KHALISTAN EXTREMISM MONITOR
A project of the Institute for Conflict Management
A project of the Institute for Conflict Management
22-Mar-2023
The National Security Council Coordinator for strategic communications at the White House, John Kirby on March 22 condemned the acts of violence against the Indian Consulate in San Francisco.
20-Mar-2023
Indian Americans strongly condemned the attack and demanded that those responsible for it be brought to justice right away. The Foundation for India and Indian Diaspora Studies (FIIDS) remarked, "We are outraged by the entire breakdown of law and order in both London and San Francisco when a few radicalized separatists stormed India's diplomatic offices.”
19-Mar-2023
A group of pro-Khalistan protesters on March 19 attacked and damaged the Indian Consulate in San Francisco, United States (US). As per accounts, the protesters forcefully breached the temporary security barriers that had been erected by the city police and placed two ‘Khalistani’ flags inside the premises of the Indian Consulate in San Francisco. The flags were promptly removed by two consulates. Subsequently, a group of angry protesters invaded the consulate's grounds, chanted pro-Khalistan slogans, and vandalized the doors and windows using iron rods. The group also reportedly spray-painted a call to ‘free Amritpal’ on the outer wall of the Indian Consulate. Ajay Bhutoria, a community leader, denounced the attack and stated that this violent act not only poses a threat to the diplomatic ties between the US and India but also disrupts the peace and harmony within the community.
08-Mar-2023
The United States Department of State Spokesperson, Ned Price on March 8 condemned terrorism in all of its forms including those who resort to violence to achieve their ends, whether they are political or otherwise. When asked about Khalistani activists that are active in North America, he said, "So we condemn terrorism in all of its forms. We condemn terrorism; we condemn violent extremism. We condemn all of those who resort to violence to achieve their ends, whether they are political or otherwise. There is never a justification to resort to violence. Regardless of the motivation, regardless of the perpetrator, we take the threat of terrorism around the world, whether that's to regional peace and security or to our own security."
04-Mar-2023
According to media reports, A 60-year-old Indian-origin Sikh man, identified as Rajvir Raj Singh Gill, a former Bakersfield City Council candidate, was arrested on March 4 in the United States (US) for allegedly attempting to hire people to shoot multiple people and burn down the property of Gurdwara Shaheed Baba Deep Singh Ji Khalsa Darbart in California, US.
15-Feb-2023
North American Punjabi Association on February 15 raised “serious concern” over growing incidents of gang wars and weapons smuggling in the state. An executive director of the United States (US)-based organisation, Satnam Singh Chahal mentioned, “it is very unfortunate that only a few gangsters out of several arrested between 1996 and 2023 were imprisoned”.
15-Jan-2023
The United States’ (US) Republican politician, Robert Bob Lancia said that the US need to be more vigilant for its borders given the fact that Pakistan has a history of supporting terror activities. He said that the law enforcement agencies of the US state of Rhode Island need to be vigilant to counter any threat. "For many decades, Pakistan has been the epicenter of terrorism, harboring the most UN designated terrorists in the world within its borders. Besides supporting Jihadi terror groups, Pakistan also leaked sensitive nuclear secrets at least to Iran and North Korea, the other two sponsors of terrorism and oppression in the world. Pakistan has also been actively involved in sponsoring terrorist activities in India - not just Jihadi terrorism but also Khalistani terrorist activities, which are mostly based outside of India," said Lancia, who is a former US Navy chaplain. He claimed that Pakistan-supported Khalistan militants may be active in the US state of Connecticut. "In fact, it looks like Pakistan-supported Khalistan militants even may be active in Connecticut! A Khalistani terrorist group was responsible for the bombing of Air India Flight 182 on June 23, 1985. It was a Boeing 747 jumbo jet carrying 329 passengers & crew members, with citizens from Canada, England, and India aboard. They were all killed in the worst terrorist attack in Canada's history," he said. Lancia further said that knowing the background of Khalistan, and Rhode Island's porous border with Connecticut, 'it’s extremely important that law enforcement agencies remain vigilant'.
03-May-2022
The Akal Takht on May 3 declared a United States (US)-based Sikh publisher, Thaminder Singh Anand, a “tankhaiya” (guilty of religious misconduct) for making distortions in the Gurbani (hymns) and asked the community to boycott him till he appears before the Takht to apologise for his offence.
02-May-2022
The Chairman of the Global Organization of People of Indian Origin (GOPIO), Thomas Abraham said that the group's Connecticut chapter will meet the legislators behind the General Assembly's pro-Khalistan statement and explain the situation. He deplored the statement calling it "terrible". Abraham, who is based in Connecticut, said that a "fringe group got it adopted at the tail-end of the Assembly session without the knowledge of most elected officials". GOPIO's Connecticut chapter "deplores such act by Connecticut legislators who initiated and/or endorsed this legislation and will meet them personally to correct the situation", he said.
01-May-2022
The Indian World Forum raised concern over the US State provocation of pro-Khalistani groups. The forum stated that the resolution passed by the US State of Connecticut influences and promotes Khalistan and thereby challenging the sovereignty of India. The Indian World Forum President, Puneet Singh Chandhok condemned the resolution and said, "The Sikhs living in India are the law-abiding citizens who even have any differences or grievances with the government still remain within the system and seek their demands within the judicial system. Unfortunately, Anti-India elements sitting outside the country and working at the behest of different countries and security agencies have been again and again trying to sabotage and disturb the communal harmony in the state of Punjab in particular". "With such resolution being passed by the state of Connecticut in the US, it will be clearly influencing a separatist ideology that Sikhs of India don't advocate. There were certain differences during the 1984 riots, certain resolutions were passed. Sikhs always thrive for a progressive and prosperous India and never strive to disrupt the peace of any country. It's shocking to know that the state of Connecticut's general assembly has passed an official citation and the Mayor has tendered his resignation. Such activities clearly instigate a separatist ideology that we don't advocate. I was brutally attacked on August 25, 2018, by the Khalistan agents working at the behest of ISI Pakistan and by the activists of Sikhs for justice. To date, I have not received justice from the US authorities instead they are more interested in passing such a kind of resolution which indirectly promotes Khalistani ideologies," said Indian World Forum President.
30-Apr-2022
The United States (US) state of Connecticut recognized April 29 as the ‘Anniversary of the declaration of Sikh Independence Day’. The letter reads, “Be it hereby known to all that: The Connecticut General Assembly offers its sincerest congratulations to the World Sikh Parliament in recognition of the 36th anniversary of the declaration of Sikh Independence. We join with you, your friends, and your family in commemorating the historic resolution passed on April 29th, 1986 by the collective Sikh Nation gathering known as ‘Sarbat Khalsa,’ Sikhs Political Centre, situated in the holy city of Amritsar in Punjab.” However, the Connecticut general assembly’s decision has attracted sharp criticism by leaders across party lines in India. The controversial declaration came in the backdrop of violent clashes which broke out between Shiv Sena and pro-Khalistan groups on April 29 in Patiala in Punjab, India.
29-Apr-2022
The National Commission for Minorities on April 29 has urged the Ministry of External Affairs to raise with the US the issue of attack on Sikhs there and ensure that appropriate steps are taken to prevent and combat hate in America.
06-Apr-2022
Delhi Police found in its probe that a United States (US)-based telecom service provider was used by Sikhs For Justice (SFJ) leader Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, to make pre-recorded threat calls to several Supreme Court (SC) lawyers on the day the apex court was to hear the case related to the security lapse during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Punjab on January 5. According to reports, Police are now procuring more details under a mutual legal assistance treaty (MLAT) with the US. A senior police officer said that “during investigation, we initially found that calls were made using a US-based telecom service firm. We then approached them and they provided details of an account holder, who had booked the account to make all these calls. All the documents belonged to Pannun, but the account holder’s name was not Pannun.” Later, after multiple communications with the service provider, the police were told that the account holder had changed his name to Pannun. It was found that the firm intimated the account holder about the probe following which he changed his name. “After establishing Pannu’s role, the police are now procuring more details under MLAT and communicating with the concerned agency for further help,” an officer said.
06-Apr-2022
Puneet Sahani, a Sikh activist who coordinates the content on Sikhs for Enlightenment Values Association (SEVA), on April 6, 2022, received a death threat from Khalistanis on Twitter. The Twitter user utf8tty (Name mentioned as ‘Eintmaar’ that means ‘someone who throws bricks’) shared a recording clip in which a person who has the same Display Picture (DP) and name as Twitter handle utf8tty says, “They do not know who I am. Listen to me. I have hired two private investigators to find the whereabouts of Puneet Sahani. I will perforate him the day we find the address. These people are nothing in front of us.” Later, the Twitter user utf8tty was suspended on April 7. Sahani is on a mission to highlight the ‘real Sikh history’. He has actively criticized the Khalistan movement and its sympathizers, making him one of the prime targets of the Khalistani elements.
01-Apr-2022
More than a dozen lawmakers, including Indian-American Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi, introduced a resolution in the United States (US) House of Representatives to designate April 14 (Baisakhi) of each year as the National Sikh Day. Observing that the Sikh community, which began immigrating into the United States over 100 years ago, has played an important role in developing the US, the resolution supports the designation of ‘‘National Sikh Day’’ to honour and celebrate the important role played by the Sikh community in strengthening and inspiring the people of the US.
19-Feb-2022
According to reports, a bronze statue of Mahatma Gandhi in New York was defaced earlier this month by unknown culprits, igniting outrage and condemnation from the Indian American community in the city. The 8-foot-tall statue, located in Union Square near New York University, did not suffer permanent damage from the incident on Feb. 4. People investigating the incident said that the vandals reportedly covered the statue with a cloth and wrote obscenities on it, saving it from permanent damage and extensive cleanup. “The Consulate condemns this act of vandalism in the strongest terms," the Consulate General of India in New York said in a statement issued after the incident. “The matter has also been taken up with the US State Department for immediate investigation and urged appropriate action against those responsible for this despicable act.”
08-Feb-2022
Pro-Khalistan outfit 'Sikhs For Justice' (SFJ) vandalized a life-sized statue of Mahatma Gandhi in Chicago and San Francisco in the United States (US). According to reports, this is the second such incident by the secessionist group SFJ in the past four days. The banned outfit also pasted posters with abusive language that can be read as “I am rapist & father of India: Rape Capital of world.” Earlier SFJ vandalised the statue of Mahatma Gandhi in Union Square Park, New York. The 8-foot-high statue, located in Manhattan’s Union Square, was defaced by some unknown persons, the Consulate General of India said. “The Consulate condemns this act of vandalism in the strongest terms. The matter has been taken up with local authorities. The matter has also been taken up with the US State Department for immediate investigation and urged appropriate action against those responsible for this despicable act,” it said.
28-Jan-2022
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said that adequate measures have been taken against the desecration of the Mahatma Gandhi statue in Washington in US. The MEA spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said that “Adequate measures were taken against such attempts. There was also an attempt to desecrate the statue of Mahatma Gandhi in Washington DC.” India had lodged a strong protest with the US law enforcement agencies against the “mischievous act” by “Khalistani elements” who masqueraded as protesters and defaced the statue of Mahatma Gandhi in Washington.
26-Jan-2022
According to reports, Pro-Khalistanis installed the Khalistan flag on the statue of Mahatma Gandhi in front of the Indian Embassy in Washington and burnt a copy of the Indian constitution and Indian flag in London outside the Indian High Commission. Sikhs For Justice (SFJ) chief Gurpatwant Singh Pannun who led the burning of the Indian flag in Washington DC, sated that “This is Sikhs vs Hind war in which the SFJ is using the most potent weapon of the century – ballot – to liberate Punjab from Indian occupation.”
24-Jan-2022
An event organized by the Sikh and Punjabi community in Washington thanked Indian Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi for his contribution to Sikh history, tradition and culture.