MEA has asked the Indians in Canada to be cautious and vigilant

MEA has asked the Indians in Canada to be cautious and vigilant

Subject : Internal Security/ PIC

Context : Citing a “sharp increase in incidents of hate crime, sectarian violence, and anti-India activities” in Canada, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) issued an advisory for Indian nationals and students who are in Canada.

 Concept :

The advisory has come a few days after media reports of a “Khalistan referendum” in Canada, as well as reports of the vandalising of a Hindu temple recently.

 Khalistan Movement

The Khalistan movement is a Sikh separatist movement seeking to create a homeland for Sikhs by establishing a sovereign state, called Khalistān in the Punjab Region. Such a state existed in Punjab from 1709 to 1849.

Historical events responsible for Khalistan:

• 1947 Partition of India –Independence of India was not a joyful event for Sikhs, partition left Sikhs in a lot of discontentment with regard to their traditional lands being lost to Pakistan.
• The fight for a separate Sikh state owes its origins to the Punjabi Suba Movement. The Akali Dal – a Sikh-dominated political party – sought to create a separate Sikh Suba or Province.
• When the States Reorganization Commission, constituted to assess the demand for separate states by linguistic groups, made its recommendations, it rejected the Akali Dal’s
• But after a series of violent protests, the Indira Gandhi government relented in 1966.
• The state was trifurcated into Punjabi-majority Punjab, Hindi-majority Haryana and the Union Territory of Chandigarh. Some hilly regions of the state were merged into Himachal Pradesh.
• However, the Anadpur Sahib resolution reignited the passion of Sikhs and sowed the seeds of Khalistan movement

  Causes:

• The Khalistan movement is a Sikh nationalist movement that wants to create an independent state for Sikh people, via armed struggle or political, inside the current North-Western Republic of India Such a state existed in Punjab from 1709 to 1849.
• The idea of Khalistan was an idea first created in 1940s, remained idle but was revived by an NRI seeking a separate homeland for Sikhs.
• In early 1980s, the movement had emerged as a major separatist movement, fed mostly by bias of Indian Government against Punjab in the case of Chandigarh and sharing of Ravi-Beas waters.
• There was intense political rivalry between Congress Party and the Akali Dal, Akali Dal was gradually gaining ground as the political representative of the Sikh community.
• Congress leadership of that time tried to divide the Akalis by propping up diverse groups of people within the Akali Dal.
• Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale led the Khalistan as an extremist movement, he was initially used by Congress to counter Akali Dal but later he was inspired by the Khalistan ideology and turned against Indian government.
• The movement was fed on arms under the patronage of Pakistan’s ISI who was seeking revenge for creation of Bangladesh.
• 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 Indian government.

Present status of the movement

• At the present, Khalistan movement is a dormant movement in India.
• It does not hold much traction in the urban or local populace of Punjab. .
• But the movement gets ideological support from Sikhs living in Canada, UK or USA.
• They pump money, ideological support to the struggle, ISI of Pakistan is still pumping money and effort in reviving the movement.