Golden Temple Attack: Laid Foundation of Khalistan
Posted By Zaheerul Hassan
Khalistan
Paramjit Kaur Khalra, widow of Sardar Jaswant Singh Khalra, the late chairman of the Human Rights Wing, who exposed the Indian government’s policy of secret cremations with his study of the cremation grounds in Patti, Tarn Taran, and Gurgiana Mandir, recently said that Sant Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale never asked for Khalistan. Mrs. Khalra is involved in the Akali Dal (Badal). Sardar Khalra was murdered in police custody after his report on secret cremations was published.
“We are disturbed by Mrs. Khalra’s statement,” said Dr. Gurmit Singh Aulakh, President of the Council of Khalsitan, which leads the Sikh struggle for independence. “She is simply wrong. We know that she is serving as a mouthpiece for the Akali Dal (Badal),” Dr. Aulakh said. “That will not help her with the Sikh diaspora. Twenty-three million Sikhs outside Punjab and many inside Punjab are pushing for a free Khalistan, as Sant Bhindranwale did.” Dr. Aulakh noted that Sant Bhindranwale said that Sikhs are a distinct nation and that he said that “if the Indian Government invaded the Darbar Sahib complex, the foundation for an independent Sikh state will have been laid.”.” Sant Bhindranwale was formally declared a Sikh martyr by former Jathedar of the Akal Takht Joginder Singh Vedanti, who gave his son, Ishar Singh, a siropa.
Efforts to liberate Khalistan continue within Punjab. Former Member of Parliament Atinder Pal Singh led a seminar on Khalistan. He had asked while in Parliament why the Sikhs could not have their own state. A few years ago, 35 Sikhs were arrested for marching, chanting “Khalistan Zindbad”, and raising the flag of Khalistan. Dal Khalsa has led several marches in support of Khalistan. The flame of Khalistan burns brightly in the hearts of Sikhs both inside and outside Punjab. The Indian government’s response is to continue the repression of the Sikhs.
A report issued by the Movement Against State Repression (MASR) quotes the Punjab Civil Magistracy as writing “if we add up the figures of the last few years the number of innocent persons killed would run into lakhs [hundreds of thousands.]” According to Sardar Mann, the Indian government has murdered over a million Sikhs since 1982. Sardar Inderjit Singh Jaijee, author of The Politics of Genocide, and Bibi Baljit Kaur of the Movement Against State Repression (MASR) told Dr. Aulakh that if it were not for the efforts of the Council of Khalistan, that number might be ten times as high. India has also killed more than 300,000 Christians in Nagaland, over 100,000 Muslims in Kashmir, and tens of thousands of Tamils, Assamese, Manipuris, and others. The Indian Supreme Court called the Indian government’s murders of Sikhs “worse than a genocide.” Sikh activists have been arrested for holding peaceful marches, making speeches, and raising the flag of Khalistan. Former Akal Takht Jathedars Bhai Ranjit Singh, Joginder Singh Vedanti, and Professor Darshan Singh and Jathedar Balwant Singh Nandgarh of Damdamma Sahib have all supported freedom for Khalistan. Jathedar Nandgarh said, “There is no choice for the Sikh Nation except to establish an independent Khalistan.” Jathedar Vedanti said that “Khalistan is essential for the survival of the Sikh nation.” “Mrs. Khalra should be ashamed of her statement and she should not be working with the anti-Sikh Badal government,” said Dr. Aulakh. “In the spirit of Sant Bhindranwale, it si time to launch a Shantmai Morcha to liberate Khalistan,” he said. “As Professor Darshan Singh said, ‘If a Sikh is not a Khalistani, he is not a Sikh’,” Dr. Aulakh noted. “It is time to liberate Khalistan so that Sikhs can live in freedom and dignity.”
