Daily Times

For years now, New Delhi has been getting a good night’s sleep by laying its Sikh conundrum at Pakistan’s doorstep. Peddling its next-door neighbour’s hand in the heated Khalistan narrative is a flute Indian hawks love to toot. But no matter how overwhelming of a cult such well-woven conspiracies attract, they remain just that: conspiracies. If not, Punjab Independence Referendum would not have garnered much attention. 30,000 British Sikhs standing steadfastly against harsh weather to shout out their intent to the world is not something India can easily brush under the rug. Hadn’t a leading Indian diplomat, Harsh Vardhan Shringla called the demand a “bogus issue” backed by a “handful?” After all, the fact that this vote was able to withstand Indian pressure and a raging pandemic–albeit its delay–speaks volumes about the determination and sheer passion of Sikh leadership. The decision to hold the referendum on the day Prime Minister Indira Gandhi was assassinated in 1984 is yet another testament to their unrelenting campaign for the secession of Punjab. India may belittle them as a minority group–smearing Pakistan along the way–but it cannot make light of the injustice the Sikh community feels on the issue of Operation Blue Star. Over three decades later, there is still no sense of closure. Meanwhile, those who escaped the bloodbath of anti-Sikh riots found refuge in countries around the globe. There’s the forever simmering Indian accusation of Canada sheltering Sikh separatists so much so that Narendra Modi once gave a surprising cold shoulder to PM Justin Trudeau’s highly-popular charming offensive. However, the plea for Boris Johnson to follow suit sadly went in vain.

It would have served the saffron leader better to strike at the base of the disaster-in-making than whip a storm over what went on in other countries. Yet, this constant paramnesia about the plight of those living right under his nose well feeds into his mantra of a blind India. New Delhi wants to drown the protests in Kashmir using pellet guns. Farmers threatening to set themselves ablaze at Lal Qilla are painted as dancing to the tune of Islamabad. Indian Muslims are a sordid sight of torture as they are perpetually battling the demons of their faith in their loyalty test to their state.

While Sikhs for Justice are all set to knock on the doorstep of the United Nations, the Modi Sarkar is also prepared to pipe down the latest thorn in the much-touted Akhand Bharat. Any other leader might have been embarrassed at personally receiving a rubberstamp of disapproval but going by his nefarious reputation, Mr Modi might already have taken the dagger out. The sidelines of the climate summit would definitely be devoted to stifling the new Punjab agenda. *