Roundtable
A Conversation on Khalistan
The Roundtable Open Forum XXVII - May 5-11
EDITOR
The Rules of the forum are posted here on the right, and need to be followed strictly by all participants.
The following is this week's (May 5 - 11) topic for discussion, which should focus on the questions posed therein:
A CONVERSATION ON KHALISTAN
1 India's Prime Minister has brought the subject of Khalistan to the forefront, and backed it with a handful of incidents which have probably been instigated by government-sponsored saboteurs - and further supported by the likes of Ujjal Dosanjh.
2 Which gives rise to the necessity to have an open dialogue in the community around the world over what its thoughts are on the subject of Khalistan.
3 There has never been an open or free or objective or independent discussion on the subject. Sikhs in India have been silenced by intimidation by their governments. Sikh academics around the world shy away from studying the topic, because they think that will dry up their funding from certain sources. Sikhs in the diaspora are free to converse, but turn emotional on both sides of the issue, instead of being calm and collected and truly benefiting from the freedom of expression we enjoy outside India.
4 Therefore, we invite you to voice your opinions on the whole idea of Khalistan as part of our weekly Roundtable.
5 sikhchic.com has no agenda - all we want is to facilitate an intelligent dialogue, something that has not been allowed or encouraged elsewhere to date.
6 Opinions and views pro and con are welcome. Nothing is sacrosanct. All that we ask you is to be concise, stay focused on the issue, be logical and rational, be polite and respectful of opposing views ... and you are free to support the idea of Khalistan, or oppose it, or take any position in between.
Conversation about this article
1: K. Singh (Massachusetts, U.S.A.), May 05, 2010, 10:10 AM.
Although I feel Khalistan is a requirement to grow the Panth and not be dependent on another religious entity for our land, so that we can control our gurdwaras freely ... Can we manage a Khalistan? We cannot even manage our gurdwaras! It is embarrassing and shameful to see a number of gurdwara committees embroiled in conflict ... but they want to run a country?
2: Bicky Singh (Ontario, Canada), May 05, 2010, 12:22 PM.
Until there is unity in the panth, the idea of a separate homeland for Sikhs - Khalistan - should not even be considered. This will bring more problems than it will solve. Right now, we have bigger fish to fry before we can even consider nationhood: gender equality, social equality, free speech and thought, management of our current gurdwaras, etc. If having a Khalistan is just for controlling our gurdwaras, I'm not sure how this will help. Currently, our gurdwaras and other Sikh institutions are flourshing quite well outside of India in democratic countries. True, that setting up a new gurdwara (for instance) has its challenges in a country outside of India, but it's not impossible. I would think that trying to set up a gurdwara in Khalistan may prove to be more of a challenge due to the infighting that would occur between the various factions within Sikhi (either clan or political divisions). The bottom line: until there is unity within the panth, the concept of a Khalistan should be put on the back burner.
3: N Singh (Canada), May 05, 2010, 12:42 PM.
For the longest time I blamed Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale for making a unilateral decision to call for Khalistan! I didn't think that that was his prerogative and a consensus amongst the Panth should have been held and then a 'formal' declaration of independence made before moving forward. I brought into the argument that he was ultimately responsible for the atrocities that occurred at Darbar Sahib at the hands of the government troops, and that somehow the Sikhs had brought upon themselves the pogroms of 1984 and subsequent 'blood letting' in the Punjab! After all, were they not terrorizing hindus and the general public? However, it was not until I made a concerted effort to understand the events that I realized the flaws in the arguments presented by the Indian authorities and media. I realized that this course had been put in place not by Bhindranwala but by Mohandas Gandhi and Nehru in 1947. I began to understand the broken promises, socio-economic oppression and the deliberate attempt to subvert Sikhi ... still, I didn't understand why? Why was Sikhi so threatening to the Hindus? Its power to uplift, strengthen and liberate the mind and soul ...makes it extremely dangerous to the ruling hindus (Recommended: "The Sikh Revolution" by Jagjit Singh ... a must read!). It was not until I came to terms with the true horror and deliberate strategy of ethnic cleansing that has occurred in the last 25 years that I realize there could be no other alternative than a Khalistan! Don't ask me how, when and where ... but the more I understand the hindu mind-set, the more I realize that they will never let the Sikhs live in peace and flourish. No amount of sacrificing and conceding will win them over ... the Punjab is too valuable strategically and the Sikhs too volatile for them to ever leave us alone. Our strength, determination and ability to face all odds will always be a threat to them! In 1947, the Sikhs wrested freedom for them and in 2004, PM Manmohan Singh gave them their economic standing and yet still the attacks on Sikhs have not subsided. Out of fear and the desire not to upset people, I have kept my views to myself but I think the time will soon come when we will have to look this issue in the face. Perhaps physical fighting may no longer be a viable solution, however the need for a political party which voices the concerns of the Sikhs (like Sinn Féin in Ireland and PLO Executive Committee in Palestine) is becoming a must! The call for Khalistan needs to be made at the UN level ... I fear that the Indian government will leave us no other alternative.
4: Raj (Canada), May 05, 2010, 12:45 PM.
Sikhs need Khalsa Raj, not Khalistan.
5: Gur Singh (Boston, MA, U.S.A.), May 05, 2010, 12:49 PM.
As sikhchic.com reminded us in its preface to an articler yesterday, that there was no major movement afoot for Pakistan till Hindu the mahasabha started spreading the fire ... Similarly, the experience suggests that there was no issue of Khalistan till Bluestar was deviously designed. But, from the experience of Pakistan in the context of South Asia, Sikhs must think before seeking a different future for their kids. Moreover, Sikhism is in principle meant to co-exist with all religions. So, there is no logic behind putting forward such demands. I just hope that justice is delivered soon in 1984 cases so that the term "Indian democracy" recovers its moral reputation and as then, as an Indian, I would have no more psychological conflicts in calling India my motherland and not just another market.
6: H.S. Vachoa (U.S.A.), May 05, 2010, 1:02 PM.
We learned from history that we have failed ourselves in dealing with aggressive fascism by putting ourselves on the defensive each time. Doing so has given false legitimacy to the aggressor. Therefore, we need to understand Hindu Fascism, and not get stuck in merely defending against it. We need to understand the facts about Hindu Fascism and its caste-ridden conquest over Sikhs. We can't understand the need for political independence until we understand the root cause of the problem here. The Sikh media has to bring the truth forward and that is the only way to deal with this problem. Let's not discuss Khalistan, let's discuss the why, how, what, etc. of Hindu India.
7: Azad Singh (Fremont, California, U.S.A.), May 05, 2010, 1:15 PM.
Freedom is priceless and is at the core of Sikh values and the Khalsa. Guru Sahib created a Khalsa that is free from any kind of slavery. From the Mughals to the current rulers of India and Punjab, Khalsa blood has always washed away the stains of slavery. Khalistan is a land for all under the eye of the One, as we proved it during the Sikh Raj.We have ruled these lands before. The odds may not favour us today but the fire within us has a future and with Guru's grace, a land under the Nishaan Sahib will be in our destiny.
8: N. Singh (Canada), May 05, 2010, 2:32 PM.
In response to those postings that state that we already have numerous problems (Gurdwara politics, caste, gender inequality) which should be resolved before pushing for a Khalistan, I would argue that these problems are the result of not having a Khalistan. Whilst under Indian rule, we will always be subject to assimilation into hindu values whether by choice, ignorance or deception, and by this I mean caste, sexism, and political division. It is only by having a Khalistan will we be able to remove these evils from our society through educate and enlighten, as well as through legal processes. As for waiting for justice and hoping, as per Gur Singh's comments ... here's to 25 years and counting ... what a joke!
9: Kanwar (Toronto, Ontario, Canada), May 05, 2010, 6:32 PM.
Even if we achieved Khalistan (at the cost of 100,000 more Sikh lives, which is a conservative estimate), what then? Look at the geo-political situation Khalistan would exist in. We would be sandwiched between two hostile superpowers. China still lays claim to some territories inside the current Indian border. I presume some of that territory must now fall into Khalistan. So we would lose that in less time than it takes to take off a Bhinderanwala t-shirt. India would obviously be a hostile neighbour to the south. And then there is the basket case nation of Pakistan on our western border that is bubbling over with terrorism. Remember, Pakistan is the model for how a nation built solely on religious ideology generally unravels. The other option is to be like Israel and live with a never-ending war and hostility. Will future Khalistanis thank us for that? Those problems are just the tip of the iceberg. I'm no fan of India and I don't believe there will ever be any justice for 1984 and it's aftermath. I also believe that India has far greater hurdles ahead of it, like Naxalism and it may well unravel all by itself. Sikhs in India and the world over should focus on strenthening the panth from within to face the challenges ahead. We are far too fragmented right now and we need better institutions that can speak for us at the global level as well as settle the never-ending internal issues. We would also be less vulnerable to Indian propaganda and their agents who continue to dog us. Finally, for all those Sikhs in the West who actually support Khalistan, how many would move there once it becomes a reality? I know I would not dream of relinquishing my Canadaian passport for any other. How about you?
10: Irvinderpal Singh Babra (Brampton, Ontario, Canada), May 05, 2010, 7:10 PM.
We need a Mujib Ur Rahman, Nelson Mandela, Golda Meir ... if we are to achieve Khalistan.
11: Brijinder Singh (New York, U.S.A.), May 05, 2010, 9:10 PM.
Khalistan is needed. I have voiced my opinion on this many times. However, I feel that the approach that has been tried thus far is flawed. Revolutions are no longer won through violence, but through the people and through the political process. We need support from the West, to put pressure on India to allow the Sikhs to have more self-autonomy in Punjab. Sikhs in the diaspora clamour for Khalistan, but the way to get it is not by funding militant groups or waving our swords in the air every time something goes wrong. As members of the Sikh diaspora, we must put pressure on our elected representatives to ensure that favorable U.S., U.K, Canadian or Australian policies toward India should not occur without the reversal of policies that are detrimental to the Sikhs in their own homeland. This includes issues regarding the water dispute in Punjab, the proliferation of drugs, the quota on the number of Sikhs in India's armed services, the free movement of goods and persons across the border with Pakistan, the return of Chandigarh to Punjab, and the ability of Punjab to enforce policies at its borders in order to ensure that political, religious or economic practices do not endanger its sovereignty as probably the only state in the Indian Union without a majority Hindu population. However, this cannot be achieved if we do not increase our numbers in the diaspora, and show our representatives that there is a sizable Sikh community in their district. That is why it was so important for us to write-in Sikh in the 'other race' category in the 2010 U.S. census. Unfortunately, some Punjabi newspapers mislead the public in the other direction [... egged on by the activities of local-based Indian 'diplomatic' missions! We should be asking our governments here to stop local interference and meddling by a foreign power!] We need to unify our community on these issues and let us speak with one voice to our representatives so that they know exactly what we want. I put responsibility on newspapers and internet media to educate the panth on what we need to do and why we need to do it. I applaud sikhchic.com for providing a voice for the voiceless, and ensuring a place where we can come together and discuss issues that affect us all. If we are united and show our numbers, the revolution can be won.
12: M. Singh (Toronto, Ontario, Canada), May 05, 2010, 11:27 PM.
Today's world is controlled by intellectual and financial resources. To gain greater autonomy, we need to enrich ourselves in these two spheres of influence. If ever we acquire these resources in sufficient magnitudes, the next step would be to sit and wait for an opportunity for greater control. I remember reading that the Zionist political lobby existed as far back as the late 1800s. It took two World Wars before they attained a Jewish state. If we prepare ourselves, the opportunity will come quickly - India will not be run by a bright lot, once Mamnohan Singh retires! Just look at the era before his arrival on the scene.
13: Kartar Singh Bhalla (New Delhi, India), May 06, 2010, 1:45 AM.
Punjab's population is approximately 60% Sikh and 37% Hindu. Remaining 3% are Christians, Muslims, Jains, etc. Out of the 60% Sikhs, a large number of them are not Khalsa and/or do not follow the full discipline of the faith. The number of such Sikhs is increasing. A portion of these Sikhs can be expected to be not in favour of Khalistan. In the last parliamentary elections in India (Lok Sabha), Congress won 8 seats, BJP 4 seats and Akalis 1 seat. On the Khalistan issue, Congress and BJP will be against Khalistan and more than half of the Akalis will also be against Khalistan. Thus politically, the people of Punjab are overwhelmingly against Khalistan. As at present, Punjab is a small State. Viewed district-wise, Sikhs are in majority in 13 out of 18 districts of Punjab (including Chandigarh); in the remaining 5 districts, Sikhs are in minority. In which part of Punjab can Khalistan be made? Only 80% of the Sikhs live in Punjab. 20% Sikhs living outside Punjab may be averse to severing their relations with India. Khalistan will cause harm to Sikhs in every way. What is needed is not Khalistan but the spread of the message of Guru Nanak. We are not paying attention to the message of our Guru Sahiban but wasting our energy, time, money and goodwill in pursuit of Khalistan which is a day-dream. The day the Khalistan movement is re-started, Sikhs in India will once be looked at with suspicion. They will lose the goodwill not only of Indians but also of the people of U.K., Canada, U.S.A. and Malaysia. Even abroad, they would be looked at with suspicion.
14: Taran (London, United Kingdom), May 06, 2010, 7:11 AM.
Khalistan was not what Sant Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale or any other proud Sikh asked for. They asked for equal rights for Sikhs, water disputes to be resolved with neighbouring states, they asked for the dues of Punjab, they asked for a fair share and equality, they asked for hard-line Hindu communalists to be banned as they were spitting venom against the Sikhs. All in all, they stood for their democratic and fundamental rights for Sikhs. In many cases, he helped Hindus as well who were being victimized for no reason, and stood for Punjab. On the other hand, the govt. was impotent and did not have the courage to accept their mistakes and act responsibly but they devised the idea of khalistan so that the whole of the isuue and demands of the Punjab could be sidelined. It happens all over the world. To label the discerning voices with the name tag of rebel or terrorist. Examples are - the LTTE in Sri Lanka, the I.R.A in Ireland, and the present day conflict in Chechnya in Russia. The Govt. of India and the communal mindsets of the majority religion did succeed in their evil objectives. They hit the Sikh religion very hard. Before this, the same treatment was meted out to Muslims, to Buddhism, Jainism, etc. I personally would not just settle for Khalistan because why should I settle for less? There are Sikhs living everywhere in India and we have gurdwaras in Patna, Nanded and other states. The whole India belongs equally to us as it is to Christians, Hindus and Muslims. We need to clean our own mess and then stand up against these evil and communal forces. When I say 'our own mess', I'm trying to highlight the problems we are facing today ... We have politicians like Ujjal Dosanjh in Canada and the Badals and others in Punjab who call themselves the voice of Punjabis or Sikhs but they are not our true reps. They are letting us down as a community. That is why we are suffering till today because we did not have a true selfless leader after Sant Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale. And by the way, just to rectify once again, he never asked for Khalistan. He wanted the dues of the state and the people of Punjab. He was termed Khalistani or a separatist so that the whole issue could be denigrated!
15: Manraj Singh (Ottawa, Ontario, Canada), May 06, 2010, 10:40 AM.
We are a people who can't even get together, unite and work for a simple common purpose such as organizing just one nagar kirtan, instead of having two or more in the same city. Are these the same people who are calling for Khalistan? We have a weak, corrupt, unethical, self-centered leadership at every level of our society from gurdwaras to the national and international levels. Such leadership (or lack thereof) has been and continues to put its own personal interests before the panth's and is easily influenced by the anti-Sikh forces. Until we see an end of this type of sheer political, societal, religious incompetence, there is no need for Khalistan.
16: Amandeep Singh (Paso Robles, California, U.S.A.), May 06, 2010, 1:03 PM.
I disagree with those that suggest Khalistan should come first and then everything will just fall into place. Let us think seriously and objectively. We don't have any unity among ourselves. We can't get unity in some of our gurdwara. The moment that we disagree with one another, we seem to have violence in some of these venues. Do we even deserve a Khalistan? Some of us have even taken on backward practices of casteism and sexism. Some remain uneducated. Yes, we have heart and we have conviction. But we need educated and committed leaders to come up and unify the panth under one banner first. The egos of the current crop do not allow for educated discussion, debate and introspection on subjects that actually matter. Being a Canadian-born Sikh, I'm not convinced that I would visit a Khalistan run by the "leaders" of today.
17: Sasi (Cochin, India), May 06, 2010, 2:41 PM.
Sikhs who believe that Khalistan will be a reality are living in a fool's paradise. Can they persuade Pakistan to give Lahore or Nankana Sahib?T hey have Punjab, but the Akalis and Congress has messed up things with their rivalry. The other states in India are making great progress without any religious divisions. Why can't Punjab do so? The focus in Punjab should be Punjabi culture and not religion.
18: Jasbir Singh Sethi (Houston, Texas, U.S.A.), May 06, 2010, 4:44 PM.
Since there is an understandable limitation on the size of submission, I am using the bullet format: 1) Khalistan means "The Land of Khalsa" but where are the Khalsas? 2) Khalsa is a grand manifestation of Akal Purakh in His exuberance (pargateo Khalsa parmatam ki mauj). 3) Properties and traits of the Khalsa are given in "Khalsa Mehma" and Guru Gobind Singh has stated it under oath (Parbrahm Guru Nanak Sakhi) 4) Khalsa is an Army of Purified Souls for the protection of the downtrodden and to punish evil. 5) The sphere of activity is the whole humanity - not the petty fiefdom of an area we call Punjab (merely double the size of Greater Houston City). 6) The slogan of Khalistan is the invention of political shrewedness of Patel, as an answer to the then Pakistan movement. 7) Now Khalistani slogans are being used by Government of India agents provocateurs as an excuse to kill Sikh youth in Punjab. 8) Khalistan is certainly not an answer to Sikh problems. 9) We have to think out of the box and in the global context (Not only Sikh Diaspora but even the Mission Statement of Khalsa is universal). 10) A first step has been initiated in this direction - "Virtual Nation". 11) Even though the book is a fictional book, but S. Perminder Singh Sandhawalia, the author of "Beyond Identity" deserves congratulations for opening a new thought process. By the way, its Introduction is by an eminent jurist. 11) If you really are serious, start your education on this highly complex subject by first reading this book.
19: Gurteg Singh (New York, U.S.A.), May 06, 2010, 7:05 PM.
The major cause of all troubles that we are facing today - conflicts in gurdwaras, apostasy, corrupt and cowardly low life minions at the helm of our religious and political institutions, casteism, political and economic slavery, etc. is all due to the occupation by a very cunning and ruthless enemy who is bent upon our assimilation and ultimate extinction as a distinct religious group. I feel sorry for those who, because of little knowledge of history and lack of overall geo-political perspective, tell us that it is better to remain slaves (perhaps for centuries to come) till we prepare ourselves and deserve to rule. It seems that the betrayal, treachery, treason against the Sikh nation since 1947 and the holocaust of 1984 has not taught us any thing. We have forgotten the Guru's first command to the Sikhs: that it is better to die than to live a life without dignity. We are easily swayed by little sentimental symbols and cannot see through the game while our enemy is digging our grave.
20: Gurinder Singh Johal (Amritsar, Punjab), May 06, 2010, 9:27 PM.
First of all, thank you for starting the discussion on Khalistan. My views: It is time of unity not separation. It may be very difficult to survive after getting a state within the Indian state. Even Kashmiris have felt the need of the hour to stay with India because of economic benefits. It was the choice in 1947 to separate,but not now. Secondly, Punjab has become a corrupt state of a corrupt India, our rivers have become polluted as well. In those situations, to think about a separate state is not wise.
21: Manjit Singh (New Delhi, India), May 07, 2010, 2:45 AM.
Re the comment above from Kartar Sinmgh Bhalla: Goodwill in India for the Sikhs? I don't know what you're putting in your tea ... Are we talking about the same India? We need to live in reality and not regurgitate Indian propaganda. Also, the world will go with the winners. Remember, Indian independence fighters - who mostly happened to be Sikhs - encountered opposition from across the British Empire, but slowly won the world over. It's the same with every movement. If a small minority of Sikhs - while facing opposition from their own numbers, could get independence for India, they can get it for themselves as well. Look at Bangla Desh, Israel, Timor ... the examples are endless. Sure, there will be immense sacrifices ... but how can it get worse than a combination of 1947 and 1984 in less than 4 decades of a community's history, for heaven's sake? Many of my fellow Sikhs sitting here in India have become giddars - they are no longer the inheritors of Guru Gobind Singh's gifts and blessings. These quislings were around before partition, and they are around today. They'll swing and join anybody on the winning side, trust me ... and so will you, Kartar Singh Bhalla.
22: Karamjeet Singh Lamba (Ahmedabad, India), May 07, 2010, 1:57 PM.
I am sure the name "Khalistan" has come from someone outside the Sikh fold. All 'stans' below Russia have been ruined (in some way or other). The biggest Sikh ruler in history, Ranjit Singh, ruled with - in addition to his Sikh team - Hindus ass well as Muslims together in his inner circle. He even had a number of Christians as his generals. To make a nation only for the Khalsa seems awkward. As far as the question of getting power is concerned, when the community gets better as a whole, we won't be asking such questions. Sikhs should be prominent and excelling wherever they are, regardless of which country they make it their home.
23: Karamjeet Singh Lamba (Ahmedabad, India), May 07, 2010, 2:45 PM.
And yes, more than a Khalistan, we need an international Sikh organization. Not the former ones which are branded militant or separatist. Learn something from the RSS. Prominent Sikhs need to come together. Though not an international organization, IIGS is doing very good work.
24: Brijinder Singh (New York, U.S.A.), May 08, 2010, 10:45 AM.
I agree that our leadership is corrupt. However, to complain about corruption and not do anything about it is hypocritical. There is more talk of what is wrong rather than what can be done - or what we can do, and will do - to make things right. Why put the blame on others when we are not ready to accept any responsibility ourselves? Why is it that only corrupt people become our leaders? Perhaps the good-natured people are too busy in their own lives.
25: Jarnail Singh (Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.A.), May 09, 2010, 11:56 PM.
I am surprised to read, after all this time, the same old draconian arguments are being made. It is true that when the time came, a heroic Sikh militia took up arms to defend their land against a cruel and tyrannical Indian Government. However, this does not mean that a Khalistan would be a theocratic state run by a group of men with AK-47's. Additionally, I don't know why a Khalistan would necessarily be surrounded by hostile territories to the north and south. Sikhs and Hindus have a glorious history and a necessarily symbiotic relationship which shall never end. As an unstable Pakistan continues to crumble, a prosperous Khalistan could be a vital ally of India and help spread her rich culture through commerce and trade. The Pakistani Punjabis with whom we share a common cultural bond would be very open to an expansion of the culture and wealth of India which would help uplift them out of their current state. The Indian entertainment industry, manufactured goods, automobiles and much more could expand northward through Khalistan. The ancient borders re-drawn after WWII by outsiders and bureaucrats are completely irrelevant and arbitrary as an increasingly enlightened south asian society continues to develop. These borders only serve the interests of politicians and warlords (oftentimes the terms are synonymous in this region of the world) whose interest it is to keep a very controlled central government which serves the interest of a very small minority of the population. A good mother will let her children go, because she knows they will strengthen themselves and come back to serve her. In this way, Mother India must show her true greatness and free us, so that the Hindu-Muslim-Sikh brotherhood can once again be strengthened and peace, stability and prosperity brought back to the region through a sovereign Khalistan. If India continues to keep its boot on the neck of Sikhs and other abused minorities in the region seeking righteous self determination, it will, in the long run result in decreased stability, decreased productivity and increase the risk of catastrophic terrorist attacks.
26: Yadwinder Singh (Jalandhar, Punjab), May 11, 2010, 9:17 PM.
We should forget about this idea for the time being. We should try to connect to each other within the Sikh community worldwide. Try to become stonger educationally, business wise, networking, etc. and then achieve key positions in administration, finance and parliament ... then Khalistan will come to us unconditionally.
27: Kartar Singh Bhalla (New Delhi, India), May 11, 2010, 10:53 PM.
The letters have dealt with the shape of Khalistan, its international policy and many other aspects. But where will Khalistan be located?
28: Amitoj (Gurgaon, India), June 22, 2010, 6:58 AM.
What will we will do with Khalistan if we are diluting our discipline and becoming hindu-like. We need to strenghten ourselves spiritually and as a community. Once we have done this, we can validly ask for Khalistan.