London Metropolitan police increased police forces in front of the India High Commission in London as tweeted by ANI. Amid Manhunt for khalistani leader Amrit Pal Singh, the Khalistan issue once again rises.
What is the Khalistan issue?
Khalistan refers to the Sikh separatist movement which demands the establishment of a separate sovereign state of Sikhs within Punjab. If established the state will comprise some parts of the Indian Punjab and some parts of Pakistan Punjab.
The movement was initiated in the 1980s during Indian independence. The Punjabi Suba movement was initiated for the creation of Punjabi speaking state.
In 1966, after long protests, Punjab was reorganized as Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, and Punjabi-speaking Sikh majority Punjab.
The protest continued then Operation Blue Star was initiated by Prime Minister Indira Gandhi in 1984. The Sikh community leader Bhindranwale was killed which disheartened the sikh community. The damage to the Golden Temple also came in the aftermath of Operation Blue Star.
Khalistan Movement Today
Khalistan Movement is agitated predominantly by those who don’t want to live in India. The bad old days of the Sikh community and worse communal anti-sikh riots resonate in sikh youth. Today’s conflict seems as if the roots are still alive. This hurts the social community of Punjab