#khalistan
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HEY DO YOU KNOW ABOUT THE ASSASSINATION OF A PROMINENT SIKH LEADER IN CANADA AND WHY THIS MATTERS?
I generally don't like to write current events-y stuff here, but since I'm not seeing any people talking about this in my corner of this hellsite, I figured I might as well.
DISCLAIMER: For the record, I'm part Punjabi, raised culturally Sikh in the United States, I don't actively practice Sikhism, and I'm writing this assuming a non-Sikh, non-Desi audience that knows little to nothing about Indian politics. I am trying to be as factually accurate as possible but if certain information is incorrect, I will correct this post because a) this is an ongoing issue so the information I have right now may not turn out to be correct and b) my memory is fallible and while I did try to fact-check the background information I remembered, many of these historical events have accounts that differ drastically from each other, so it is difficult to establish a definite truth. This post was written and last updated 25 September 2023.
So, the basic facts of what happened:
Hardeep Singh Nijjar was killed on 18 June 2023. He was a proponent of the Khalistan movement. In the past week or so, Canadian government officials have accused India of orchestrating his assassination.
Khalistan? What's That and Why Does It Matter?
Like quite a few things in Desi politics, the idea of Khalistan can be traced back to the Partition. At the heart of the Partition, the idea was that Pakistan is for the Muslims and India is for the Hindus.
However, India is not exclusively populated by Hindus, no matter how hard Modi and the BJP* try to make it a Hindu-only nation through their Hindu nationalist policies. Among other religious minority groups, many Sikhs had to made the new India their home, because of the religious persecution they would face in Pakistan. The Radcliffe Line (the line of partition) runs right through Punjab, the ancestral homeland of, among others, most Sikhs. In Punjab, during the Partition, Hindus, Sikhs, and Muslims carried out sectarian violence against each other.
What this means is that a lot of Sikhs were displace from their homeland and subjected to discrimination and violence based on their religion in both Pakistan and India. As a result, some members of the Sikh community started calling for a new nation to be carved out of the Punjab regions in Pakistan and India. This new nation was to be a Sikh nation, much like Pakistan for the Muslims and India for the Hindus, and it was to be called Khalistan.
(Little bit of anecdotal trivia: apparently identifying as Punjabi first and Indian second when describing ethnic background is more common among Punjabi Sikhs, due to Sikh efforts to show their connection to Punjabi in an attempt to make Khalistan a Sikh nation in the Punjabi region.)
Needless to say, the Indian government did not and does not like the idea of a Sikh nation and sees the idea of it as a terrorist threat.
*Bharatiya Janata Party, the Hindu nationalist party currently ruling over most of India.
Operation Blue Star and Indira Gandhi
As part of this rising call for a Sikh nation, Sikh militant groups sprung up. Indira Gandhi's government wanted to arrest one of the most prominent leaders of a Sikh militant movement. However, he and his supporters were holed up in the holiest site in Sikhism, the Golden Temple in Amritsar.
On one of the holiest days in Sikhism, the martyrdom day of Guru Arjan Dev, the Indian military began their attack on the Golden Temple, known as Operation Blue Star. Long story short, Sikh pilgrims were killed during both the fighting and in extrajudicial killings by the military afterwards.
In anger at how Gandhi's government had carried out Operation Blue Star, two of her Sikh bodyguards assassinated her. Anti-Sikh pogroms then occurred, with independent estimates of the number of Sikhs killed ranging from 8,000 to 17,000.
This only made tensions between the Sikh community and the Indian government worse; I see this as a defining moment in how the government of India responds to the Khalistan movement and both Sikh extremist violence and peaceful support.
Oh and did I mention yet that the Indian government has outlawed the Khalistan movement?
The law that does this dates back to 1967, by the way.
Hardeep Singh Nijjar
And so now we come to the story of the recently-assassinated Hardeep Singh Nijjar.
Due to Khalistani activism being outlawed in India, many Khalistani activists have settled abroad. This includes Nijjar, who became a Canadian citizen in 2007 and had first come to Canada to apply for asylum after having been arrested by the Indian police in connection with his pro-Khalistan stance. He continued his Sikh and Khalistani activism in Canada until he was killed in the parking lot of the gurdwara he belonged to by two masked gunmen.
The Canadian government recently alleged that the Indian government war involved in the killing of Nijjar, but has not yet provided firm evidence.
Why Does This Matter?
Obviously, as a culturally Sikh person, it matters to me because this assassination is part of a legacy of violence targeting my community due to perceived associations with terrorism. (Yes, there are some Sikh extremists and terrorists, but the overwhelming majority of Sikhs are neither extremists nor terrorists.)
But this has ramifications that everyone should care about.
Canada and India have recently done tit-for-tat diplomatic expulsions due to the Canadian government's allegations
The US may also get dragged into this because Canada alleged that American intelligence gave them some information necessary to prove the involvement of the India government
The UK may also get dragged into this because they, too, have a sizeable Punjabi Sikh community that includes multiple MPs and the government has historically had strong relationships with both Canada and India
Despite the BJP's involvement in anti-Muslim violence, Modi and his government still enjoy a cozy relationship with many Western nations; this may start to change, although change is unlikely as Western governments see being allied with India as key to countering Chinese influence
If India is proven to be behind the assassination, this could be bad for other Khalistani activists in the Sikh diaspora because it means the Indian government could potentially target and kill them, too
This is important. Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere, and this isn't an isolated incident. I know I probably didn't do a great job explaining this, but it's hard to summarize about 550 years of oppression and violence and politics and culture and how that has manifested over the past 80 years, leading to the murder of a prominent leader in the Sikh diaspora.
For further reading on this, I'd suggest this BBC article, which includes information on some other Khalistani activists recently killed.
Anyhow, I'll keep trying to follow the news on this and update this post as needed, likely through reblogs.
#current events#sikhism#religion#khalistan#canada#india#hardeep singh nijjar#look i really don't like to write politics and current events shit#but it's important to me to just put this out in the hopes that more people hear about this and also understand what it means#i tried to keep this short so there's a lot i left out
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I didn’t know the Indian government could be more disgusting but then I found out they’re assassinating Sikh activists (including on foreign soil) and falsely calling them terrorists so
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the fact that khalistan activists are literally being labeled as terrorists when they are being MURDERED just for wanting a separate country makes me feel sick
and the fact NOBODY is speaking about this is so horrible
#khalistan#free khalistan#punjab#hardeep singh nijjar#hardeep singh puri#khalistan referendum#punjabi#india#india partition
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Jo log India mein rehte bhi nahi unhe India se Khalistan chahiye
Not lahore that was Maharaja Ranjit Singh’s Capital
Not Gujranwala that was Guru Maharaj’s birth place
Not US/UK/Canada where they live kyunki sasura wo log jail mein daal denge.
Bhaisahab ko chahiye bhi India mein, aur west punjab lene ki himmat nahi hai kyunki jis ISI se funding/training mil rahi hai usse gaddari kaise kare, but India se Haryana Himachal bhi maang rahe hai.
All while Indian Sikhs inka support bhi nahi kar rahe. Because they believe this is not what the Gurus taught them, but these people are speaking over them in saying that all the Sikhs want it.
Bhai, jigra chahiye hota hai itni entitlement rakhne ke liye, koi aam baat hai itna besharm hona?
#khalistan#bhoi being bitchy#sikhism#desiblr#anti khalistan#Harmandir Sahib allowing those pro protests tho#It hurts
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Wake up, Canadians, before it's too late.
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#35mm#kodak gold#kodak gold 200#film photography#nagar kirtan#surrey#gurdwara#nishan sahib#khalistan#zindabad#sikh#punjab#punjabi#personal#dusk#twilight#sunset
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Who are Sikhs and why are they demanding a separate homeland?
Sikhs: Understanding their Identity and Demand for a Separate Homeland
Sikhism, a religion founded in the 15th century in the Punjab region of South Asia, is characterized by its unique blend of spirituality, equality, and humanitarian principles. Sikhs follow the teachings of their ten Gurus, with Guru Nanak being the first and Guru Gobind Singh being the last living Guru.
Sikhs, known for…
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Video
youtube
General counsel Gurpatwant Singh Pannun Appearance Via Video Screen at S...
#youtube#khalistan#referendum#referendum2023#referendum 2023#sikhs#sikh#sikh issues#freedom#gurdwara#surrey#canada#gurpatwant singh pannun#sikhs for justice#speach#punjab#punjabi#golden temple#1984#1947
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When in doubt, blame Putin
#Canada#safe haven#killers#terrorists#criminals#Ukraine#NaziGate#Waffen SS#India#Khalistan#Sikh#Bangladesh#CSIS#corruption
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Roma representative of Indian diaspora visited Sikh National Holocaust Museum in Derby U.K. to express solidarity with Sikh Nation.
Tents of Sikh men are imprisoned for dream of self determination of Sikh Nation.
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Fall of Sikh Empire
Welcome to our new video series examining the fascinating history of the fall of the Sikh Empire, also known as the Khalsa Raj, under the leadership of Maharaja Ranjit Singh (Sher - E - Panjab). In this series, we'll take a closer look at the factors that contributed to the decline and eventual dissolution of this once-great kingdom. Through a mix of stunning visuals and insightful vocals by Bhai Lakhwinder Singh Sohal Dhadi Jatha, we'll explore the key events and personalities that shaped this critical period in South Asian history. From the internal conflicts and political turmoil that weakened the Sikh empire from within, to the external pressures and military campaigns that eventually overpowered it from without, we'll delve into the many challenges that the Sikh people faced in the waning years of their empire. Join us as we uncover the legacy of Maharaja Ranjit Singh and the Khalsa Raj, and examine the lessons that can be learned from this pivotal chapter in South Asian history. Be sure to subscribe to our channel to stay up to date on the latest episodes, and don't forget to hit the like button and share with your friends. Let's explore the fall of the Sikh Empire together.
#Sikh#Khalsa#Khalsa Raj#Sikh Raj#Sikh Empire#Khalsa Empire#Khalistan#Punjab#Panjab#Lahore#Pakistan#Sher e punjab#Sher e Panjab#sikh raj kive gya#sikh raj kive gaya#Maharaja Ranjit Singh#The Black Prince#Kohinoor#Jind Kaur#Maharani Jind Kaur#Maharani Jind'an#Fall of the Sikh empire#Amritpal singh#amritpal#dibrugarh#singh#NSA#1947#1984#british rule
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How to ruin your mood 101:
You know for a fact that these asshats won’t even dare do this to Pakistan Embassy and demand Lahore back, but they have the mother fucking gal to put Indians who they share(d) a motherland with under the bus.
Fuck these seperatists. Fuck them all and tell them to beg it from whatever country they surrendered their passports to because they don’t have jackshit rights over our land.
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It has been more than 6 months since the Canadian PM Justin Trudeau leveled some serious allegations against the Indian government, but yet to provide any solid evidence to back them up. No wonder half the Canadians consider him a 🤡
Moreover, by giving a safe haven to khalistani extremists (also extremists from other countries), Canada will eventually turn into Pakistan-like country. Canadians need to wake up soon and elect a government which safeguards their interests and prioritises their security rather than the interests of illegal immigrants to score liberal brownie points.
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