The Khalistan Factor

The so-called ‘Khalistan Freedom Rally’ calling to ‘Kill India’, eulogising ‘Shaheed Nijjar’ and targeting Indian diplomats is slated to take place on July 8, 2023 in Toronto, Canada. This, along with multiple acts of violence, including targeting Indian missions abroad, killings of Khalistanis have been making the headlines.

The rally in Toronto is no surprise since Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is sen here as a ‘Khalistan supporter having Khalistan sympathisers’ in his cabinet, which some term political compulsion. But this is not the only reason because both Canada and Britain go out of their way to please and support the policies of Washington as American pooches.

That is why a Khalistani could pull down the Indian flag from the Indian High Commission in London, and anti-India protests and posters continue to be visible.

The Khalistan movement has transformed more into power, drugs, terrorism and taking control of the Gurudwaras, as aptly described in this video report by The Print.

It describes how and why Nijjar, as well as other Khalistanis were killed abroad, reportedly in gang warfare. A significant issue is also the involvement of states, India being no exception.

If that were not the case, how was Amitpal Singh merrily providing arms training to groups in his village for months, and roaming around freely with calls against the Indian state? Why did it take months to arrest him?

Obviously the Central intelligence agencies have to abide by what the political authority wants. Earlier, there was plenty in the media about the political connections of Punjabi actor Deep Sidhu (who was seen in photos with the Prime Minister also)

Sidhu hoisted a religious flag on a flagpole in the forecourt of the Red Fort during the farmers rally in 2021. A lookout notice was issued against him and a few days later he was killed, reportedly in a road accident.

The Indian Consulate in San Francisco was set ablaze for the second time by a group of Khalistani radicals in five months. This act of extremist vandalism happened on July 2, 2023.

The United States State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller tweeted that the US has strongly condemned the vandalism and attempted arson against the Indian Consulate in San Francisco. It called the arson a “criminal offence.” End of story.

But does Miller beyond this bogus sympathy expect us to believe that the CIA had no prior knowledge of this act? Or was Director William J Burns too busy directing Volodymyr Zelensky on how to sabotage the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant and blame it on Russia before the forthcoming 2023 NATO Summit in Lithuania?

There is surprise in some quarters as to why would the US encourage Khalistanis when it is cozying up to India in the best possible fashion? But then we haven’t really studied the American way of functioning.

Witness how Europe continues to be backstabbed by the US through the war in Ukraine and sanctions on Russia’s energy exports. The grin on the face of the POTUS Joe Biden was bigger as he arrived in Hiroshima recently to attend the G20 Summit, the very city the US had nuked.

Witness the charade of the West at the recent Democracy Summit chaired by Joe Biden in Southern Africa to tell Africa how great the US democracy is. This, despite their bloodied and dirty history over decades in the same region.

As described by British politician George Galloway: apartheid was practised by them for as long as possible and hundreds jailed in dungeons. Margaret Thatcher had called Nelson Mandela a “common terrorist”.Mandela was jailed for 27 years.

America took Mandela off the terrorist list only in 2008, in Mandela’s 18th year of Presidency of South Africa. Congo’s first Prime Minister Patrice Lomumba, half naked in shackles, was pushed down the aircraft steps by a Belgian military officer after being overthrown in a coup organised by the CIA and MI6

Lumumba was murdered, his dismembered body dissolved in acid, and one tooth sent back to Brussels for safekeeping as DNA. Russia was all along against apartheid and helped Africa, which is why Africa will always respect Russia.

With regard to the Khalistanis abroad, it was interesting to note the credit being given to National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval on social media. This was the obvious handiwork of the IT Cell of the ruling party, although with little imagination.

The narrative was that Doval was getting this done through Mossad, implying he gives the request or finances and Israelis give the ‘supari’. But if the NSA and R&AW could pull off the killings of these Khalistanis, why are we running to the UN/US to punish Pakistani terrorists and preparators of terrorist attacks in India?

What about taking out Dawood Ibrahim; unless we want to keep him alive and keep the hawala business running for reasons that need no elaboration.

Are we too naïve or scared to acknowledge that the CIA, MI6 and the ISI are responsible for these killings abroad, to create more hatred against India, keep the movement hot and recruit more individuals, while Canada remains the major hatchery-cum-breeding centre.

Are we blind to hope the West would help us eliminate them? As for Kahalistani killings in Pakistan, the ISI has experienced the fallout from the killing of Nawab Akbar Bugti – rise of Baloch nationalism. The ISI would like to attempt the same in Punjab, India.

The Pakistan Army has suspended all military drills and exercises till the end of 2024 having run out of fuel, reported the Eurasian Times webportal. Hence, ample time and energy would be available to promote and export terrorism.

In fact, the ISI, in conjunction with MI6 and CIA, may be planning a big surprise for us coinciding with the Khalistan rally in Toronto, Canada on July 8, or later when the NATO summit is underway.

Lt General PRAKASH KATOCH is a veteran of the Indian Army. Views expressed are the writer’s own.