ProIndia slogans raised at proKhalistan event in UK
Rival groups try to drown out each other’s chorus call at Trafalgar Square
LONDON:Pro-India and pro-Khalistan groups were engaged in a noisy face-off during an event to call for a so-called “referendum” for the independence of Punjab at London’s Trafalgar Square on Sunday.
More than 2,500 pro-Khalistan supporters gathered to issue what the organiser, the US-based advocacy group Sikhs for Justice, called a “London declaration” to hold the “referendum” in 2020. Many travelled from other parts of Europe and elsewhere for the event, with some participation by UK-based groups. The event was allegedly backed by elements in Pakistan.
There was considerable police presence to segregate the pro-India group and the pro-Khalistan group. British authorities had earlier rejected India’s demand that permission be denied for the event on grounds of freedom of expression, leading renewed strain in the bilateral relationship.
New Delhi’s displeasure with London over the event was reflected in official statements: that allowing it to go ahead amounted to “a separatist activity which impinged on India’s territorial integrity” and seeks to propagate violence, secessionism and hatred.
The pro-India group held placards (including some with images of Prime Minister Narendra Modi), sang patriotic songs and danced to the accompaniment of loud dhols, as the rival group tried to drown out the chorus with slogans in support of Khalistan and against the Indian government.
The pro-India group included members of the Overseas Friends of BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party), whose president, Kuldeep Shekhawat, claimed that allowing the event betrayed Britain’s “hidden agenda” to support Pakistan, and the demand for Khalistan.
“Relations between India and Britain are strained at the moment. Giving permission for this event will not help. Britain is clearly encouraging separatist activity. We came here to give out the message that we stand for a united India,” Shekhawat said.
Speakers at the event included Pakistan-origin Nazir Ahmed, member of the House of Lords, who declared his support for Khalistan, “for my Sikh brothers and sisters”, and announced a demonstration outside the Indian high commission on August 15. Pro-Khalistan supporters included women and children carrying placards against the Indian government, as speakers recalled the 1984 Operation Bluestar and the antiSikh riots in the aftermath of Indira Gandhi’s assassination, as well as the lack of justice for the victims.
CHANDIGARH Leaders cutting across party lines on Sunday said the London convention of ‘Referendum 2020’, organised by Sikhs for Justice (SFJ) to garner support for a separate nation, was a futile exercise.
“The attempt to divide India will never be successful. It’s a futile exercise as the people living in foreign countries will never come back to Punjab. The low turnout at London’s Trafalgar Square speaks volumes about the failure of the rally,” said Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal.
“Those behind the referendum are citizens of other countries and their children don’t acknowledge that they belong to Punjab. They have no right to speak about Punjab,” he added.
Punjab chief minister Capt Amarinder Singh has already rejected the event, dubbing the Trafalgar Square rally as an attempt by a handful of frustrated ISI-backed foreign-based Sikhs to foment trouble in Punjab and India.
“They have been playing in the hands of the ISI. I will not allow anyone to disturb peace in the state,” he had said. He had also castigated SFJ, as a “sham organisation”, which according to him does not deal in any human rights activities.
Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) co-president Balbir Singh said, “Referendum is a non-issue in Punjab. Here issues are unemployment, drugs and farm suicides. Which Punjab they are taking about sitting abroad? Our state has already suffered a lot.”
BJP national secretary Tarun Chugh said, “The idea is anti-national with an intention to disrupt communal harmony among Punjabis in and outside Punjab.”
Communist Party of India (CPI) leader Joginder Dyal said, “Low turnout at the rally speaks volumes about how a large section of the population is opposed to it.”
Punjab-based pro-Khalistan outfits — Dal Khalsa and Shiromani Akali Dal (Amritsar) —had also raised questions on the practicality of the referendum.