The Shadow of Past Violence: Sikh Separatism and India-Canada Tensions
The current diplomatic crisis between India and Canada, sparked by allegations of Indian government involvement in the assassination of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a prominent sikh separatist leader, is deeply rooted in a decades-long history of conflict and mistrust.While the demand for an independent Sikh state, Khalistan, has existed for years, it has gained renewed momentum, bolstered by financial support from the sikh diaspora and fueled by perceived discrimination at the hands of the Indian government.
The origins of this unrest trace back to the 1980s, a period marked by escalating tensions and violence.A pivotal moment occured in 1984, following the assassination of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi by her Sikh bodyguards. The ensuing response from the ruling Indian National Congress manifested as widespread, organized mob violence against Sikhs, resulting in the deaths of thousands. This brutality was followed by a period where the Indian state allegedly engaged in the enforced disappearance of members of the Sikh community, further exacerbating the sense of grievance and fueling resistance.
Despite Sikhism’s core tenets of peace and divine love, a small faction of militants engaged in a prolonged campaign of violence. Before the attacks of September 11th, 2001, Sikh separatists were responsible for the deadliest act of aviation terrorism in history: the bombing of Air india Flight 182 in 1985, which claimed the lives of all 329 passengers and crew on board.
Since 2014, with the rise to power of Prime Minister Narendra modi and his Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the situation has reportedly deteriorated. Modi’s Hindu-nationalist policies have been accused of marginalizing and attacking religious minorities, and the Sikh separatist movement is viewed as a direct challenge to the BJP’s vision of a Hindu-dominant India. Indian intelligence officials, according to sources, harbor a deep-seated suspicion of Western motives, believing they are targeted by a concerted effort to undermine India’s sovereignty.
Hardeep Singh Pannun,a lawyer based in Queens,New York,is a key figure in the contemporary separatist movement. His law offices, described as unassuming and sparsely maintained, are considered by the Indian government to be a hub for coordinating activities aimed at destabilizing India, allegedly directing “Punjab based gangsters and youth” to undermine the country’s “sovereignty, integrity, and security.”
Pannun’s personal history is inextricably linked to the events of 1984. Growing up near Amritsar, he witnessed the Indian military’s Operation Blue Star, the raid on the Golden Temple – Sikhism’s holiest site – to remove Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale, a Sikh militant. The operation resulted in a significant loss of life, with government figures estimating a few hundred deaths, while independent reports suggest the toll exceeded four thousand. This event, and the subsequent Operation Woodrose – a campaign of mass detentions and interrogations of young Sikhs in rural areas – deeply impacted Pannun. He recounts witnessing the violence and the disappearance of friends, one of whom was reportedly subjected to brutal torture.
The legacy of these past events continues to shape the present, contributing to the complex and fraught relationship between India, Canada, and the Sikh diaspora, and fueling the ongoing debate surrounding the pursuit of Khalistan.
