Editorial : Khalistan, Balochistan and Pakistan

A hand grenade explosion took place at the Thakurdwara Temple of Hindus in Amritsar, Punjab. Until now, Khalistanis in Canada, the USA, and Australia used to deface Hindu temples – smearing black paint or writing anti-India slogans. However, this was the first time such an attack was carried out on a temple in Punjab. Fortunately, there were no casualties. The Police arrested three people in connection with the attack, while one attacker was killed in an encounter. The arrested people are associated with the banned Khalistani terrorist organisation Babbar Khalsa, and were receiving instructions from their handlers in Pakistan.

For several decades now, there has been a movement demanding Khalistan, a separate Nation for Sikhs. Khalistani supporters seek to carve out Khalistan from parts of Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Himachal Pradesh, with clear backing from Pakistan. This fact is no secret. In the 1980s, Khalistani terrorists targeted Hindus and massacred them in Punjab. This wave of terrorism was later suppressed, but in recent years, there has been a renewed effort to revive it. Khalistani supporters in Canada are providing assistance to this movement and are also attempting to target Hindus and the Indian Embassy there. Former Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau supported them. Now that he is out of office, it remains to be seen what stance the new Prime Minister will take.

The Amritsar attack must be taken seriously because it was a grenade attack. Although Punjab Police killed one attacker in the encounter, the entire network needs to be dismantled. Instead of reacting after an attack, the Police must work proactively to prevent such incidents. It is often said that the rise of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in Punjab was secretly supported by Khalistanis. If this is true, the Union Government must impose President’s Rule in Punjab immediately. Hindu leaders are being targeted and killed in Punjab. On 13th March, Mangat Ram Rai, the District head of Shiv Sena (Shinde faction), was murdered. It is emerging that Khalistanis were responsible for this gruesome act. Similar murders of Hindu leaders have occurred in the past. This issue must be addressed with utmost seriousness.

While Khalistani activities continue, a Muslim attacker targeted devotees inside the sacred Golden Temple of the Sikhs, injuring five people. It is important to note that not a single Khalistani has spoken out about this incident.

May India succeed

While Khalistani activities continue in India as well as abroad, Balochistan has been fighting for its Independence from Pakistan for the past 78 years. Millions of Baloch people have sacrificed their lives in this struggle. The movement now seems to have reached a decisive phase. In recent days, the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) has launched armed attacks against Pakistan’s military. Pakistan accuses India of supporting this group and providing it assistance. Earlier, Pakistan arrested former Indian Navy officer Kulbhushan Jadhav, alleging that he was helping the Baloch rebels. Jadhav is still imprisoned in Pakistan.

Any patriotic Indian would wish that India should counter Pakistan in the same way that Pakistan has been fuelling unrest in Kashmir and Punjab for decades. However, Balochistan is a completely different matter. It was an independent region that was not originally a part of Pakistan at the time of India’s Partition. Just as Pakistan invaded and occupied half of Kashmir, it also forcibly annexed Balochistan. Since then, the Baloch people have been fighting for their freedom. At that time, Baloch leaders, including Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan (Frontier Gandhi), wanted Balochistan to merge with India, but Nehru rejected the idea. If India now corrects this historical mistake, what is wrong in it ?

After the Marathas were defeated in the Third Battle of Panipat, Afghan ruler Ahmad Shah Abdali took hundreds of Marathas as prisoners to Afghanistan. Many of them stayed in Balochistan. Their descendants live there today, creating a historical link between Balochistan and India. If Balochistan gains independence from Pakistan, how beneficial it would be for India remains to be seen. The example of Bangladesh is before us. However, as of now, it is crucial for India to weaken Pakistan as a hostile neighbour.

Through terrorism, Pakistan has inflicted immense damage on India, especially in Kashmir and Punjab. It is necessary to respond effectively. India should not only support Balochistan but also Afghanistan to ensure Pakistan learns its lesson. The Taliban is already doing this. No Indian Government in the past 78 years has dared to eliminate Pakistan altogether. History shows that Pakistan has been a curse for India. If Pakistan had not existed, India would have progressed even further.

Balochistan has a deep sense of affinity for India, and Indians feel a connection with the Baloch people. In contrast, do Khalistani Sikhs feel the same affinity for Pakistan or Muslims ? Do Pakistanis and Muslims feel any sympathy for Sikhs ? Despite demanding Khalistan in India, these separatists have never demanded that the large part of Punjab occupied by Pakistan be included in Khalistan. Khalistanis conveniently forget the atrocities committed against Sikhs by Muslim invaders and during the Partition. If Khalistan was to be established tomorrow, Pakistan and its Muslims would eventually massacre Sikhs and annex Khalistan. This is inevitable.

In a nut shell, Pakistan remains the core problem. India is actively working to neutralize this problem, and every Indian hopes for success in this mission !

To get appropriate perspectives daily from News around the world, read : SanatanPrabhat.org/english/

If Khalistan was to be established tomorrow, Pakistan and its Muslims would eventually massacre Sikhs and annex Khalistan !