Photo credit:Foundation for Pluralism
Critics believe that by creating fear of terrorism in Punjab, the intelligence agencies are trying to help the discredited Akali Dal-BJP alliance as part of a grand design.
The recent claims of Sikh separatists running armed training camp in British Columbia and conniving with Pakistani spy agency ISI in Canada to create disturbances in India is nothing more than fear mongering by the agents of a right-wing Modi government in New Delhi.
Some prominent Indian dailies recently reported that an armed training camp is being run in Mission by the Sikh extremists. Quoting unnamed sources in the Indian intelligence, these media outlets not only identified one Surrey-based Sikh man as the organiser of the camp, but also suggested that there is an attempt to revive terrorism and violence in Punjab. Some of these stories went on to indicate that the supporters of Khalistan, an imaginary Sikh homeland to be carved out of northern India, have joined hands with the officials of Pakistani spy agency in Canada.
The movement for Khalistan had started in Punjab following a deadlock between the government and the Sikh leadership seeking some extra rights for their province and several religious concessions. Not only were these demands ignored, but a parallel militant movement was propped up to weaken the cause of the moderate Sikh leadership. In 1984, the situation had completely deteriorated after the Golden Temple Complex, the holiest shrine of the Sikhs in Amritsar, had become a nerve centre of the activities of political extremists who were blamed for stockpiling weapons inside the place of worship and carrying out violence. An army invasion on the shrine to flush out militants had left many people dead and the buildings inside the complex heavily damaged.
The list of banned terror groups of India's National Investigation Agency (NIA) which has been handling these cases does not include a single Hindu extremist organisation. Only the Sikh, the Muslim or the Maoist groups are named in the list apart from other extremist movements associated with marginalised nationalities. In the light of criticism for going soft on Hindu extremism, it suits the interest of the Indian intelligence to find enemies elsewhere.
This has enraged Sikhs across the world. Under these circumstances, the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi was assassinated by her Sikh body guards. Her murder was followed by well organized massacre of the Sikhs by the leaders of the then ruling Congress party. These ugly political events strengthened the movement for Khalistan which was not popular until 1984. Only a fringe element within the Sikh community advocated for a separate homeland until 1984, the year that witnessed large scale repression of Sikhs. The bloody fight for Khalistan left thousands of people dead.
The armed insurgency by the Khalistani extremists went on until mid-1990s. Afterwards it lost popular support partly due to the atrocities committed by the militants who frequently targeted Hindus and their critics and partly because of police atrocities. However, the support for Khalistan has continued to prevail in Canada which has no dearth of political refugees from Punjab.
Also, because of the control of Sikh temples in Canada, Khalistanis wield lot of influence over local politicians. But it will be wrong to assume that Khalistan movement is still very strong and poses any real danger to India at this time. After all, when people in Punjab are not really interested in Khalistan, what difference it makes if some Khalistanis continue to carry on their propaganda in Canada?
A movement needs a popular appeal to survive. And that appeal is clearly missing here. One indicator is that Khalistani leaders in Punjab continue to face humiliating electoral defeats. So what do these media reports under current circumstances really mean? Going by the content, these reports only show an underlying bias and a hidden intent of the Indian state.
There is no doubt that Khalistanis have been involved in violent activities and that they have been carrying out bombings and mass killings with the support of Pakistan that borders Punjab, but is that sufficient to presume that Khalistanis still pose threat to the peace? The media reports being mentioned here have failed to establish anything substantial. Rather, they have created doubts over the purpose of these stories. All these stories which have been reproduced by the Canadian media lack attribution.
For instance, which agencies are making these claims have not been properly identified. Officers who are making these claims have not been named either. Ironically, the Canadian media that avoids stories without attribution has also reproduced some of these reports. The most important aspect of these stories is that the timing is very significant. These days, the Hindu extremists who have been involved in terrorist activities are getting reprieve through courts and with the help of investigators. They desire to covert India into a Hindu theocracy and have been involved in bombings of Muslim targets. Ever since the current Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi came to power with a brute majority in 2014, there were indications that the charges of terror against them will be gradually revoked. Modi is the leader of Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party which is known for its anti-minorities stance.
The pressure on the investigators handling the terror cases where Hindu extremists were involved to go slow has increased under Modi government. Going by the simple fact that Hindus make 80 percent of the Indian population, it should not surprise anyone that a Hindu nationalist government would never want to annoy its constituents. Hence, the process of giving back door amnesty to the Hindu extremists has begun.
So much so the list of banned terror groups of India's National Investigation Agency (NIA) which has been handling these cases does not include a single Hindu extremist organisation. Only the Sikh, the Muslim or the Maoist groups are named in the list apart from other extremist movements associated with marginalised nationalities. In the light of criticism for going soft on Hindu extremism, it suits the interest of the Indian intelligence to find enemies elsewhere. As of today, when extremists from the majority community pose much bigger challenge to the internal security of India what sense does it make to divert all attention to a dead movement?
Another aspect of this controversial development is that it comes at a time when Punjab is heading for assembly elections early next year. The BJP is in power in the state in partnership with Akali Dal, a regional party that claims to represent Sikh landlords and farmers. The two parties have lost considerable support and there are indications of a change of government. The critics believe that by creating fear of terrorism in Punjab, the intelligence is trying to help the two parties as part of a grand design. That these reports are outright biased can also be judged from a very simple fact that one of them unnecessarily tried to drag in the Sikh defence minister of Canada into the narrative. It read that the Indian authorities have written to Trudeau government which has a baptized Sikh defence minister to look into these reports.
Where was the need to bring in the defence minister and mention his religious belief? Whatever may be the reasons, the reports are flawed and lack credibility and clearly indicate that these are planted stories based on the script written by the Indian agents who instead of going after the terrorists from the majority community are trying to instil fear of ISI and Khalistani terrorism in the minds of the Indian public. Under a government that is being run by the supporters of Hindu nationalism what else can be expected?
Lastly, it's a shame that certain journalists who are dancing to the tune of Indian agents have sold their soul and instead of candidly reporting on the threat of Hindu extremism have chosen to spread lies. Let Indian people know that there are some real secularist Indians abroad who care for their home country and have always stood against Sikh separatists.
If need be they will stand up again if at all there is a real threat from them, but right now the real danger to you is not from Canada. It is actually from the people there in power who are terrorising minority communities and are determined to convert a pluralist Indian society into a Hindu theocracy and also the hate mongers in the Indian intelligence. So do not trust what you are being told by their apologists in the media. Instead be vigilant about the agenda of the ruling classes which are addicted to divide people to retain power.
(The writer is a senior journalist with radio in Canada, author of a book on the Victims and Families of the Air India Bombings by Sikh separatists in 1985, killing 329 persons on board).