KHALISTAN EXTREMISM MONITOR
A project of the Institute for Conflict Management
A project of the Institute for Conflict Management
29-Jul-2025
A British parliamentary panel, the Joint Committee on Human Rights, on July 29 released a report naming India among 12 countries accused of engaging in transnational repression to silence dissent in the United Kingdom (UK), particularly targeting Sikh activists. The report stated that such actions instil fear and curtail freedoms within diaspora communities. The committee also expressed concerns about the misuse of Interpol notices by states, including India.
24-Jul-2025
On July 24, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, during his meeting with United Kingdom (UK) Prime Minister Keir Starmer at Chequers, expressed strong concerns over the rising activities of pro-Khalistan elements in Britain. Modi criticised the global double standards in combating terrorism and emphasised that individuals exploiting democratic freedoms to incite violence must be held accountable. He also urged expedited action on the long-pending extradition of economic fugitives, including Vijay Mallya and Nirav Modi. Both leaders reaffirmed their commitment to enhancing cooperation on counter-terrorism and criminal justice.
24-Jul-2025
Recently released documents from the United Kingdom (UK)’s National Archives and Parliamentary evidence submissions have alleged transnational repression of Sikh activists by Indian state actors. The report, originally submitted to a UK Parliamentary Committee inquiry on transnational repression, includes a seven-page dossier by the World Sikh Parliament (WSP) detailing alleged surveillance, harassment, and intimidation of Sikh activists by Indian agencies and their proxies.
16-Jul-2025
British Member of Parliament (MP) Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi, Chair of Parliament’s Defence Select Committee, criticised the United Kingdom (UK) government in an interview with Times Radio for its mishandling of a major data breach that exposed the personal details of over 33,000 Afghan nationals to potential danger. Describing the incident as “an absolute mess and wholly unacceptable,” Dhesi condemned the secrecy surrounding the case, enforced through a super injunction, and indicated that a parliamentary investigation may be launched. The breach, which occurred in 2022 due to an error by a Ministry of Defence official, compromised the identities of Afghans who had supported British forces. Although the government has issued an apology and implemented remedial measures, legal action is now being prepared on behalf of nearly 1,000 affected individuals.
02-Jul-2025
The family of Khalistani terrorist Avtar Singh Khanda, who died in 2023, has recently renewed calls for an inquest into his death, in West Midlands in the United Kingdom (UK). Their lawyer, Michael Polak, wrote to West Midlands Coroner Louise Hunt, noting that the samples were not tested for 'nerve agents, biological agents, or nuclear agents.' A forensic pathologist consulted by the family observed that poisoning could not be conclusively ruled out, pointing to gaps in the original toxicology screening.
27-Jun-2025
According to a recent Daily Mail investigation, the murder of parcel delivery driver Aurman Singh in Shrewsbury, United Kingdom (UK), on August 21, 2023, was the culmination of a violent gang feud rooted in a money dispute. The conflict reportedly began when Singh was slapped by the leader of a Sandwell-based Sikh gang during an argument over finances. Following the altercation, Singh joined a rival gang in Derbyshire, escalating tensions between the two factions. Over the next ten months, the rivalry intensified, marked by multiple violent incidents—including a riot at a kabaddi match just one day before Singh’s fatal stabbing.
24-Jun-2025
On June 24, UK High Court judge Justice Jay dismissed the libel claim filed by the UK chapter of the Khalistani terror outfit Sikhs For Justice (SFJ) against Conservative peer Lord Rami Ranger, but allowed the defamation suit brought by SFJ chief Gurpatwant Singh Pannun to proceed. The GBP 500,000 case arises from Ranger’s 2021 interview and tweet alleging that SFJ and Pannun were funded by “the enemies of India.”
05-Jun-2025
On June 5, United Kingdom (UK) Sikh Members of Parliament Warinder Juss and Jas Athwal renewed calls in the UK Parliament for an independent, judge-led inquiry into the Thatcher government’s alleged involvement in India’s 1984 Operation Bluestar. Citing declassified documents from 2014 suggesting that British military advice was provided ahead of the assault on the Golden Temple, the Labour MPs urged the government to honour its past commitments to the Sikh community. They reminded Parliament that Labour had included such an inquiry in its 2017 and 2019 manifestos. In response, House Leader Lucy Powell acknowledged the concerns but noted there was still no update from the Foreign Office.
01-Jun-2025
On June 1, the Sikh Federation United Kingdom (UK) issued a letter to Prime Minister Keir Starmer, warning that it will begin a campaign to no-platform Labour Members of Parliament (MPs) starting August 1 unless a judge-led public inquiry is announced by the end of July into Britain’s role in the 1984 Operation Blue Star. The federation is demanding that the inquiry examine both UK involvement in the operation and anti-Sikh actions during Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher’s tenure. Backed by 455 gurdwaras and Sikh organisations, the federation also plans to lobby all MPs for support.
15-May-2025
A Sikh couple, Harman Singh Kapoor and his wife Khushi Kapoor, alleged they were repeatedly attacked by Pakistani men in London on May 15 and claimed police failed to act due to influence from Mayor Sadiq Khan. Harman said he was arrested for calling an assailant “Pakistani,” deemed “racially aggravated” by police, while the real attackers were ignored. The couple also reported facing rape and death threats for over two years, which police dismissed as “freedom of speech.”
02-May-2025
On May 2, over 100 Members of Parliament and peers in the United Kingdom (UK) urged Foreign Secretary David Lammy to take swift diplomatic action to secure the release of British Sikh Jagtar Singh Johal, who has been jailed in India since 2017 on terrorism charges. The appeal came a day after the Supreme Court of India, on May 1, declined to rule on Johal’s seven pending bail applications and provided no timeframe for their resolution.
01-May-2025
Members of the Indian community on May 1 gathered outside the Indian High Commission in London to express solidarity with the victims of the Pahalgam terror attack and to counter a parallel protest by pro-Khalistani and Pakistani demonstrators. Waving the Indian tricolour and chanting anti-terror slogans, the diaspora strongly condemned the killing of 26 civilians in Pahalgam and urged the international community to take action against Pakistan-sponsored terrorism.
25-Apr-2025
On April 25, a senior Pakistan Army official, identified as Taimur Rahat, sparked outrage by making a throat-slitting gesture toward a group of peaceful demonstrators outside the Pakistan High Commission in London, United Kingdom (UK). Holding a poster of Indian Air Force officer Captain Abhinandan Varthaman, Rahat mocked the demonstrators—a moment that quickly went viral and drew widespread condemnation for its unprofessional conduct.
02-Apr-2025
On April 2, Gurpreet Singh Johal, brother of British Sikh Jagtar Singh Johal—who faces multiple terror-related cases in India—told the United Kingdom’s All-Party Parliamentary Group on Arbitrary Detention in London that his brother had been moved to solitary confinement, further worsening his prison conditions. Jagtar has been detained in India since 2017 and was acquitted in the first of nine cases in March 2025.
05-Mar-2025
Khalistani extremists on March 5 heckled and attempted to attack Indian External Affairs Minister (EAM) S. Jaishankar as he was leaving in a car after attending an event at the Chatham House think tank in London, United Kingdom (UK). A video circulating online showed a man tearing the Indian national flag in front of London police officers, who remained unresponsive. Pro-Khalistan supporters also staged a protest outside the venue.
04-Mar-2025
Indian External Affairs Minister (EAM) S. Jaishankar discussed trafficking and Khalistani extremism with United Kingdom (UK) Home Secretary Yvette Cooper on March 4 in London, amid India’s concerns over Khalistani separatist activities in the UK. He also reviewed India-UK Free Trade Agreement (FTA) negotiations with Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds, emphasizing a balanced and mutually beneficial deal. Meanwhile, the UK announced the opening of Indian consulates in Belfast and Manchester to strengthen bilateral ties and support the Indian community.
22-Feb-2025
The Harvard International Review on February 22 removed an article criticizing the Khalistan movement following backlash from Sikh readers and a complaint from Harvard’s Sikh chaplain. The article, published by Zyna Dhillon on February 15, argued that Khalistan lacked broad support and echoed Indian government claims about terrorism. Editors requested revisions, citing neutrality concerns, but Dhillon refused, calling the removal a "knee-jerk reaction."
28-Jan-2025
A leaked United Kingdom (UK) Home Office document has identified Hindu nationalism and pro-Khalistan extremism as emerging threats in Britain. Commissioned by Home Secretary Yvette Cooper, the report outlines nine forms of extremism that UK counter-extremism policy should address, including Islamist, extreme right-wing, extreme misogyny, pro-Khalistan extremism, Hindu nationalist extremism, environmental extremism, left-wing, anarchist and single-issue extremism, violence fascination, and conspiracy theories. It raises concerns over Hindu nationalist extremism following the Leicester riots and warns of a growing network of pro-Khalistan actors promoting violence. However, the findings have not been formally adopted as government policy.
28-Jan-2025
United Kingdom (UK) Home Office minister Dan Jarvis, on January 28, clarified that there are no plans to expand the definition of extremism, despite reports of nine forms of extremism identified in a leaked Home Office document. Published by the think tank Policy Exchange, the report listed Islamist, extreme right-wing, extreme misogyny, pro-Khalistan extremism, Hindu nationalist extremism, environmental extremism, left-wing, anarchist and single-issue extremism, violence fascination, and conspiracy theories as key threats. However, Jarvis emphasized that the findings do not represent current or future government policy.
26-Jan-2025
During the Indian Republic Day celebrations on January 26, pro-Khalistan supporters staged a protest outside the Indian High Commission in London, UK, criticizing India’s policies and calling for a separate Sikh state. This prompted a strong counter-protest by the Indian diaspora, who waved the Indian tricolour and chanted patriotic slogans like "Bharat Mata ki Jai" and "Vande Mataram." A significant police presence ensured both groups were kept apart to prevent violence.