India’s Leaders Assert Sovereignty

On 4 Apr, the Guardian reported on the Indian government's role in the assassination of individuals in Pakistan as part of a wider strategy to eliminate ‘terrorists’ living on foreign soil. The report was based on interviews with Indian intelligence operatives and documents shared by Pakistan investigators. These assassinations were carried out by the Research & Analysis Wing which is directly controlled by the office of India’s PM Narendra Modi. The claims relate to almost 20 killings since 2020, carried out by unknown gunmen mostly operating out of the United Arab Emirates. Among those killed are Harmeet Singh alias Happy PhD of Khalistan Liberation Force; Harvinder Singh Sandhu alias Rinda of Babbar Khalsa International; Paramjit Singh Panjwar of Khalistan Commando Force; Lakhbir Singh Rode of International Sikh Youth Federation, though the death was attributed to heart attack, and others. Initially, the Indian govt. denied the allegations. By the next day, the govt. changed its tune to confrontational and chest thumping as in 2019 after the Pulwama attack in which 40 security personnel were killed. Then PM Modi had said, ‘ghar mein ghuss ke marenge’ (India strikes within enemy territory). On 5 Apr, Modi said, ‘Today, even the enemy is aware that the new India under Modi is fearless and takes stern action when the need arises. We strike within enemy territory.’ Similarly Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh repeated the assertion. These assertions bolster BJP’s chances in elections as voters like it that India is assertive and can kill anyone it deems a ‘terrorist.’ These assertions disprove the ‘rogue’ operative claim India made on incidents in the UK, the US, and Canada (SDW Vol. 2 Issue 13, Story 1).

The Bahujan Dravida Party (BDP), founded by a Tamil – an ethnolinguistic group – has fielded seven Sikh candidates in Tamil Nadu state for the general elections. All the candidates, originally belonging to different faiths, have embraced Sikhi after participating in the Farmers’ Protest 1.0 (2020-21). BDP founder Jeevan Singh, who belongs to Thoothukudi, Tamil Nadu, said his aim is to bring social change at the grassroots by establishing a cultural identity through the Sikh religion. ‘Only Sikhi can create a casteless society,’ said Jeevan Singh. ‘Our party works for the empowerment of Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, Other Backward Castes, and religious minorities who form 95% of the population in India.’ It is endearing how the people of Tamil Nadu are attracted to the basic principle of the Sikh religion. Meanwhile in Panjab, BJP leaders are facing major opposition by farmers and citizens. Hans Raj Hans contesting from Faridkot is pitted against actor-turned-politician Karamjit Anmol of AAP and likely veteran singer sitting Member of Parliament (MP) Mohammad Sadique from INC. On his first day of campaign he was shown black flags by protesting farmer unions at Rampura Phul. Preneet Kaur contesting from Patiala is likely pitted against doctor and social activist, ex-MP Dharamvir Gandhi. Preneet was shown black flags at Patran. Ex-Ambassador to the US Taranjit Singh Sandhu is contesting from Amritsar and is pitted against AAP state cabinet Minister Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal. Sandhu was shown black flags at Ajnala. In various villages posters have appeared saying: ‘If you don’t let farmers enter Delhi, we will not let your leaders enter our villages’ (SDW Vol. 2 Issue 12, Story 1).

The Indian govt. has asked global and domestic trade houses to avoid buying new-season wheat from local farmers to help the government-backed Food Corporation of India (FCI) procure large quantities to shore up its depleting reserves. Rising wheat prices forced govt. to sell record quantities to boost local supplies, leading to a drop in reserves essential for the world's biggest food welfare programme which entitles nearly 800M people to free grain. According to a new survey of the standing wheat crop conducted by the Roller Flour Millers’ Federation of India and Agriwatch, India's wheat output this year is at 105.7MT, up from last year's 102.9MT and less than the 112MT estimated by the govt. This is particularly critical as India, the world's second-largest wheat producer and consumer after China, confronts rising food inflation and declining central pool stocks of essential food grains. The past two years have seen India's wheat production hit by severe heat waves, leading to reduced domestic supplies and increased prices. Consequently, the govt. has had to release stocks from the central pool to stabilize prices. As of last month, wheat inventories held by the FCI, which maintains the government's granaries, had dropped to 7.71MT. The last time wheat stocks were below this level was in 2008 when it had dipped to 5.8MT. Ironically, at the beginning of the harvest season, rain accompanied with high-velocity wind on 30 Mar led to lodging of wheat in north and south Panjab. Strong winds with moderate rain flattened crops overnight in Amritsar, Faridkot, Fazilka, Muktsar, Bathinda, and Moga districts (SDW Vol. 2 Issue 9, Story 7).

On 15 Mar, the Panjab govt. declared 11 wheat silos in nine districts of Panjab, as procurement centers for sale-purchase, storage, and processing of wheat like the previous year. On 2 Apr, the govt. added one more silo to the list. The 12th one is LT Foods Silo in Bhagtanwala village of Amritsar with a total capacity of 50,000T. The notification said ‘all silos will be managed by private companies.’ Farmer unions feared the move to create silos implied that 26 Agriculture Produce Market Committees (APMCs) would be disbanded. Secretary of Punjab Mandi Board (PMB) Amrit Gill clarified, ‘Silos are storage points and the number of mandis (grain markets) notified for procurement is 1,907 this year, same as last year.’ Yet, the trust is so low that Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM) said it would oppose the move ‘to hand over government grain yards to corporates’. SKM (Non-Political) and Kisan Mazdoor Morcha currently protesting on the Panjab-Haryana interstate border also joined the call. Under fire from various farmer bodies, the Panjab govt. withdrew its order. PMB chairman Harchand Singh Barsat clarified that no market committees will be dissolved. Farmer union Bhartiya Kisan Union (Ekta Ugrahan) has asked the Panjab govt. to take over all the state’s private silos and cancel new permits given to the corporate houses. They have given a call for protest on 11 Apr. Senior INC leader Pargat Singh tweeted about the events. Like with farmers and journalists at the beginning of Farmers’ Protest 2.0, the Panjab police has got Pargat’s post blocked (SDW Vol. 2 Issue 11, Story 4).

Responding to the demand by Small Scale Bus Operators Association (SSBOA) in Panjab, the Punjab Transport Department has cancelled the illegal extension of routes and increase in trips by influential bus operators in the state. The action by the State Transport Commissioner comes after Regional Transport Authorities accepted applications from the transporters for extension of routes and increase in trips. SSBOA cited the extension as a violation of Rule 128 of the Punjab Motor Vehicle Rules, 1989. It is well known that while Panjab govt. passes orders, their implementation remains to be seen. On the education front, several parents have shared how much they spent on books per year in private schools. In kindergarten, books cost ₹4,850; in nursery, ₹8,800; in Class 3, ₹8,500; in Class 6, ₹8,700; and in Class 7, ₹9,200. A parent has complained to the chief secretary of Panjab and the Punjab and Haryana High Court, ‘There exists an unholy nexus between schools, booksellers, and publishers, leading to severe financial burdens on parents and jeopardizing the accessibility of education for many students. By mandating books from specific private publishers and designated bookshops, often at inflated prices compared to NCERT books, schools are engaging in profiteering at the expense of students and parents. Booksellers sell items 5 to 10 times as compared to their actual cost.’ A year ago, Panjab Education Minister Harjot Singh Bains formed a task force to address complaints from parents. The minister claimed to have received more than 1,600 complaints from parents within 24 hours of forming the task force. No action followed.

The Sehajdhari Sikh Party (SSP) which seeks restoration of Sehajdhari votes in the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) elections has now taken up the issue with the BJP’s high command. Historically, Sahajdharis were non-initated Sikhs who kept or cut hair; since electoral or representative politics of the early 20th century, it means Sikhs who do not keep hair. They are approximately 10M or 1/3 of the global Sikh community; some local committees allow them to vote in Gurdwara elections, but larger ones in India don’t. Women are not factored in this count. In 2009, SGPC claimed a woman who plucked her eyebrows is not a ‘true Sikh,’ and won the legal battle. Addressing the media on 29 Mar in Jalandhar, Paramjeet Singh Ranu, SSP president, said: ‘To keep control of the Gurdwaras, the Akalis had pressured the BJP-led NDA govt. to deny us voting rights. We will not support them until they promise us our rights…The BJP has accepted that injustice had been done to us, and if the Narendra Modi govt. returns, Sehajdharis will get voting rights in the SGPC.’ The issue has been ongoing since the 2016 elections, which courts kept in abeyance until the Sehajdhari vote issue was resolved. Meanwhile, despite the Gurdwara Election Commission twice extending the last date for voter registration to 30 Apr, the total number of registered voters till 4 Apr was 2.74M. When SGPC elections were last held in 2011, there were over 5.2M voters from Panjab. Data shows about 1.5M voters are women. Every Sikh adult in Panjab, Himachal Pradesh, and Chandigarh with unshorn hair is eligible to vote. The SGPC comprises 191 members: 170 elected, 15 nominated, 5 Jathedars of 5 Takhts (heads of seats of justice), 1 Head Granthi (chief reciter of the Guru Granth Sahib) of Darbar Sahib (Golden Temple), including 30 reserved for women. 

The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) has blamed the Panjab govt. for not releasing the long-pending education grant for eligible students studying in its institutes. The govt. is yet to pay nearly $30M grant to education institutes being run by the SGPC. For the fiscal year 2024-2025, the committee has kept $30M as its total education budget, but the anticipated income from its institutions has been calculated to be close to $27.2M. ‘We expect that around $2.8M would have to be taken out extra from Guru’s Golak (Sikh donation boxes) to meet the shortfall,’ said SGPC President Harjinder Singh Dhami. Dhami said the body had been bearing extra financial burden which, otherwise, was the liability of the state govt. This was not reported in the budget news last week. Meanwhile, newly elected Haryana Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee chief Bhupinder Singh Asandh urged the SGPC to hand over charge of Miri Piri Medical College and Research located in Shahabad Markanda to the Haryana Sikh body. ‘Though the [Outpatient Department] and hospital have been functioning, yet the medical college that was part of the project could not see the light of the day despite the fact that its foundation stone was laid by the SGPC three decades ago.’ The Miri Piri Medical College and Research is run by a trust headed by SGPC president (SDW Vol. 2 Issue 14, Updates).

Vaisakhi is the beginning of the solar year and harvest festival marked in various parts of India according to local traditions, under different names. The Sikhs mark the festival as the inauguration of the Khalsa in 1699 and the diaspora celebrates it across the world. This year, the Australian PM joined in the celebrations by honoring a decade of ‘extraordinary’ volunteer work by the Sikh community. Sikh Volunteers Australia have marked 10 years of helping Aussies in need during natural disasters by delivering food and support to those in crisis. PM Anthony Albanese visited Casey, in southeast Melbourne, on 31 Mar to celebrate Sikh Vaisakhi alongside Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan and Bruce MP Julian Hill. PM Albanese also donned a turban to mark the occasion of the Sikh Volunteers celebrating the milestone of service to the community. In the UK, Vaisakhi was celebrated on 6 Apr at Trafalgar Square, London. The supermarket giant Tesco in the UK is marking the Sikh festival for the first time and launched its celebrations in Kent. Its Vaisakhi promotion kicked off on 27 Mar at the Guru Nanak Darbar Gurdwara in Gravesend. Across the country, its stores will feature special displays of Indian groceries people may buy for Vaisakhi. Sikh Heritage Month is being observed in Canada and a Bampton museum is hosting an exhibition and workshops on 1984. The Military Museums in Calgary, Canada is showcasing diversity in the history of the Canadian Military. Captain Charan Kamal Singh Dullat, the event organizer, speaks about a variety of artifacts including several medals belonging to Harry Sekhon, a veteran who joined the Calgary Highlanders in the late 1980s. The Vaisakhi parade in Surrey will take place on 20 Apr. 

On 8 Apr, an Indian-origin Sikh builder and head of a Guru Nanak Sikh Gurdwara Buta Singh Gill was shot dead in Edmonton, Canada. The incident took place at a construction site allegedly linked to Gill's business, luxury home-building company Gill Built Homes. The homicide unit is investigating the shooting. Indian media is reporting the killing has followed extortion calls to Gill. On 3 Apr, former militant Rattandeep Singh was gunned down in Nawanshahr, Panjab. Rattandeep was considered close to Khalistan Commando Force head Paramjit Singh Panjwar and once carried a bounty of $12K. Rattandeep had spent many years with Panjwar in Pakistan before he was arrested during his visit to India in 2014. He hailed from Rohar village in Haryana’s Jind district and was staying in Karnal. When he was in Nabha High-Security Jail, Rattandeep had expressed threats to his life and was hesitant to travel for court hearings. The police suspect gangster Gopi of Nawanshahr to have played a role in the murder. On 9 Apr morning, one of the two main accused in the murder of Tarsem Singh, chief of Nanakmatta Gurdwara’s Dera Karseva (voluntary religious service), was shot dead in a police encounter in Haridwar, Uttarakhand. The encounter broke out after personnel of the Special Task Force and local police intercepted the two main accused – Sarvjeet Singh and Amarjeet Singh – while they were traveling on the same bike that they were using when they shot Tarsem Singh. Amarjeet was killed when police fired back, but Sarvjeet managed to flee.

The latest Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) data shows nursing professionals across the UK identify as follows: 452,641 Christians, 17,389 Muslims, 13,422 Hindus, 3,983 Budhists, 2,385 Sikhs, and 946 Jews. 248,000 registered professionals said they had no religion, which means over half of professionals on the NMC register identify with some level of faith. This has driven some nurses to call for spiritual care to be given greater weight in practice. The group British Sikh Nurses (BSN) has been doing work within local gurdwaras since 2016 to tackle health inequalities in the community, particularly around diabetes and hypertension. Children’s nurse Rohit Sagoo founded the grassroots organization after he noticed the disparities in health outcomes that were negatively affecting the Sikh community. Sagoo had also been approached by the govt. to undertake a piece of health promotion to get more South Asian people to sign up for organ and stem cell donation. He began to pitch up tables in Gurdwaras across London and Birmingham to talk to the congregation. ‘It was a nurse-led health education intervention that built trust within the Sikh community.’ Since it was founded, BSN has done over 5,000 screenings for people in the Sikh community. Sagoo noted that around 60% of those screened were ‘walking around with undiagnosed hypertension.’ The organization’s community outreach has encouraged and enabled people to go to their General Practitioner for further testing. BSN has now grown to over 100 members and 10 volunteers. ‘Everyone gives that time free of charge. It is about the tenets of the Sikh religion of giving back to your community.’