This event radicalised the Sikh community which resulted in widespread militancy in Punjab throughout the 1980s and 1990s.
The Current Situation and Rise of Amritpal Singh
The Khalistan movement revived after 2 decades of peace, with the rise of Amritpal Singh's Popularity. He first gained prominence during his time in Dubai where his separatists views and ideas of Sikh community influenced the youth.
Singh returned to India in August 2022 and was appointed as the leader of Waris Punjab De (WPD), which translates to "Heirs of Punjab." Singh's earlier LinkedIn profile picture shows him wearing a shirt and having a nicely groomed beard and short haircut. When Singh returned to India, he wore a completely different outfit. He started wearing exclusively traditional Sikh attire and a turban. He donned a beard, wore a steel bracelet on his wrist, and carried the kirpan, a dagger that hung from his hip. People noticed Singh's similarities to Bhindranwale. Singh has stated that he draws inspiration from the former leader. In a symbolic move, Singh's appointment as head of the WPD was conducted at Bhindranwale's ancestral village.
Amritpal Singh explored the socioeconomic difficulties in Punjab after returning to India, which has resonated with locals. When Singh arrived in Punjab, one of the first things he did was establish a drug rehabilitation centre. For decades, Punjab has struggled with extensive drug misuse, compounded by significant unemployment. According to a survey conducted by the Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER), 10% of the population in the state of 30 million people uses drugs. Meanwhile, a 2021 economic survey reported that Punjab has an unemployment rate of 7.4%, one of the highest in India. Even though both drugs and unemployment have consistently ranked high as issues in political polls, politicians have yet to provide results. By addressing these issues, Amritpal garnered support of the Sikh diaspora not only in India but also in foreign countries.
Pro-Khalistan separatists in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom, as well as Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) Agency, have provided financial and logistical assistance to the Khalistan cause.
According to Ajai Sahni, an Indian defence analyst, Pakistan's ISI spy agency provided refuge, training, arms, and funding to Khalistani terrorist organisations and coordinated "their activities with Islamist terrorist organisations such as the Lashkar-e-Toiba and the Hizb-ul-Mujahideen, as well as with organised crime operators and drug and weapons smugglers who have assisted in the movement of men and materials across the border into Punjab."
Supporters of Khalistan in the West have actively lobbied the governments of the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom against India while raising money for the terrorist organisations operating in Khalistan. They frequently transfer money using unofficial hawala networks, which are frequently used by criminal and terrorist groups in South Asia. For instance, in March 2017, US resident and Khalistan fanatic Balwinder Singh was found guilty of giving material support to terrorist organisations in India and given a 15-year sentence in federal prison. On "charges of conspiracy to provide material support to terrorists, conspiracy to murder or otherwise harm persons in a foreign country," as well as for fabricating an asylum claim, the FBI had detained him in 2013. Singh was helping Babar Khalsa and Khalistan Zindabad Force to carry out terrorist acts in India.
Future of Khalistan
Khalistan's establishment as a sovereign nation would depend on several complex factors, including political talks, international recognition, and the Indian government's willingness to engage in conversations about the Sikh community's right to self-determination. Khalistan being a distinct country would ultimately depend on the dynamics and conditions of actual events, which are prone to change and adapt through time.
However, looking at the current situation, Khalistan’s existence seems to be practically impossible. Several Khalistani separatist factions disagree on the borders of Khalistan. Some claim solely the Indian state of Punjab, while others claim Pakistani Punjab as well as other portions of north India such as Chandigarh, Himachal Pradesh, and Haryana.
Punjab is heavily reliant on the central government on matters such as defence, economy, (a major part of which consists of agriculture), water, electricity etc. A huge ecological crisis is predicted on the land of Punjab in the next decade or two, due to the overuse of chemical fertilizers by the farmers, and stubble burning which has destroyed 30% of the soils and resulted in groundwater depletion. As a result, financial vulnerability of farmers have been most visible in Punjab, where rural suicide rates have risen alarmingly. Some reports suggest that Punjab was the second state after Bihar (44.7%) that saw the highest spike in suicides in percentage terms over the last year. Of the 1.39 lakh suicide cases reported in all states last year, 10,281 (7.4%) were associated with the farming sector. Of these, 5,957 were farmers/cultivators and 4,324 agricultural labourers. The NCRB report’s claim that ‘bankruptcy or indebtedness’ was behind only 4.2% suicide cases across the country has been contested by the farmer organisations. According to a 2019 Indian news story, indebtedness remains a serious issue impacting Punjabi people today, as seen by the more than 900 farmer suicides recorded in Punjab in the last two years. Apart from agriculture, the secondary and tertiary sector are not developed either.
Geographically speaking, the state of Khalistan will be a landlocked country, surrounded by India on 3 sides and Pakistan on one side. It will be difficult for them to either import or export their goods outside the subcontinent. Looking at Pakistan’s current economic crisis, it will be less likely that both the countries would engage in bilateral trades.
Another dark secret of the Khalistan movement is that it is a casteist movement as there is mostly one kind of Sikh caste involved in the movement, i.e., the Jatt Sikh. Jatt Sikhs are the most influential caste of Punjab who account for approximately 30% of the population, yet control about 90% of the landmass in the state. The Dalit Sikhs of Punjab make 32% of Punjab’s total population and do not own any land and instead work on the land of Jatt Sikh, where they face caste discrimination on a regular basis. Mazhabi Sikhs are the lowest caste in the Sikh community. They are of the same caste as the ati-shudra Balmikis.Originally known as Raghretas in Sikh literature, the tenth Sikh Master Guru Gobind Singh elevated them to a position of honour. Although Sikh leaders recognise the Mazhabis and Ravidasias' contributions to the community and have attempted to include them in their organisations, both groups remain alienated due to discrimination by higher-caste Sikhs, particularly the Jatts. This discrimination resulted in the conversion of the vast majority of Mazhabi Sikhs to christianity.
In 2014, both the SAD and the Indian National Congress (INC) expressed their disapproval to Christian Mazhabi persons being reconverted to the Sikh faith in a ceremony organised by the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). However, The RSS claimed that it was not encouraging conversion to Hinduism, but rather to Sikhism, and that the SGPC had been too lenient in halting the flood of poor Sikh families converting to Christianity.
Conclusion
The Khalistan movement is a complicated and fragile issue, and any discussion about how to contain it should prioritise nonviolent tactics and negotiations with respect to human rights . It's vital to remember that debating containment does not mean accepting or opposing the movement; rather, it explores alternative solutions to the problem. It can be addressed in different ways.
The first and foremost way is to Address the Root Cause- recognise and resolve the underlying frustrations that drive the movement. Socioeconomic inequalities, political marginalisation, cultural concerns, and historical injustices must all be recognised and rectified through proper policy measures.
De-radicalization and Engagement is one of the most important steps as it is crucial to engage with the Sikh community, both inside and outside of the Khalistan movement, to build trust, develop understanding, and address issues. Encourage community leaders, religious figures, and civil society organisations to take a positive role in fostering dialogue and peace.
Counter Radicalization and Extremism can be the next step towards integrating the SIkh population. The purpose of this step is to implement targeted anti-radicalization and anti-extremism programmes that promote tolerance, pluralism, and peaceful coexistence. Emphasis should be placed on education, community engagement, and fostering a sense of belonging and identity within a varied society.
International Cooperation is also very crucial. The Indian government must engage with international partners, particularly nations with significant Sikh populations, to share experiences, viewpoints, and best practices in dealing with comparable movements or separatist concerns. Collaborative initiatives can serve to increase understanding and foster peaceful resolutions.
Image credit- The Print
By: Ishaan Banwait
Ishaan Banwait is a 3rd year student at Hindu College, Delhi University, and is currently pursuing a degree in English Honours . He has a keen interest in politics, International Relations and Sports (Cricket and Football). He is also an in-house writer of the Hindu College Gazette, published by the Symposium Society.
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