Khalistan
 | This article possibly contains original research. (December 2007) |
Sikh Republic of Khalistan | |
|---|---|
 Flag | |
| Anthem: Deh Shiva Bar Mohe | |
| Official languages | Punjabi and English[citation needed] |
Khālistān (East Template:Lang-pa), official title Sikh Republic of Khalistan, was the name given by Jagjit Singh Chauhan, to a proposed nation-state based on theocratic principles.[1]. The idea was conceived by a few Sikh leaders who believed that like Muslims in Pakistan, Sikhs too should separate from India. The movement for Khalistan rose to its crest in 1980s in India and then slowly ebbed out, however the movement still finds considerable support among expatriate Sikhs[2].
The Sikh ruler Ranjit Singh had an independent state with Lahore as the capital until 1849 until it invaded British territory and was therefore conquered. Under the Treaty of Amritsar the state was to restored to the Sikhs once Duleep Singh attained the age of 21. [3]. However Ranjit Singh himself was secular ruler who respected all religions.
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. Supported by the Pakistani Inter Services Intelligence[4][5] agency,the movement reached its peak 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 caused the deaths of thousands of innocent Sikhs [6].
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, 2001 attacks), 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 for lack of admissable evidence and released, while a third accused Inderjit Singh Reyat was sentenced to ten years after pleading guilty.[7] 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. This book was later viewed by the official Commission of Inquiry in Canada as a work of fiction based on the events surrouding Flight 182 especially after the plead of guilt by Inderjit Singh Reyat[8]
Another book written by acclaimed investigative journalist Salim Jiwa titled 'Margin of Terror': A Reporter's Twenty-Year Odyssey Covering The Tragedies of the Air India Bombing, gives an eye-witness account of the terrorist bombing of Flight 182 and appears to be more in line with the findings of Canadian Law Enforecement.[9]
Other prominent journalists who have had death threats against them for their investigative journalism on Khalistan terrorism include Vancouver Sun journalist, Kim Bolan and Tara Singh Hayer who was murdered on November 18th 1998. In 1999, Canadian Journalists for Free Expression renamed its Press Freedom Award the "Tara Singh Hayer Press Freedom Award" in Hayer's honour. Each year, the award is given to a Canadian journalist who, through his or her work, has made an important contribution to reinforcing and promoting the principle of freedom of the press in Canada or elsewhere.
Geography
According to the Khalistan web-site:
The geographical boundaries of Khalistan will include current East Punjab, 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 Deset will make the geographical boundaries of Khalistan. (Source: http://www.khalistan.net)
This would make the proposed region a Hindu majority [10]. Paramjit Singh Ajrawat states that Khalistan will be a theocratic state with Sikh ethos and ecumenical principles will make some of the fundamentals of Khalistan's constitution, but this led to thousands of Hindus fleeing Punjab[11] when thousands were killed by Sikh militants during the 1980's [12]
References
- ^ Website of Paramjit S. Ajrawat
- ^ http://www.cbc.ca/national/blog/video/politicseconomy/canadas_political_culture.html
- ^ http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m2242/is_1618_277/ai_68157986
- ^ 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.
- ^ Human Rights Watch; Time for India to Deliver Justice in Punjab]
- ^ Sentencing Inderjit Singh Reyat
- ^ Commission of Inquiry into the Investigation of the Bombing of Air India Flight 182 TERRORISM, INTELLIGENCE AND LAW ENFORCEMENT – CANADA’S RESPONSE TO SIKH TERRORISM http://www.majorcomm.ca/documents/dossier2_ENG.pdf DOSSIER 2)
- ^ Salim Jiwa, Donald J Hauka (2006). Margin of Terror - A Reporter's Twenty-Year Odyssey Covering The Tragedies of the Air India Bombing. Key Porter Books. p. 288. ISBN 1552637727.
- ^ A Demographic Case Study of Forced Migration:The 1947 Partition of India Authors: Hill K, Seltzer W, Leaning J , Malik SJ, Russell SS4, Makinson C, http://paa2004.princeton.edu/download.asp?submissionId=41274
- ^ Thousands of Hindu Workers Flee Punjab as Sikhs Step Up Violence NEW YORK TIMES Published: May 24, 1988 http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=940DE1DD1E3FF937A15756C0A96E948260
- ^ Sikh Terrorism in Punjab http://www.punjabtrauma.org/