Nikhil Gupta Extradited

Indian national Nikhil Gupta, accused of being involved in murder-for-hire plot against Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, has been extradited from the Czech Republic (SDW Vol. 2 Issue 24, Story 3). Gupta, 52, was arrested in Czechia last year at the request of the US govt. on charges of being involved in a plot to assassinate Pannun. Posting a video on social media platform X , the Czechia Police wrote, ‘The foreigner suspected in the US of an assassination plot has been in the hands of the US judiciary since 14 Jun.’ It added that Gupta was ‘safely extradited from a Prague airport,’ posting video images with his face blurred being escorted onto a plane. Gupta is currently lodged at the federal Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, where he is listed as an inmate. On 17 Jun, Gupta was produced before a federal court in New York; he pleaded not guilty to criminal charges. ‘We will pursue his defense vigorously and ensure he receives full due process, regardless of outside pressures,’ said Gupta's attorney, Jeffrey Chabrowe, who described the case as 'complex' for both India and the US. Earlier, Gupta’s attorney, Rohini Musa, wrote in a petition to the Indian Supreme Court that her client is being unfairly prosecuted, saying there is ‘nothing on record to link the Petitioner to the alleged plot to assassinate the alleged victim.’ While the US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan is in Delhi to discuss the removal of trade barriers, five influential US Senators urged Secretary of State Anthony Blinken to deliver a ‘strong diplomatic response’ to hold the Indian govt. accountable for its alleged involvement in the foiled assassination attempt of a US citizen.

Australian media has reported the long arm of the Indian state is reaching Australia, silencing critics and threatening members of the diaspora. Several Australian Sikhs have said Indian authorities visited their families in India and threatened them over the Khalistan Referendum due to their loved ones’ activism overseas. Two Australians said they were detained in India and questioned after accusations they were involved in the Khalistan movement — one said he was even stopped from returning to Sydney for several days. One man said he received calls from an Indian intelligence officer while in Australia. Another man claimed he was slapped with criminal charges in India when he did not stop his activism in Australia. He said he was eventually granted a personal protection visa because the Australian govt. deemed his life would be in danger if he returned to India. A Four Corners investigation has uncovered the promotion of far-right Hindu ideology, the quiet amassing of political power, and never-before-reported details of a ‘nest of spies’ as described by Australian Security Intelligence Organization Director-General Mike Burgess in 2021 (SDW Vol. 2 Issue 19, Story 2). At least four intelligence officers were asked to leave Australia. Some had been posing as diplomats in India’s high commission. The expulsions were done secretly; they left one by one. Politicians watching this closely say the sheer number of expulsions could put India on par with countries such as Russia and China, notorious for breaking protocols overseas.

On 10 Jun, in the late evening, 45-year-old Sukhwinder Singh, a resident of Kaithal in Haryana was allegedly called a Khalistani and beaten-up. The incident took place after an argument over Sukhwinder stopping his two-wheeler close to a level-crossing and the ensuing argument got heated. The victim runs a furniture showroom in Kaithal. The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) has condemned the incident and the farmers unions in Haryana have expressed solidarity with the victim. On 14 Jun, Haryana police arrested the accused Ishu, a resident of Singwal village in Jind and Sunil, a resident of Shergarh village, Superintendent of Police, Kaithal, Upasana told reporters in Kaithal. On 17 Jun, a Panjab-origin non-resident Indian (NRI) Kawaljit Singh, and his Spanish national wife alleged they were assaulted by a group of men after an argument over parking when he was visiting Dalhousie in Himachal Pradesh (HP). The HP  police denied the attack was because Kanwaljit is Panjabi and said the incident is not linked to any interstate or inter-community dispute. Panjab NRI Affairs Minister Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal said the Panjab police will file a zero First Information Report, Amritsar Member of Parliament (MP) Gurjeet Singh Aujla and SAD leader Bikram Singh Majithia have demanded action from the HP  govt. in the case. Majithia and Aujla even suggested that the attack was linked to the recent incident involving actor and BJP MP from Mandi, HP, Kangana Ranaut, who was recently slapped by a CISF woman constable at Chandigarh airport (SDW Vol. 2 Issue 24, Story 7). Though places in HP  are popular tourist spots for Panjabis, now a voice is rising on social media that Panjabis should drop HP and come to Kashmir.

On 12 Jun, Parminder Kaur told journalists at Palam Vihar, Delhi that her thirty-year old husband Tejpal Singh died in the Russia-Ukraine war. Kaur said, ‘Two days ago, one of my husband's friends called and told me that he was killed fighting for Russia on the battlefield in Ukraine.’ Tejpal went to Russia on a tourist visa in January this year and was killed in March, but news of his death surfaced much later due to the conflict between the two countries. The body is yet to be found (SDW Vol. 2 Issue 11, Story 7). In Kuwait, sixty-two-year-old Himat Rai from Salempur village in Hoshiarpur district was among those killed in a fire at Al-Mangaf building. Rai was working as a foreman in a firm in Kuwait for the last thirty years. He is survived by his wife Sarbjit Kaur, two married daughters and a minor son. Over a dozen youths from Panjab are apparently trapped in Armavir jail in Armenia after falling prey to deceptive travel agents promising greener pastures to them in Europe. In footage released on social media, these stranded youth are seen making fervent appeals for help. Rajya Sabha member Balbir Singh Seechewal has written to the Indian External Affairs Ministry to take steps to free them. In Manila, where Panjabis work as money lenders, an average of one person is murdered every two months. In spite of these incidents, and the precariousness of life overseas, the youth in Panjab hardly see a future locally and want to go abroad.

On 13 Jun, the SAD core committee met to take stock of the party's performance in the recent general election. SAD won one out of the thirteen seats it contested – Bathinda, Harsimrat Kaur Badal – and its vote share has come down to 13.42% – it has come fourth or worse in all others. Recently Charanjit Singh Brar, Officer on Special Duty to Sukhbir Singh Badal also posted an open letter on social media (now removed) saying, ‘the party should tender a written apology to Akal Takht and accept punishment for controversial decisions taken in the past by leadership.’ Yet, the core committee has rallied behind the party president Badal. In a resolution, the party expressed concern over the growing communal polarization in society and its abuse in politics in the country. Referring to newly elected MP from Mandi, Himachal Pradesh, Kangana Ranaut, the party said, ‘While the party does not approve of resorting to violence, Kangana must be held accountable for her abusive, humiliating and rabidly communal utterances, which caused deep emotional hurt that led to the unfortunate incident at the airport. Kulwinder Kaur’s alleged action must not be seen in isolation of the circumstances that led to it.’ There seems to be no introspection and will to change. Meanwhile, after days of silence, CM Bhagwant Singh Mann spoke on the Ranaut incident. He said the Central Industrial Security Force woman constable might have slapped BJP MP Ranaut out of anger over her previous remarks on the farmer protest. Mann also called out Ranaut for drawing a parallel between Panjab and terrorism.

Union Minister of State for Railways and Food Processing, Ravneet Singh Bittu, recently spoke about his plans for Panjab. Bittu lost the recent general elections from Ludhiana but despite his defeat, was made a minister in PM Narendra Modi’s third term. By inducting former INC MP Bittu as a minister, the BJP seems to have sidelined the family of former CM Amarinder Singh, including his former union minister wife Preneet Kaur. Bittu, a three-time MP and first-time minister, says on railways, ‘As many as 40 small railway stations in the state are also being developed on the same pattern. Panjab has many missing railway links that are required to improve connectivity. I will bridge all those gaps. Focus will be on providing the best connectivity to Sikh shrines and other religious places from Panjab to the rest of the country.’ On food processing, he says, ‘I will try and alleviate the financial stress faced by the Panjab farmers. This ministry is focusing heavily on millet and grain processing.’ On Bandi Singhs (political prisoners), he says, ‘Sikh prisoners should be released. I have already stated that if needed, I will fight for the release of prisoners. If the union govt. has any plan to pardon or release Balwant Singh Rajoana, I will not oppose it (Rajoana is on death row for twenty-seven years for killing Bittu's grandfather, former INC CM of Panjab Beant Singh). I have discussed it with my family as well and I have convinced them on the issue. It’s time to move on. It’s time that Panjab moves on and adopts the path of reconciliation.’ (SDW Vol. 2 Issue 23, Story 2).

On 16 Jun, Sikh pilgrims who came to Pakistan from India attended prayers at Gurdwara Dera Sahib on the eve of 418^th martyrdom day of Guru Arjan, the fifth of the ten founder-Gurus of Sikhi. Provincial Minister Ramesh Singh Arora, Guru Arjan’s Sufi friend Mian Mir’s successor Sain Ali Raza Qadri, officials of Pakistan Sikh Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee and Evacuee Trust Property Board, as well as a large number of local Sikh community were also present on the occasion. Arora informed that renovation of a Gurdwara in Jhelum has started while a Gurdwara is also going to open to the Sikh community in Faisalabad. In various cities in Panjab and India, Sikhs carried out nagar kirtans (religious processions) and set up chabeels (water kiosks) with water sweetened with milk and rose syrup for the thirsty. On 10 Jun, Shri Krishna Ayush University (SKAU), Haryana vice chancellor Prof. Vaidya Kartar Singh Dhiman made a controversial statement that Guru Arjan sacrificed his life to protect Sanatan Hindu Dharma (ancient Hindu religion). Haryana Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee’s Dharam Prachar (religious preaching) chairman, Baljit Singh Daduwal said, ‘Some chaploos (sycophants) try to please their masters in an attempt to change and re-write Sikh history.’ Delhi’s Jago party chief Manjit Singh GK said, ‘The Sikh Gurus never adopted Sanatan Hindu Dharma ideology, rather they brought their Sikhs out of superstitions and other such rituals.’ Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee posted on the occasion: ‘Guru Arjan wrote Gurbani (verses in  the Guru Granth Sahib), built Sri Harmandar Sahib (Golden Temple), compiled Guru Granth Sahib, developed towns (Tarn Taran and Kartarpur), developed Sarovars (Amritsar and Santokhsar pools in Amritsar) and wells, due to which Mughal rulers felt uneasy. The fifth Guru was martyred by Mughals under false charges of Yasa law.’ Yasa was the Mughal punishment derived from the Mongol law.

With a 50% dip in the number of students from Panjab moving to Canada after the Class XII examination this year, most educational institutes across the state have reported significantly better enrollment in various courses in the new academic session. In 2023, 37% of total student visas were for Indians. 319K students from India moved to Canada. Of these, nearly 18K were Panjabi students. In 2024, the Canadian govt. capped the number of approved study permits at approximately 360K, a 35% reduction from the previous year, according to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) data. From Oct to Dec 2023, there was an 86% drop in study permits issued to Indian students, from 108,940 to 14,910. This was because India sent back Canadian diplomats who would process the permits. Various immigration companies, IELTS centers and ticketing agencies, which had seen a big boom during the past six-seven years, are seeing a steep downfall in their business. This has ushered in a boom time for colleges and universities in Panjab. Dr RS Deol, Director, Lyallpur Khalsa College Technical Campus, said, ‘The imposition of curbs on immigration imposed by Canada has come as a huge blessing for colleges in our region.’ The online counseling being conducted by IK Gujral Punjab Technical University (IKGPTU) is also getting a good response this time. Aman Mittal, Vice-President of Lovely Professional University, said, ‘On our part, we too have been counseling students regarding far better placement prospects in India for them. Our courses like those in forensic sciences, aero-sciences and block chain have been in huge demand this year.’ (SDW Vol. 1 Issue 14, Story 4).

The 2024 T20 format of the cricket International Cricket Council World Cup being hosted in the US has a number of Panjabi and Sikh players from both sides of the Radcliffe Line -- the two Panjab's, East (India) and West (Pakistan). Five players, one each from Canada, Netherlands, and India (Arshdeep Singh), and two from the United States are identifiable Sikhs (keep long hair). Dilpreet Singh Bajwa was born (2001) in Gurdaspur, migrated in 2020, and plays for Canada. Vikramjit Singh (2003) was born in Cheema Khurd, Panjab. After 1984, his grandfather Khushi Cheema fled to the Netherlands, initially working as a taxi driver before establishing a transport company in Amstelveen. He plays for Netherlands. Harmeet Singh Baddhan was born (1992) in Mumbai, and played for Mumbai and Tripura before moving to the US, and is part of their team. Jasdeep Singh was born (1993) in Queens, New York. His family moved to India when he was three years old, but when he was thirteen, they returned to the US  and settled in New Jersey. He plays for the US. Navneet Dhaliwal was born (1988) in Chandigarh. He moved to Canada at the age of 22 years and plays for their team. Pargat Singh was born (1992) in Rupnagar and played extensively for the Panjab team but the politics of the game and selection got the better of him. He left for Canada and worked as a taxi driver whom Kaleem Sana from Pakistan re-discovered. Both trained together and are now part of the Canadian national team. Ish Singh Sodhi was born (1992) in Ludhiana and plays for New Zealand.  

Jasvinder Singh Ahluwalia alias Jassa was born to a white English mother and a brown Panjabi father and grew up between Coventry and Leicester as a white boy who spoke Panjabi fluently. In his book, Both Not Half: A Radical New Approach to Mixed Heritage Identity, Jassa, a British actor, writer, filmmaker and trade unionist, writes about his struggle to find belonging. The work is a blueprint of all the journeys he has undergone — physically and internally, unearths the historical roots of modern mixed identity, and deconstructs inherited binaries and passively accepted narratives. A new collection of essays edited by Anshu Malhotra Punjabi Centuries: Tracing Histories of Punjab recounts how diasporic Panjabi women use folk songs to express their loneliness in California. The historical and territorial space of Panjab has been shifting and changing and determines what Panjab means to different people across time and context. The sense of Panjabiyat (Panjabiness) that one holds dear about Panjab is both emotionally and culturally complex and the book explores it in detail. Punjabi Centuries focuses on the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, leading up to the present, and highlights critically important issues. The chapters explore the cultural, social and economic continuities and changes across this time period. The contributors are from India, Pakistan, and the diaspora. Anshu Malhotra is Professor and Chair, Department of Global Studies, and Kundan Kaur Kapany Chair for Sikh & Punjab Studies, University of California, Santa Barbara.