There is a general impression that activists advocating for Khalistan (an independent country for Sikhs), are operating mainly from Canada and the UK. However now they are active in the USA also, which is evident from the address delivered by prominent Sikh leader, Dr. Amarajit Singh.
The leader addressed a religious gathering of Sikhs in New York and talked about exploiting the situation which has emerged, regarding the on-going military standoff between India and China (where China has refused to restore status-quo-ante of April 2020).
Has the stand-off created opportunity for realizing Khalistan?
At this religious gathering, the slogan “Akal Takhat ton aai awaaz, Khalistan, Khalistan” [Call has come for realizing Khalistan from Akal Takht (in Golden Temple premises, Amritsar)] was raised. The Golden Temple was demolished by the Indian army during ‘Operation Bluestar’ in June 1984 – which resulted in assassination of the then PM Indira Gandhi in October 1984. These series of events result in the massacre of thousands of innocent Sikhs, mainly in Delhi.
Singh reminded the Sikh gathering of the aforementioned events.
During his speech, Singh also reminded this gathering about the Sikh kingdom (during regime of Ranjeet Singh and others before Britishers) which was practically the whole of Pakistan (except Balochistan), entire united-J&K, south up to Sutlej river and in the east up to Tibet (including present day Himachal Pradesh).
The Khalistan Movement: Changing geo-political situation
Earlier the Khalistan movement was of no consequence, because like the Tibet freedom movement and like the East Turkistan (government-in-exile by Uyghurs from Xinjiang province of China), the Khalistan movement also did not have any territory in the claimed independent country of Khalistan (present day Indian Punjab & Chandigarh).
Therefore India never bothered much about the Khalistan freedom movement.
However, now the situation has changed due to the ongoing Indo-China crisis, where the use of Tibetans (who are not India citizens) militarily against China has given China (under international laws also under Article 51 of the UN Charter and that too with China having veto power at the UN) every right to militarily attack India, especially for uprooting Tibetans and their entire establishment of Government-in-Exile from Dharamshala and also to take the territory of Dharamshala under control and possession of China.
Read More: Is BJP presence at SSF leader Tenzin’s funeral an excuse for China to take over Dharmshala?
Possibility of China coming to the aide of Khalistanis
As mentioned above, China can easily enter H.P from three sides. One from China itself, second from Ladakh and the third from Pakistan which is only 50 miles though Kathua region of J&K and also through Punjab with the help of Khalistanis who will gladly cooperate with China if assured of at least a mini-Khalistan.
The relevant part of Article 51 of the UN Charter reads as – “Nothing in the present Charter shall impair the inherent right of individual or collective self-defence if an armed attack occurs against a Member of the United Nations, until the Security Council has taken measures necessary to maintain international peace and security”.
This means that China has every right according to ‘individual or collective self-defence’ to take the help of Pakistan and Khalistan for taking over Dharamshala.
For this China and Pakistan have to give assurance (to Khalistanis) that they will help in carving out mini-Khalistan (having Dharamshala in it), which will comprise an area of about 650 kilometer length X about 115 Kilometer average height (total of about 75,000 Square Kilometer) and will include districts of Amritsar, Gurudaspur, Pathankot and upper part of Hoshiarpur from the State of Punjab and districts of Kangra, Chamba, Lahaul & Spiti, and upper part of Kullu from the State of Himachal Pradesh.
This 75,000 Sq Kilometer area of mini-Khalistan will be about equal to the area of united-J&K with Pakistan (The total area of the united-J&K is about 2,22,236 Sq Km, of which 78,114 Sq Km. is with Pakistan and 37,555 Sq km. under China. In addition to this, 5,180 Sq. Km. of J&K was ceded to China by Pakistan.)
Advantages of a ‘mini-Khalistan’
This mini-Khalistan will have following eight great advantages/facilities to China, Pakistan and Khalistanis and one responsibility for China with regards to preventing communal flare-up in Kashmir valley and Jammu region: –
(1)- This mini-Khalistan will provide territory to Khalistanis in their claimed independent country which will give them a foothold to spread Khalistan movement effectively in the rest of Punjab.
(2)- It will give a sense of legitimacy to mini-Khalistan because this territory will be part of said Sikh rule of 18th & 19th century
(3)- This territory of mini-Khalistan will have the Golden temple of Amritsar and Akal Takht in it which will give tremendous emotional satisfaction to Khalistanis and formidable boost to the Khalistan movement (for assimilating remaining territory of Khalistan in this mini-Khalistan).
(4)- This mini-Khalistan will completely cut-off united-J&K from India which will be militarily very beneficial to China and Pakistan who will share united-J&K between them by militarily snatching it from India.
(5)- Pakistan can easily help in creation of this mini-Khalistan with the help of Khalistanis who are being harbored at the newly started Kartarpur corridor in Pakistan bordering Indian side of Punjab / mini-Khalistan.
(6)- China will benefit immensely as it can provide military & other resources to the governments of Pakistan & Khalistan (who will provide most of the lives & blood) for snatching remaining united-J&K and mini-Khalistan militarily from India whereas China can put its (some) boots on ground wherever needed.
(7)- This mini-Khalistan will demoralize India militarily to considerable extent (which will benefit Pakistan and China militarily) due to the simple reason that the Sikhs form a very important part of the soldiers and officers of Indian military.
(8)- The media reported talks and activities for mini-Khalistan will panic the Hindus of Kashmir valley and Jammu region which will make the task of Pakistan & China much easier to militarily help Khalistanis for achieving mini-Khalistan.
(9)- This of-course will put a responsibility on China (a permanent member of the UN) to ensure that the Muslims in Kashmir & in Jammu region with the support of theocratic Muslim Pakistan do not succeed in arousing communal passions for massacring Hindus and raping & molesting their women [especially given the fact that as per popular perception (created by national & international media) amongst Muslims, thousands of Kashmiri women have been raped & molested in Kashmir by Indian security forces and thousands of Kashmiri Muslim males are missing, and massacre of Muslims was done by Hindus in Jammu region as reported at.
It will help in achieving this onerous task if China can remind Pakistan that in 1971 in Bangladesh, the Indian military suggested and accepted the surrender of 93,000 from Pakistan armed forces for the simple reason that there was a fear of reprisal from Bangladeshis against these Pakistanis who committed atrocities (about loss of lives, blood, properties and honor) on Bangladeshis during run-up to independence of Bangladesh.
Therefore Pakistan has moral responsibility to protect the Hindus of Kashmir & Jammu region during the making of mini-Khalistan and during snatching of the remaining united-J&K militarily from India.
In view of the above mentioned it is hoped that the USA will do the needful to bail out its friend & strategic partner India from this extremely difficult situation where mini-Khalistan has now (due to Dharamshala factor) become a highly likely nightmarish eventuality for India.
The active & military cooperation of China and Pakistan, (with the Khalistanis operating from the soil of the USA) will not only completely cut-off united J&K from India but will also facilitate militarily (due to severance of united-J&K from India by mini-Khalistan) to deliver united J&K (including Gilgit-Baltistan having CPEC in it) to / between China & Pakistan.
Hem Raj Jain is an Indian origin writer and author of Betrayal of Americanism. The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect the editorial policy of Global Village Space.