Khalistan
 | This article possibly contains original research. (December 2007) |
Sikh Republic of Khalistan[citation needed] | |
|---|---|
 Flag | |
| Motto: Khanda (religious symbol)[citation needed] | |
| Anthem: Deg o Tegh o Fateh or Deh Shiva Bar Mohe[citation needed] | |
| Location of Khalistan | |
| Capital | New Delhi or Amritsar[citation needed] |
| Official languages | Punjabi and English[citation needed] |
| Establishment | |
- This is about the proposed Sikh nation-state, see Khalistan movement for a detailed article on the attempted creation of this state.
Khālistān (East Punjabi: ਖਾਲਿਸਤਾਨ), was the name given to a proposed nation-state by Jagjit Singh Chauhan, official title Sikh Republic of Khalistan, a modern state based on theocratic principles,[1] but some others argue that it will be a democratic country. It was instigated by a few Sikh leaders who believed they, like Muslims of Pakistan, Sikhs too should get a new state. The Sikhs had an independent state (Emperor Maharaja Ranjit Singh's Sikh Empire) until 1849 until the British invaded and under the Treaty of Amritsar the state was to restored to the Sikhs once Duleep Singh attained the age of 21.
The following solemn assurances were made by Gandhi and Nehru:
"The brave Sikhs of Panjab are entitled to special consideration. I see nothing wrong in an area and a set up in the North wherein the Sikhs can also experience the glow of freedom. (Jawaharlal Nehru, Congress meeting: Calcutta - July, 1944)
History
In the 1970s and 80s, a movement began in the Indian state of Punjab to secede from the Indian Union and create a separate sovereign Sikh state of Khalistan. Fueled by the Pakistani Inter Services Intelligence[2][3] agency,the movement reached its zenith during mid 1980s under Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale. It then slowly ebbed out, primarily due to the loss of popular support. The movement also hindered economic investment, became increasingly militant, and threw Punjab into a state of anarchy with increased levels of terrorism. The movement was also countered by counter-terrorism operations conducted by the Indian Army and the Punjab Police led by KPS Gill, which drew international condemnation from human rights groups such as Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch after thousands of innocent Sikhs were killed. After the bombing of Air India Flight 182 that claimed the lives of 329 Canadian civilians over the Irish Sea (the worst aviation terrorist attack before September 11), support for Khalistan lessened to a large extent. Two of the accused in the case, the Sikh separatists Ripudaman Singh Malik and Ajaib Singh Bagri were found not guilty and released, while a third accused Inderjit Singh Reyat was sentenced to ten years after pleading guilty.[4] In 1989 Canadian journalists Zuhair Kashmeri and Brian McAndrew in their book Soft Target propounded a conspiracy theory that the Government of India could have staged the attack to portray the separatists in bad light.[5]
Geography
The areas claimed by the proposed state of Khalistan would have included the Indian states of Punjab, Haryana and Himachal Pradesh. Some supporters of Khalistan also include the Pakistani state of Punjab within the borders claimed for Khalistan, which some other Sikh leaders oppose.[citation needed]
Dr. Paramjit Singh Ajrawat, a Sikh community leader and pro Khalistan activist describes the boundaries of Khalistan as follows:
The geographical boundaries of Khalistan will include current Punjab (India), Haryana, Himachal Pardesh, part of Rajasthan and small part of Uttar Pardesh. River Ravi on the west and river Jamuna on the east will be some of the boundary lines between Khalistan & Pakistan, Khalistan & India respectively. In the north, part of Himalayan range and in south, part of Thar Desert will make the geographical boundaries of Khalistan.[6]
References
- ^ Website of Paramjit S. Ajrawat
- ^ Jaffrelot, Christophe (2004). A History Of Pakistan And Its Origins. Anthem South Asian Studies. Anthem Press. p. 127. ISBN 978-1843311492.
- ^ Shah, Mehtab Ali (1997). The Foreign Policy of Pakistan: Ethnic Impacts on Diplomacy, 1971-1994. I.B.Tauris. p. 23. ISBN 978-1860641695.
- ^ Sentencing Inderjit Singh Reyat
- ^ Zuhair Kashmeri, Brian McAndrew (1989). Soft Target - How the Indian Intelligence Service Penetrated Canada. James Lorimer & Company. p. 162. ISBN 1-55028-221-1.
{{cite book}}: Check|isbn=value: checksum (help) - ^ http://www.khalistan.net