Author : Gurpreet Singh , Student , Punjab School of Law , Patiala.
Introduction:
Khalistan Movement is a Separatist Movement with a main aim to create a Nation State which would serve as a Homeland for Sikhs in Punjab Region Of Indian Subcontinent.The proposed state would consist of land that currently forms Punjab, India & Punjab , Pakistan.
Ever since the separatist movement gathered support in the 1980s, the territorial ambitions of Khalistan have at times included Chandigarh, sections of the Indian Punjab, including the whole of North India & some parts of the western states of India. PM of Pakistan Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, according to Jagjit Singh Chohan had proposed all out help to create Khalistan during his talks with Chohan, following the conclusion of the Indo Pak War of 1971 which resulted in creation of Bangladesh.
The call for a separate Sikh state began in the wake of the fall of the British Rule. In 1940, the first explicit call for Khalistan was made in a pamphlet titled "Khalistan". With financial & political support of the Sikh diaspora, the movement flourished in the Indian state of Punjab — which has a Sikh majority population — continuing through the 1970s & 1980s, & reaching its zenith in the late 1980s. In the 1990s, the insurgency petered out & the movement failed to reach its objective due to multiple reasons including a heavy police crackdown on separatists, factional fighting, & loss of support.
Historical Background:
Sikhs have been concentrated in the Punjab Region of South Asia. Before its conquest by the British, the region around Punjab had been ruled by the confederacy of 12 Sikh Misls founded by Baba Banda Singh Bahadur. These 12 Sikh Misls Or Clans ruled over the entire Punjab region after defeating Mughals & Afghans from 1767 to 1799, until they were unified into the Sikh Empire Or Sarkar-I-Khalsa by Maharaja Ranjit Singh from 1799 to 1849.
In 1849, the Sikh Empire dissolved into separate princely states & the Punjab Province of British India. As a result of the British policy of divide & rule, which involved differentiating & designating religions into communal boundaries, many religious nationalist movement emerged among the Indians.
As British Indian Empire began to weaken in 1930s ,Sikh Leadership come with a demand of Separate Sikh Nation. When the Lahore Resolution of the Muslim League demanded Punjab be made into Pakistan, the Akalis viewed it as an attempt to usurp a historically Sikh territory. In response, the Sikh party Shiromani Akali Dal argued for a community that was separate from Hindus & Muslims. TheAkali Dal imagined Khalistan as a theocratic state led by the Maharaja of Patiala with the aid of a cabinet consisting of the representatives of other units. The country would include parts of present-day Indian Punjab, Pakistani Punjab & the Shimla Hill States.
British India was partitioned on religious basis in 1947, where the Punjab province was divided between India & Pakistan. As result, a majority of Sikhs, along with the Hindus, migrated from the Pakistani region to India's Punjab, which included present-day Haryana & Himachal Pradesh. The Sikh population dropped to 0.1% in Pakistan which was 19.1 % at the partition & rose in the districts assigned to India.
Then Akali Dal demanded a Punjabi speaking Suba on the basis of language, which resulted into decade long agitation. After Punjab became a state of Punjabi speaking areas in 1966 with creation of Haryana & Chandigarh was made a union territory. Shiromani Akali Dal was defeated in the 1972 Assembly Elections. To regain public appeal, the party put forward the Anandpur Resolution in 1973 to demand division of power & further autonomy to Punjab. The Anandpur Resolution consisted of Religious & Political Demands which also included to Transfer of Chandigarh & other areas back to Punjab. It also demanded that power be radically divided from the Central to state governments.
Central government termed it as separatist document which led to tensions & militancy in Punjab. During this militancy in Punjab Innocent Hindus & Sikhs were being killed by militants & communal tension was rising in Punjab & leader of Damdami Taksal Jarnail Singh Bhindranwala gained popularity & he favoured Anandpur Resolution which talked about division of power & some religious things. Killings of innocent was happening on the name of separate Sikh State & to curb this Indian Govt. ordered Army Action against Bhindranwala & his armed supporters in Golden Temple Complex which resulted into Operation Blue Star in June 1984 which hurted the sentiments of Sikhs worldwide. As a result Indira Gandhi was assassinated by her bodyguards which resulted into anti sikh riots of Nov 1984 also known as Sikh Genocide. After this all , Militancy was at its peak. Innocent Sikhs & Hindus were being killed by militants . In 1992 INC won Punjab Assembly Elections & Beant Singh became CM of Punjab. He ordered strict measures to curb militancy under DGP K.P.S. Gill . Till 1995 militancy was wiped out from Punjab but with mass violations of human rights by Punjab Police in the form of extra-judicial killings.Jaswant Singh Khalra , a human rights activist who exposed lists of 25000 unclaimed dead bodies of persons killed in extra – judicial killings by Punjab Police , was assassinated by Punjab Police personnel who were later sentenced to Life Imprisonment by the court.
Myths & Facts :
The basic root cause of this issue was British policy of divide & rule. After enactment of Indian Constitution , a claim was made & spreaded that the Sikhs are being clubbed & included as a part of Hinduism in article 25 of Indian Constitution which ambiguously explains that "the reference to Hindus shall be construed as including a reference to persons professing the Sikh, Jain, Buddhist religion.”
If the constitution makers had COMMUNAL IDEA then Why they added Article 25 (1) which while also implicitly recognizing Sikhism as a distinct religion states "the wearing and carrying of kripans shall be deemed to be included in the profession of the Sikh religion.”
Which is a very clear & contradicting answers to this separatists & hate mongers on the name of Khalistan as Sikhism is recognised as a religion in Article 25 (1).
So this spreaded misunderstanding claim has resulted in hate ideology & in loss of life through militancy & is still causing wrong image in Sikh Diaspora which needs to be cleared.
Article 25(2b) was added for the purpose of some laws enacted by Indian Parliament to enforce them on 4 Religions i.e. Sikhs , Hindus, Buddhist & Jains by including them into a wider Umbrella Term Hindu
Farmers' Protest:
In ongoing farmer agitation , some miscreants raised Pro Khalistan slogans through which media started to malign peaceful protest as separatist which is totally wrong. The Farmers Protest is not Sikhs v/s Hindus & Sikhs v/s India .
This use of Khalistan is used by Sikhs For Justice a banned organization by Indian Govt. who is using it for it’s vested interests & creating hate & divide b/w hindus & Sikhs & fellow Indians which against the core values of Sikhism & Sikh Guru’s & also by the media & politicians to end this peaceful protest.
But recent Mishap at The Historical Red Fort on the Republic Day added fuel to tensions. As Farm Unions gave a call of Tractor March which was given permission by Delhi Police. As Police put restrictions enroute , they started to remove those restrictions & change of the route of rally. As a result protesting people got divided & without an elder leader reached Red Fort. Where they approached inside & some miscreants under the influence of Actor Deep Sidhu & a person Lakha Sidhana hoisted Kesari Nishan Sahib & Yellow green Farmer Union Flag at The Ramparts of Red Fort. Which caused a direct insult & shame on the republic day, however situation came under control & some violence reported with police. This Act of hoisting religious flags was totally wrong & idiotic as India is democratic State & National Flag’s respect is supreme. Some Communist Red Flags were also tried to hoist. Farmer Leaders & Politicians condemned this act. In 1783 Sikh victory on Mughals, Nishan Sahib was hoisted but now the circumstances are different & this is totally wrong.
Author's Opinion:
This Issue is a bogus issue which has no popular support now & Separatist people in abroad are against peace & integrity of India.
I condemn this idiotic act of disgrace to National Flag & India. The persons like Deep Sidhu & Lakha Sidhana must be put behind bars for this crime & NIA should investigate & punish all culprits behind it.
Sikhs hold much respectful position in world, Let’s aware people about it & prevent to tarnish this good image of Sikhism at world & expose these mental retards with vested interests & beware of mixing religion with politics as Khalistan issue is a result of all this & Operation Blue Star also.
References:
2. Constitution of India PDF , Available at
3. Constitution Of India BARE ACT , LEXIS NEXIS PUBLICATIONS
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