Sikhs Targeted for Turbans

Citing unnamed sources from the military, The Globe and Mail (G&M) published a story on 20 Jun about the Fall of Kabul in August 2021. The story says, at that time Canadian Defence Minister Harjit Singh Sajjan, instead of focusing on evacuating Canadian citizens, relayed information on the location of around 225 Sikhs in Afghanistan asking them to be evacuated. ‘The sources said Afghan Sikhs were not considered an operational priority for the Canadian military as they had no link to Canada. Mr. Sajjan’s intervention, the sources say, impacted the rescue of Canadians and other Afghans on Canada’s priority list,’ reported G&M. Sajjan responded, ‘Let me address The Globe article quite directly, because I will be quite honest with you, it was utter BS. Those who were following on the evacuation missions and the events previously to that, know quite well that there was an approved government policy to safely evacuate as many vulnerable Afghans as possible.’ Sajjan, now the President of the King's Privy Council for Canada, described the policy as one that ‘included obviously Canadians first, those who worked with us like our interpreters and it also included vulnerable Afghans, which included religious minorities like Afghan Sikhs and Hindus.’ G&M says members of the Canadian military were angered by Sajjan’s instructions. The mission was unsuccessful. Sajjan’s media statement says, ‘I can only surmise that if I did not wear a turban, no one would question whether my actions were appropriate.’ Sajjan is the son of former World Sikh Organization (WSO) executive board member Kundan Singh Sajjan and WSO founding president Gian Singh Sandhu’s son, Harjinder Singh Sandhu, is married to Sajjan's sister. That said, this is a story that pits nationalism against humanism and Sajjan acted humanely.

On 26 Jun, the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom in their annual report on religious freedoms criticized India while also voicing alarm over rising bigotry worldwide against both Jews and Muslims. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken unveiled the annual report which places India in the ‘Countries of Particular Concern (CPC).’ He said, ‘In India, we see a concerning increase in anti-conversion laws, hate speech, demolitions of homes and places of worship of members of minority faith communities.’ Despite USCIRF placing India on the CPC for the last five years, the US State Department has not declared India as CPC. The report says: ‘In 2023, religious freedom conditions in India continued to deteriorate. The government, led by the BJP, reinforced discriminatory policies, perpetuated hateful rhetoric, and failed to address communal violence disproportionately affecting Muslims, Christians, Sikhs, Dalits, Jews, and Adivasis (indigenous peoples)… Indian authorities also increasingly engaged in acts of transnational repression targeting religious minorities abroad. In September (2023), Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau alleged Indian authorities’ involvement in the killing of Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Canada, which was followed by a plot to kill Gurpatwant Singh Pannun in the United States in November (2023).’ The US ambassador-at-large for international religious freedom, Rashad Hussain, faulted efforts by Indian police, saying in India, ‘Christian communities reported that local police aided mobs that disrupted worship services over accusations of conversion activities or stood by while mobs attacked them and then arrested the victims on conversion charges.’ On 28 Jun, India responded to the report, calling it ‘deeply biased’ adding that it lacks understanding of the nation’s social fabric. 

Since SAD was ousted from power in Panjab in 2017, its president, Sukhbir Singh Badal, has been facing dissension in the party. Three weeks after the SAD’s debacle in the general elections, the discontent in the party flared up on 25 Jun. Senior party leaders – Prem Singh Chandumajra, Sikander Singh Maluka, Parminder Singh Dhindsa, and former SGPC president Jagir Kaur – raised a banner of revolt against Badal, passing a resolution seeking his resignation. Expressing concern that SAD’s core base has drifted away during Badal’s presidency, they passed a resolution asking him to hand over the party reins in the spirit of tyag (sacrifice) to someone ‘who can maintain a balance between religion and politics.’ There is also a demand that the head of the party should not be the chief minister candidate in Panjab. They rejected Badal’s apology to the community on Akali Dal’s 103^rd Foundation Day 14 Dec 2023 as not being according to vidhi-vidhan (rites and rules) and Panthic maryada (Sikh codes and conventions) and was also not sought at the highest temporal seat of the Sikhs, the Akal Takht. The premises of the SAD rebels’ huddle belonged to Barjinder Singh Hamdard of the Ajit group of newspapers which has triggered a buzz about Hamdard’s possible role in the unfolding developments. The leaders announced the Akali Dal Bachao Muhim (Save Akali Dal campaign) to reconnect with those Sikhs who they believe have stopped supporting the party under Badal’s leadership. The rebel Akali leaders formally apologized at the Akal Takht on 1 Jul. 

Amidst the recent crisis in SAD, several staunch loyalists of the Badal family – including former Rajya Sabha MP Balwinder Singh Bhunder, party spokesperson Daljit Singh Cheema, and senior party leader Maheshinder Singh Grewal – and Youth Akali Dal have continued to rally behind Sukhbir Singh Badal’s leadership. On 26 Jun, SAD’s lone MP from Panjab, Harsimrat Kaur Badal, said some of the ‘stooges of the BJP are trying to break the party. They want to do the same as they did in Maharashtra. The SAD is united and they are going to fail. Out of the 117 leaders, only 5 leaders are against Badal, while 112 leaders are standing with the party and Badal.’ The faction loyal to Badal hit back with district presidents and constituency in-charges passing a resolution expressing full faith in Badal’s leadership. 33 of the existing 35 district presidents and 96 of the existing 105 constituency in-charges supported the resolution. A few hours before the rebellion broke out in SAD, Panjab BJP chief Sunil Jakhar said that the party – with or without Sukhbir Singh Badal – was a safety valve for Panjab against the rising threat of radicalism in Panjab. After the rebellion, he said, ‘Rather than looking for a scapegoat, Akalis should accept the reality…It is the same BJP to which Badal Senior (former CM Parkash Singh Badal) used to say nahu-maas da rishta (ties like nail and flesh) and has become a pariah as they are blaming everything on the BJP. If they introspect, they will realize that the fault lies within.’

On 2 Jul morning, SAD’s Jalandhar West by-poll candidate Surjit Kaur joined AAP in the presence of Panjab CM  Bhagwant Singh Mann (SDW Vol. 2 Issue 26, Story 6). By evening, she had come back to SAD. Kaur is currently not backed by her party SAD. Instead the rebel Akalis are funding her campaign. SAD withdrew support to Kaur as her name was finalized by a panel with SAD rebels Jagir Kaur and Gurpartap Singh Wadala as its members, both of whom gave a call for Sukhbir Singh Badal to step down from the SAD chief’s post. SAD instead decided to support Bahujan Samaj Party candidate Binder Kumar. The situation was darkly comical because Kaur’s official poll symbol remained the ‘scales,’ which is the SAD symbol, but SAD was not supporting her. When Kaur reached the poll Returning Officer’s (RO) office to withdraw her candidature, RO Alka Kalia said, ‘Surjit Kaur remains SAD candidate officially as papers could no longer be withdrawn.’ The Sikh organizations which rallied behind general election candidates Amritpal Singh and Sarabjeet Singh Khalsa in Khadoor Sahib and Faridkot, respectively, also said they would not extend support to any of the candidates in the by-poll to Jalandhar West seat on 10 Jul. The BJP Scheduled Caste (SC) wing president and retired IAS officer SR Ladhar alleged Kaur did not belong to the SC category and was ineligible to contest from the reserved seat. 

After failing to stop extremists from vandalizing it repeatedly, the statue of Maharaja Ranjit Singh has now been installed inside the Gurdwara Kartarpur Sahib, in the Panjab province of Pakistan. The restored nine-foot-tall bronze statue of the ruler of the Sikh empire was unveiled at Kartarpur Sahib, north east of Lahore, amidst a gathering of Sikh community from Pakistan and India on 27 Jun, his death anniversary (SDW Vol. 2 Issue 26, Updates). Initially, this statue was installed at Lahore Fort on Maharaja Ranjit Singh’s 180th death anniversary on 27 Jun 2019. However, it was vandalized thrice by fanatics in 2019, 2020, and 2022. The third vandalism was condemned by the then Pakistan Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Fawad Chaudhry, ‘This bunch of illiterates are really dangerous for Pakistan’s image in the world.’ This statue has been placed at a park named after Maharaja Ranjit Singh, the most successful Panjabi monarch of Sikh descent, who won ‘Greatest Leader of All Times’ in 2020 at the BBC World Histories Magazine poll. Maharaja Ranjit Singh’s statue at Lahore Fort had historical significance and served as a memorial for his almost 40-year rule over Panjab from Lahore. By shifting the statue to a Gurdwara, Pakistan has undone its own effort to tell the unbiased history of Lahore Fort to the upcoming generations. Babar Jalandhari, an activist promoting the Panjabi language in Pakistan, said, ‘We are proud of Maharaja Ranjit Singh. Panjab was orphaned after his death. The attack on his statue in Lahore and the government’s silent surrender to such attacks by relocating it to Kartarpur Sahib is a defeat for the government. I want this statue to be relocated to Lahore Fort.’ 

On 21 Jun, International Yoga Day, Insta blogger Archana Makwana from Vadodara, Gujarat shared a picture of her doing the handstand in the parikrama (circumambulation) of the Darbar Sahib (Golden Temple). The post, intended to promote the power of yoga, sparked backlash for offending religious sentiments. Through CCTV footage the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) found that Makwana had spent an hour at the premises but did not even visit the sanctum sanctorum. Reacting to the incident, the Jathedar of Akal Takht (Leader of the Sikh political seat), Giani Raghbir Singh clarified that yoga holds no significance in Sikh religion. Initially Makwana apologized on Instagram (reel now removed) saying. ‘I did not mean any harm to anyone. I sincerely apologize for any hurt I may have caused.’ After SGPC complaint, the Amritsar police has filed a First Information Report against her under Section 295-A (deliberate and malicious intention of outraging the religious feelings of any class) of the Indian Penal Code. Makwana has called for the cancellation of the complaint against her and is raising public support in her favor. The Panjab police has issued her a notice to join the investigation until 30 Jun but she has not shown up. According to the police, the next step will be to arrest her. Meanwhile, the Gujarat police has provided protection to her, though Makwana claims she never asked for it. The issue is akin to one in 2016 when AAP's manifesto cover page had the Darbar Sahib on it with the party’s election symbol, the ‘broom,’ on top. 

Italian PM Giorgia Meloni paid homage to Satnam Singh, the farm worker originally from Moga, Panjab who was killed last week in the country. Addressing the Italian Parliament, Meloni offered her condolences saying, ‘These are inhumane acts that do not belong to the Italian people. I hope that this barbarity will be punished harshly.’ (SDW Vol. 2 Issue 26, Story 7). Satnam’s death sparked massive protests with laborers calling for swift justice and improved labor laws in the country. Gurmukh Singh, head of the Indian community in Lazio, says he sees his own story in Satnam’s. For, it was some three decades ago that Gurmukh arrived in Italy from his village near Jalandhar, Panjab as an undocumented laborer and was soon trapped in a quagmire of debt and exploitation. Little has changed since then or in the 50-odd years since Indian immigrants started making their way to the dairies and farmlands of Europe. 'Satnam is the 100th migrant worker who has died in Italy this year,’ says Carlo Caprioglio, a researcher. Alessandra Corrado, professor says ‘By the end of 2022, there were almost 362,000 foreigners in the agriculture sector, which is almost 32% of the farm workforce. If we also consider the undocumented workers, the numbers become much higher (with estimates of up to 50%).’ Another researcher Annamaria Laudini says, ‘There is a more complex story hiding behind the issue of caporalato (illegal form of labor intermediation) in the Italian labor market. It is a problem of the whole legal, political, and cultural framework, which makes turning to caporali (gangmaster) almost an inevitable choice for both employers and migrants.’

On 27 Jun, Jammu & Kashmir (J&K)-based, Syed Mohammad Altaf Bukhari-led Apni Party announced the dissolution of all Kashmir province frontal organizations with immediate effect. The development is largely attributed to the Apni Party’s debacle in recently held general elections. The party could not even win minimum votes and forfeited its security deposit in all seats. The order copy reads: ‘It is hereby ordered that all frontal organizations of Jammu and Kashmir Apni Party (Kashmir province), including the Youth Wing, Women Wing and Scheduled Tribe Wing, are dissolved with immediate effect.’ The election results are also a setback to the J&K Sikh community, whose members have not been part of the two mainstream parties National Conference and People’s Democratic Party, and joined the Apni Party when it came into existence in 2020. In the past, the Apni Party has supported recognizing Panjabi language as one of the official languages in the state. Apni Party’s provincial president of Jammu, Manjit Singh, has been demanding political reservation for Sikhs in the J&K legislative assembly. Meanwhile, the J&K administration has appointed Rajiv Singh, Professor and Head of the Division of Veterinary Medicine at Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology of Jammu, as a member of the J&K Public Service Commission (JKPSC). This appointment addresses the absence of a Sikh member in the JKPSC for over five years. The Sikh Coordination Committee has urged the govt. of India and the administration to address the following demands of the Sikh community: control of Gurdwara properties, implementation of minority benefits, regularization of refugee settlements, inclusion in Pahari ethnic group, and recognition of Panjabi language and reservation for representation in the legislative assembly.

Rakesh Sharma, principal of Shaheed Gurdas Ram Memorial Government Senior Secondary School (Girls), Zira, Ferozepur district, announced a jahaaz da jhoota (air travel) for those students from Class 8th, 10th, and 12th who secure a rank on the merit list. 14 students from his school secured ranks on merit list. They flew to Delhi from Amritsar, spending three days with their teachers’ visiting places of cultural and educational importance. Spending over $3,355 from his pocket, Sharma sponsored the tour, keeping his promise to encourage his students to study harder. For the students, who mostly come from financially weak backgrounds – their fathers work as mechanics, milk-sellers, run grocery stores and other blue collar jobs – sitting in an aircraft was an exciting experience and a hard-earned opportunity. Earlier in December 2022, four girls from his school made it to the merit. Two of them flew to Goa to attend a science exposition, while two others went to Delhi. ‘More students have promised me that I should keep their air tickets ready in the coming months. It was just a way to motivate them for better results,’ said Sharma. Ferozepur Deputy District Education Officer Pargat Singh Brar said, ‘Sharma’s devotion towards his students can be gauged from the fact that he refused a promotion as the District Education Officer (DEO), saying he does not want to be an officer but to serve students in his school as a principal.’