India PM warns of Sikh militancy

[t-birds]

Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh says Sikh separatists based outside India are trying to revive militancy in the state of Punjab.

Mr Singh says there is "credible information" to show that the remnants of separatist groups in Canada, the UK, Germany and Pakistan are regrouping.

He said they were doing so with the help of other "hostile forces".

Indian security forces battled a bloody uprising by Sikh secessionists in Punjab in the 1980s.

Prime Minister Indira Gandhi was assassinated in 1984 by her Sikh bodyguards in apparent retaliation for ordering an army attack on the Golden Temple, Sikhism's holiest shrine.

'Extremist elements'

Mr Singh, a Sikh himself, expressed concern over "die-hard separatists" in a letter to the head of Sikh temples, Avtar Singh Makkar.

"The government and our agencies have credible information of efforts being made by extremist groups to revive militancy in Punjab," his letter stated.


Punjab has reaped economic dividends from the recent peace

Referring to last year's bomb blasts in two cinema halls in Ludhiana, Punjab, Mr Singh said the two people who planned it were "induced" to carry out the attack on a visit to Pakistan with funding from "extremist elements in the US".

There is growing concern in India that former members of extremist groups are indeed regrouping, as Mr Singh fears.

Former members of one such group, Babbar Khalsa International, are said to be active in Punjab.

Violent protests which broke out last year in the state against the head of a sect, Dera Sachcha Sauda, were said to have been instigated by this group.

Indian intelligence agencies believe Babbar Khalsa has the backing of Pakistan's spy agency, the Inter Services Intelligence (ISI) agency.

The ISI has long been accused by Delhi of supporting armed separatists in Indian-administered Kashmir and the country's north-east.

Echoing concern over developments in Punjab, National Security Adviser MK Narayan last year warned that there had been "a manifest attempt in Pakistan to build up a radical Sikh environment".

Mr Narayanan said there were "signs of resuscitation of militant groups in Canada, the US and Germany".

Punjab, called the granary of India, is economically one of the leading states.

The state has been largely peaceful since 1993.

 

[Neo]

Sikh extremists still active, says Manmohan​

AMRITSAR, March 5: Remnants of Sikh rebel groups abroad are helping attempts to revive an insurgency in India’s northern state of Punjab, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh warned in a letter obtained on Wednesday.

In a letter to the guardians of Sikhism’s holiest shrine, the Golden Temple in Amritsar, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said die-hard separatists were receiving support from sympathisers living overseas.

“The government and our agencies have credible information of efforts being made by extremist groups to revive militancy in Punjab,” the premier said in the letter.

“Much of this is concentrated in countries abroad like the United Kingdom, Germany, Canada and especially Pakistan, where such groups receive a great deal of encouragement from remnants of extremist groups as well as support from other hostile forces,” he wrote.

Mr Singh was responding to an appeal for a review of an official “blacklist” of most-wanted insurgents who fled India at the peak of the insurgency in Punjab.

An armed rebellion for a Sikh homeland called Khalistan erupted in 1983 and waned in the early 1990s. About 50,000 people died in the conflict, which India blamed on Pakistan.—AFP

Sikh extremists still active, says Manmohan -DAWN - Top Stories; March 06, 2008

 

[IceCold]

The blame game just doesnt stop.

 

[haviZsultan]

Khalistan is a must as is kashmir & Assam...

Over 50000 sikhs murdered & 80000 in indian jails & still no justice & n8 a single hindu murderer arrested. The government & police gave rioters a free hand while hundreds & thousands of innocent sikhs were being raped, tortured & killed all across punjab by hindu mobs. The holiest of Sikh shrines was desecrated & thousands of innocent Sikhs killed in the same year by Indira & her anti-sikh policies. This is the secularism India would have provided us had we remained in India. We should be grateful!

Every Pakistani must support Khalistan movement because we muslims once suffered under indian oppression in the same way before we attained freedom. Now it is the Sikhs fighting for a homeland of their own because of the very same reasons & the same mistreatment we suffered bf4 1947.

It is an example of genocide as were the gujrat riots engineered f4 the annihilation of the muslim community in gujrat. I have a sikh freind whose family escaped indian oppression & mistreatment in 1984 & he tells me the truth & how bad it was.

And as far as Pakistan supporting khalistan movement goes we haven't till now because zulfiqar bhutto was an idiot bent on the nations destruction as is proven by his suppression of oponents & rigging of elections but i think we should cause Sikhs today r fighting for the same cause our forefathers fought for. Khalistan Zindabad!

 

[Tiki Tam Tam]

Sikhs are not the ones who have a short memory.

It will not bode well for Pakistan in the long run.

The Sikh Moslem equation has never been very pleasant.

Fortuntely for all, the Khalistanis are all foreign based and engineered by foreign interests.

Nothing in India to worry about.

 

[Karma]

And Kalistan includes the Pakistani Punjab. If you are ready to sacrifice your Punjab, then you can support them.

 

[salman nedian]

Look at the link below and proposed map of Khalistan.

Khalistan movement - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Sikhs have done all the bad for themselves. We offered them place in Pakistan but had chosen India.

We should support Khalistan and Assam freedom movements as long as India is spending their resources in Baluchistan.

Look how we look after Sikh holy places.

Daily Times - Leading News Resource of Pakistan

 

[su-47]

the khalistan movement all but died in the 90s. if it is revived, it'll be crushed again.

besides, its some sikhs in europe and North America who want khalistan more than sikhs in india. most sikhs in india are very patriotic. just look at the composition of Indian armed forces. sikhs have high representation in the armed forces. if they hated india, why join the armed forces?

 

[salman nedian]

the khalistan movement all but died in the 90s. if it is revived, it'll be crushed again.

besides, its some sikhs in europe and North America who want khalistan more than sikhs in india. most sikhs in india are very patriotic. just look at the composition of Indian armed forces. sikhs have high representation in the armed forces. if they hated india, why join the armed forces?

Yeah! Even the Killer guard of Indira was a Sikh.

 

[asaad-ul-islam]

We should support Khalistan and Assam freedom movements as long as India is spending their resources in Baluchistan.

although it looks like the best time to put "fire" to the movement, it's not a good idea. If you go support them(khalistan movement), it WILL kill their motivation, they will start to doubt the movement. don't support their movement, better yet, don't say anything at all. Being a muslim and pakistani, it won't look good, they'll just think of you as an agent. it's better to let them do the work, it's their problem.
as for Assam, you don't have to worry, they already control parts of the country. many of the insurgents have converted to islam and are gaining a strong support base from bangladesh.
baluchistan movement has been dead for sometime. there are a few attacks here and there, but some groups have surrendered without even fighting. why? it's because they realize now that they have been misled and that there actually is development that will make balochis $$$$. it's all about the money.

 

[Malang]

Yeah! Even the Killer guard of Indira was a Sikh.

How does this affect the situation?

Khalistan is a must as is kashmir & Assam...

Ah a true Indian Lover..

Over 50000 sikhs murdered & 80000 in indian jails & still no justice & n8 a single hindu murderer arrested.

Around a 1000 Sikhs were killed in Delhi during riots and 50,000 Hindus were killed in Punjab as retribution.

Then under KPS Gill's Punjab Police comprising of mostly Sikhs went on a witch-hunt against terrorists and once the Punjab border with Pakistan was sealed the terrorists couldn't cross over to Pakistan nor get the weapons, money and support they needed.

The government & police gave rioters a free hand while hundreds & thousands of innocent sikhs were being raped, tortured & killed all across punjab by hindu mobs.

umm.. excuse me did you say Punjab? Punjab is a majority Sikh state so created out of PEPSU in 1960's..

The holiest of Sikh shrines was desecrated & thousands of innocent Sikhs killed in the same year by Indira & her anti-sikh policies.

The first Indian army soldier to enter the Golden Temple Complex was a Sikh and one of the Operations commander was a Sikh too..

This is the secularism India would have provided us had we remained in India. We should be grateful!

as I said supporters of Jinnah's Tehreek e Pakistan will never acknowledge India's Secularism..

Every Pakistani must support Khalistan movement because we muslims once suffered under indian oppression in the same way before we attained freedom.

Umm when was this??

Now it is the Sikhs fighting for a homeland of their own because of the very same reasons & the same mistreatment we suffered bf4 1947.

I think Indian Sikhs have nothing to do with Khalistan, they are the most prosperous community of India and they are too busy blowing money to get involved in such a failed adventure.

It is an example of genocide as were the gujrat riots engineered f4 the annihilation of the muslim community in gujrat.

annihilation of Muslim community???
Munaf Patel, Irfan Pathan and Yusuf Pathan are alive...

I have a sikh freind whose family escaped indian oppression & mistreatment in 1984 & he tells me the truth & how bad it was.

Oh I have a Sikh friend in Pakistan.. blah blah..

And as far as Pakistan supporting khalistan movement goes we haven't till now because zulfiqar bhutto was an idiot bent on the nations destruction as is proven by his suppression of oponents & rigging of elections but i think we should cause Sikhs today r fighting for the same cause our forefathers fought for. Khalistan Zindabad!

I think so Salman you will be surprised when you say anything pro about Khalistan to a Sikh in India. Most foreign Sikhs have I heard to be anti-India.

But majority of Sikhs have never been pro-Pakistan or Pro-Islam., I mean remember Partition?? In fact in Sikh history their main rivals/enemies have always been Muslim and I don't see any reason as to why an Indian sikh would listen to Muslims or Pakistani.

Further if Pakistan really wants to support Khalistan they must give some part of their Punjab to their cause, as a majority of Sikhs prepartition were in West Punjab... what say??

 

[Spring Onion]

Sikhs are not the ones who have a short memory.

Yes Sir i do believe they have strong memories of Sikh massacare in India.

It will not bode well for Pakistan in the long run.

Does Germmany falls in Pakistan ??????????/

The Sikh Moslem equation has never been very pleasant.

Germany has become a Muslim State ?????????????
i never knew

Nothing in India to worry about.

Sir jee tell this to Manmohan Singh too.

At the if Indians have evidence about Sikhs regrouping for separation again then why dosnt MM singh failed to present the evidence.

 

[AgNoStiC MuSliM]

You know everyone, these line by line arguments get really annoying. They also result in statements being taken out of context and trivial and often inane retorts being made.

While I obviously have no control over how you guys post, and wouldn't want to, I would like to suggest that one look at the whole argument and respond - or at the very least break it up into chunks, rather than bits and pieces....

 

[salman nedian]

The first Indian army soldier to enter the Golden Temple Complex was a Sikh and one of the Operations commander was a Sikh too..

Yes that was a great strategy I really admire this and even today this strategy is being successfully used by the majority religion of India. Hats off to you Sir!

as I said supporters of Jinnah's Tehreek e Pakistan will never acknowledge India's Secularism..

Quaid-e-Azam was in Indian National Congress and was a great advocate of Hindu-Muslim unity and united India where he realized the Hindu secularism.

annihilation of Muslim community???
Munaf Patel, Irfan Pathan and Yusuf Pathan are alive...

You have to keep some Muslims alive off course to show them to the world.

I think so Salman you will be surprised when you say anything pro about Khalistan to a Sikh in India. Most foreign Sikhs have I heard to be anti-India.

But majority of Sikhs have never been pro-Pakistan or Pro-Islam., I mean remember Partition?? In fact in Sikh history their main rivals/enemies have always been Muslim and I don't see any reason as to why an Indian sikh would listen to Muslims or Pakistani.

Further if Pakistan really wants to support Khalistan they must give some part of their Punjab to their cause, as a majority of Sikhs prepartition were in West Punjab... what say??

I don’t think so that any one here thinks that Sikhs are pro-Pakistan or pro-Muslim.but still if they want freedom than we will help them. They are not listening to us nor are we teaching them anything. Khalistan is purely their voice and if they want help from us then surely they will be supported.Pakistani Punjab has nothing to do with Khalistan and to prove this I have given the link in my previous post in which the Khalistan map has been shown.

 

[salman nedian]

Sorry Agno i posted in the same way again. Actually we both were writing at the same time.

Well you are right but often it creates confusion about which part of the post is being referred by the responder.