Khalistan Movement

• The Khalistan movement is a Sikh separatist movement seeking to create a homeland for Sikhs by establishing a sovereign state, called Khalistan in the Punjab Region.
• The geographical area of proposed state involve land that currently forms Indian Punjab, Chandigarh and some parts of the neighbouring Indian states, most particularly bordering Punjabi-speaking areas of Himachal Pradesh, Haryana and Rajasthan.
• Over the years, the movement has survived in various forms, in various places and amongst different populations.
• The movement was crushed in India following Operation Blue Star (1984) and Operation Black Thunder (1986 and 1988), but it continues to evoke sympathy and support among sections of the Sikh population, especially in the Sikh diaspora in countries such as Canada, the UK, and Australia.

1. Before Independence

• The Singh Sabha Movement: It was founded at Amritsar in 1873 with a two-fold objective, to make available modern western education to the Sikhs, and to counter the proselytizing activities of Christian missionaries as well as the Brahmo Samajists, Arya Samajists, and Muslim maulvis.
• The Akali movement (also known as Gurudwara Reform Movement): It was an offshoot of the Singh Sabha Movement. It aimed at liberating the Sikh gurudwaras from the control of corrupt Udasi mahants.

2. After Independence

• 1947 Partition of India: Partition left Sikhs in a lot of discontentment with regard to their traditional lands being lost to Pakistan and also a mass exodus of immigrants from Pakistan.
• Punjabi Suba movement: It was initiated in 1955 under Akali Dal, a Sikh dominated political party. It sought re-organization of Punjab along linguist lines, seeking division of the state into Punjabi and non-Punjabi speaking areas. After a series of violent protests movement resulted in the trifurcation of Punjab into Punjab, Haryana, and Himachal Pradesh.
• Anandpur Sahib Resolution: It reignited the passion of Sikhs and sowed the seeds of the Khalistan movement. The resolution demanded autonomy for the state of Punjab.
• All the above events have strengthened the claim of Khalistan.

Intensification of Movement

Although the above events have sown the seeds of Khalistan, the Khalistan movement was intensified by the following events:

• Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale: He travelled across Punjab advocating a return to the Khalsa or a more orthodox form of Sikhism.
• He was inspired by the Khalistan ideology & led the Khalistan as an extremist movement (through violent protests and killings of high-profile persons in the Indian government) and turned against the Indian government.
• Operation Blue star (1984): It was conducted to capture Bhindrawale in Golden Temple Complex, but the operation resulted in a strong anti-India sentiment.
• The assassination of Indira Gandhi: The then PM Indira Gandhi was assassinated by her Sikh guards in 1984. Her killing was followed by wide-spread riots against the Sikhs in Delhi & other parts, the genocide of Sikhs across India fuelled more anti-India sentiment.
• Radicalization of youth: Manifold extremist groups like the Khalistan Liberation Force, Khalistan Commando Force, Babbar Khalsa, and others gained prominence and roamed around freely across Punjab. Which led to more polarization and radicalization of youth by these groups.
• Role of Pakistan: Pakistan’s ISI tried to foment the violence by providing support to extremist groups.
• Referendum 2020: Sikhs for Justice (SFJ) in its London Declaration has announced to hold the first-ever non-binding referendum among the global Sikh community with the goal of re-establishing Punjab as a nation-state.

Contemporary Status

• At the present, Khalistan movement is a dormant movement in India.
• It does not hold much traction in the urban or local populace of Punjab.
• But the movement gets ideological support from Sikhs living in Canada, UK or USA.
• They pump money, ideological support to the struggle; ISI of Pakistan is still pumping money and effort in reviving the movement.