By MD Mesha

NEW DELHI: The Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi reportedly approved the plan of its intelligence agencies to launch a crackdown against minority Sikh youth in the country, sources said.

According to Sikhs leaders, last week, the notorious Indian intelligence agency, Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) officials briefed the premier Modi about their plan to target Sikhs following Khalistan momentum in recent days.

Under the plan, RAW could target the Railway tracks, key government installations, and the Hindu community inside Punjab and other states where Sikhs are in majority, a Sikh leader told The South Asia Times on condition of anonymity due to security reasons. Such attacks will then be exploited to target Pakistan intelligence agencies and will blame Pakistan for providing support for such acts and actions.

“This is a very dangerous game as RAW would carry out such attacks and then will blame Pakistan for supporting Sikhs and will start massive arrest campaign,” he feared.

“RAW is famous for such notorious activities in Kashmir as we still remember what they did in Pulwama in Kashmir,” he added.

He was referring to Feb. 23, 2019, attack on a military convoy in Pulwama district of Indian-administered Kashmir in which 40 soldiers were killed, for which New Delhi blamed Pakistan. Islamabad, however, have denied all such baseless charges.

Later, a controversial Indian journalist and Indian TV host Arnab Goswami revealed that he knew of New Delhi's plan of the Pulwama attack and strike against Pakistan in the town of Balakot.

This is figured out from purported WhatsApp conversations between Goswami and Partho Dasgupta, the incarcerated head of rating company the Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC).

On Feb. 26, Indian jets crossed into Pakistan and dropped bombs on the outskirts of Balakot, falsely claiming to have targeted a training camp.

The next day, the Pakistani Air Force shot down two Indian aircraft and arrested a pilot, who was later released as a "goodwill gesture." Indian false flag operations and surgical strikes mantra have invariably been used to foment anti Pakistan rhetoric for domestic audience to mint political objectives.

If past Indian incidents against Pakistan can be any guide here it is very much a possibility that Indian RAW or hideous elements create a purported terrorist activity in Punjab to disrupt Sikhs movement as well as blame Pakistan intelligence agencies for it to achieve vested interests.

Earlier this month, the Indian media warned the Hindu nationalist BJP led-government that its anti-minorities policies could lead the country into the division as Sikhs freedom “Khalistan movement” gains momentum inside and outside India.  

A leading Indian newspaper, The Hindu, in its recent editorial wrote that symbols of Sikh separatism placed on Himachal Pradesh Assembly complex in Dharamshala on Sunday show that forces promoting it are active and capable to move it on. 

The daily said that following Prime Minister Indira Gandhi assassination violence against Sikhs spread and huge human and political losses had paid during the operations against Sikhs freedom fighters decades ago.

“Those wounds continue to fester, and care must be taken by the state, political actors and community leaders to ensure that history does not repeat itself as yet another tragedy,” the daily said in its editorial.

Last month, the Indian intelligence agencies launched targeted operations against the Sikhs community in several states and reportedly arrested dozens of young Sikhs and accused them of allegedly links with the Khalistan movement. 

The anti-Sikhs operation has launched after clashes between extremist Hindus and Sikhs in Punjab province where the Sikhs later chanted slogans in support of Khalistan. 

On May 8, Sikhs for Justice claimed responsibility for placing the flags on Himachal Pradesh Assembly gates and said they were sent through its activists.

Local police registered a case against the Gurpatwant Singh Pannu, chief of the pro-Khalistan Sikhs for Justice (SFJ), under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA).

Sikh for Justice has already banned the Indian government and declared it a terrorist organization.

However, SFJ is active in several foreign countries and campaigning for the creation of a separate state in India.

Anti-minorities policies of the BJP government have pushed the Muslims, Sikhs, Dalits, and Christain to react and raise their voice for separate states inside India.

Last month, in several states, clashes erupted between the Hindus and Muslims after RSS affiliated groups carried out attacks on Muslim communities.

Later, the government launched an operation and destroyed dozens of houses, shops, and properties of Muslims.

- Background

The Khalistan movement is a Sikh freedom movement seeking to create a homeland for Sikhs by establishing a sovereign state, called Khālistān.

 
The movement was launched in 1940 during the British era. In 1980, it spread across the Sikh majority areas in India but in 1990, the Indian government launched an operation “Operation Blue Star” against the group and arrested most of its leaders.

 
However, the movement continued despite severe crackdowns against Sikhs by governments of the time. Sikh leaders living in Canada and other western countries are now holding their gatherings and demanding a separate state in India.
 
The movement has been gaining lot of traction lately due to execution of ultra-nationalistic policies against minorities in India by BJP government. The current crackdown is likely to further aggravate the security situation in the Sikh-dominated states of India.