Khalistan Referendum in Canada

Why in news?

The participation of Canadian Sikhs in the Khalistan Referendum seeking to carve out Punjab from India has become a bone of contention in India-Canada relations.

What events were responsible for Khalistan movement?

1947 Partition of India- Partition of India left Sikhs in a lot of discontentment as their traditional lands were lost to Pakistan.
Punjabi Suba movement - A movement was initiated in 1955 under Akali Dal, a Sikh dominated political party.
It seeked the re-organisation of Punjab along linguist lines with division of the state into Punjabi and non-Punjabi speaking areas.
The State reorganisation commission rejected Akali Dal’s demand for separate statehood.
Trifurcation of Punjab- The Punjabi Suba movement resulted in trifurcation of Punjab into Punjab, Haryana and Himachal Pradesh.
River water sharing- The sharing of waters of Ravi-Beas and Sutlej between Punjab and Haryana were the foundation on which the Khalistan dispute was created.

What was the course of the movement?

Evolution- The Khalistan movement is a Sikh nationalist movement that desired to create an independent state for Sikh people inside the North-Western Republic of India.
In early 1980s, the movement had emerged as a major separatist movement that was fed on arms under the patronage of Pakistan’s ISI.
Emergence of Bhindranwale- Bhindranwale emerged as the extremist voice of Sikhs and declared himself as the protector and arbiter of Sikh rights.
Operation Blue Star- Operation Blue Star was conducted to capture Bhindrawale in Harmandir Sahib Complex, but the operation resulted in a strong anti-India sentiment.
Killing of Indira Gandhi- The then PM Indira Gandhi was seen as an enemy of the Sikhs and two Sikh guards of her killed her in 1984.
Her killing was followed by wide-spread riots against the Sikhs across India fuelling more anti-India sentiment.
At the present, Khalistan movement is dormant in India but gets ideological support from Sikhs living in Canada, UK, USA and ISI of Pakistan.

Operation Sundown- Aborted mission which was planned by the RAW agency to abduct Bhindranwale.

Operation Metal- It was limited to Golden Temple

Operation Shop - Capturing of suspects from outskirts of Punjab

Operation Woodrose- Carried out by Indian Army throughout Punjab

Operation Black Thunder- Second phase of Operation Blue Star that began in 1988 to remove Sikh militants from the Golden Temple.

What is the current happening in Canada?

Recently, thousands of Canadian Sikhs took part in an unofficial voting exercise, the “Khalistan referendum”.
The unofficial referendum is a voting exercise that is being organised across several countries by the US-based Sikhs for Justice (SFJ) organisation, which was banned in India in 2019.
The referendum seeks to establish a consensus among Sikh communities to carve out a separate homeland called Khalistan within the Indian state of Punjab.
The group says that it would then approach the UN and other international human rights bodies with the demand to re-establish Punjab as a nation state.
Recently, a prominent Hindu temple was defaced by Canadian Khalistani extremists with anti-India graffiti in an apparent hate crime.
A similar referendum was held in London in November 2021.

What is the stand of both the governments?

Canada- The Canadian authorities have defended this as an exercise in freedom of speech.
India- The Indian foreign ministry has accused Canada of allowing extremists to carry out politically-motivated exercises that are threat to the integrity of India.
The Canadian government has reiterated that they respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of India, and that they will not recognise the so-called referendum.

What is the history of Indians in Canada?

Canada has a sizable Indian-origin population, making up among the world’s largest Indian diasporas.
The immigrants from India account for at least 1.4% of the population of Canada.
Canada is a preferred destination for higher education for many Indian students today, second only to the US.
It is estimated on the basis of Canada’s Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, Canada (IRCC) report, around 60 - 65% of those applying to go to Canada are from Punjab.
Some sections of the Punjabi Sikh community have also supported and funded the Khalistan separatist movement.
They have even hosted many individual Khalistani ideologues and extremists.

References

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