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Power analysis of Sikhs in India

Gurdial singh

2019102443

Yorkville university

Topics in power and society

Professor Nicholas McKenzie

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Power analysis of the Sikh community in India

From the time when India got independence from the Britishers in 1947, Sikhs were humiliated

in India by the Indian state. Instead of giving them rights and sovereignty of Punjab as per the

sacrifices they made for the nation's independence, they were called lawless people. The

narrative was built by uncle Nehru, the first prime minister of independent India.

Punjab partition: it is said that it was partition of two countries India and Pakistan but the fact

is there was the partition of Punjab (a country before 1849). Due to the racial hatred in Lahore,

Hindus and Sikhs were pushed out every single day. Hindus and Sikhs began moving eastward

following the Rawalpindi massacres in March 1947. A war caused hundreds of thousands of

people to be displaced eastwards and westwards. The east received only a few acres of sandy

land because they left fertile lands behind. What they did despite that, however, resulted in the

Green revolution.
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Before partition, Nehru spoke these words to the Sikhs:

Known as Uncle of the Indians and Sikhar Lal, Nehru promised the brave Sikhs of Punjab that

they would receive special consideration from the nation's first prime minister. The Sikhs need to

be granted freedom in their areas in the north of India to enjoy their sense of freedom. Jawahar

Lal Nehru wrote the following in The Lahore Bulletin on January 9, 1930, according to the

newspaper.

First betrayal:

In 1961, Jawahar Lal Nehru changed his mind and said, "Kya main taqat dushman (the enemy -

the Sikhs) ke haath main de dun (How can I trust them with power), 1961In 1961, Jawahar Lal

Nehru changed his mind and said, "Kya main taqat dushman (the enemy - the Sikhs) ke haath

main de dun (How can I trust them with power), 1961. After 1947, they didn't keep their

promise. The ceremony held on October 10, 1947, labelled Sikhs as "lawless people" and asked

them to accept Hindu laws no matter what they looked like. As Pandit Nehru, India's Prime

Minister, noted: "Without a doubt, the Sikhs, who are a minority community, pose a serious
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threat to law-abiding Hindus in society... and therefore, the government ought to take the

harshest measures against them." (Indian Prime Minister Nehru).

So, why I think that the Sikh community got betrayed was and that it should not be about trust

whether you give them power or not to the Punjab state to make them feel free and safe. It's

about how they trusted India as well and decided to live in India, even though they were only 2%

of the whole of India, whereas Hindus consist of 80% population in India.

An overview of the Punjabi Suba movement is as follows:

Goals: Establishing a Punjabi-speaking autonomous state with Chandigarh (city) as its capital.

After independence, every state was made based on linguistic regions. There was no movement,

protest, hunger strike or general strike. It was only Punjabi (Sikhs) who had to start a movement

in which around 50 Sikhs got killed and more than 57,000 got arrested. So here we can say how
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much power Sikhs hold in India.

The assassination of 10 years old boy by Indian police:

Punjabi Suba. In 1954, a young boy named Shaheed Inderjit Singh, who was ten years of age,

was executed by the Haryana Police for saying "Punjabi Suba Zindabad"; his arms were cut and

his eyes plucked by the police; he kept on shouting Sikh Jaikara despite the torture he had

received from the police. An autopsy revealed that his body had been thrown into a well.

So let's think about this now, he was just a kid killed in such a brutal way, and he was one of

those 49 who also got killed by police. I don't know how the rest of them were killed but I am

sure policemen were turned into hyenas. I think I can not imagine how much hate is in their mind

about Sikhs.
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No right to self-determination:

The Sikh community has been pushing for recognition of the Sikh faith as a sect within

Hinduism, as defined under article 25 (b) of the Indian constitution, rather than a separate

religion since the Indian government received a vociferous protest in 1950 from the Sikh

community.

The Anand Karaj Act of 1909 recognized Sikh marriages. After the Hindu Marriage Act was

repealed in 1951, a new law recognized Sikh marriages. As a result, the government does not

recognize Sikh marriages anymore. 'Secular India' requires Sikhs to sign the Hindu Marriage Act

of 1951 in order to obtain a marriage license. The insults are coming from every direction and

there is no end to them! (Asia Samachar, 16 Aug 2020).

This is the violence of the right to self-determination. Where in a democracy everyone has the

right to determine who they are, but in India, there is no such right for the Sikh community. Even

though Sikhs are different with different beliefs, and different looks but still they make you feel

that you are not recognized for who you are.

No riparian right on its water: riparian law is the law for the rights of water of a specific

region. If the water is flowing through an area in a natural way such as rivers and lakes, only that

region has a right to that water. But by going against this law, the central government took

control over the rights of water from the state government to the central government. The chief

minister of Punjab was also a congress member. Indra Gandhi(PM of India) put pressure on him

to sign a treaty of water of Punjab and he did.

Punjab's first right over its waters is recognized in the International Riparian Law. In the past

decade, Punjab has had access to its territorial waters for the first time in decades. Defending

themselves against being deprived of the revenue and streams they produce is imperative for
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Punjabi-speaking men. A large number of Panjab residents are passionate about the SYL (satluj

Yamuna link) Canal. The right to life is one of the most fundamental human rights. World Sikh

Parliament and civil society organizations intend to challenge this matter in the Indian courts. To

stop the construction of this canal, Sikhs also protested and filled the jails.

First Invasion of India on darbar sahib (Sikh shrine): A daring armed invasion was launched

into Sri Harmandir Sahib, the holiest Sikh shrine, on July 4, 1955, by Prime Minister Jawahar

Lal Nehru. The police fired and shelled unprovoked, killing more than 200 Sikhs and more than

12000 Sikhs were arrested.

During this interview, Sikh24 interviewed Sikh intellectual Prabhjot Singh Nawanshehr to

understand the reasons behind this attack. According to Prabhjot Singh, media offices were also

attacked after this attack, making it impossible for them to report this Saka. At the time of the

attack, all of the Sikhs who were targeted by the police were peacefully discussing the movement

for Punjabi Suba.

Before this attack, it was revealed that the local government had stopped issuing weapons

licenses to the SGPC. The central Sikh museum once had bomb shells that were hurled at

peaceful Sikhs.

After a long struggle, a Punjab state was made by the Indian state but it was not according to the

Sikh movement. Many of the Punjabi-speaking areas were taken away from Punjab.

Anandpur Sahib resolution: A resolution was made by sikh political leaders, which contained

18 points, to ensure Sikhs were feeling free in Punjab after a long period of inaction. As this was

for the rights of states rather than the central government, it helped not only the Punjabi or sikh

communities but also the other states. Religious and political issue was involved in the solution.
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The document asks for Sikhism's recognition as a separate religion. The declaration also called

for the devolution of power from the federal government to the states, as well as greater

autonomy for Punjab.

1. Maintaining the Sikh entity's separate and independent status by eliminating illiteracy,

untouchability, social inequality, and caste discrimination. In the process of eliminating

caste discrimination, illiteracy, untouchability, and social inequality

2. It was recently seized by the British that access and control were taken over by Sri

Nankana Sahib and other sacred centres for the Sikhs.

3. A Punjabi-speaking region should be incorporated into it immediately, and all remaining

powers should be devolved back to the states. The Centre would have jurisdiction over

defence, foreign affairs, communication, and currency only.

4. A constitutional guarantee of representation and authority for all states at the Center is

provided in the constitution, while protection for minority groups in other states is also

guaranteed.

5. Small farmers should be able to afford tractors without paying tractor excise duty.

6. Labourers should be paid a reasonable minimum wage. The labour rights of workers

were exploited during this time. The living wages of the labourers should be guaranteed

to ensure a respectable standard of living.

7. For Sachkhand Harmander sahib, an audio broadcast system will be implemented.

8. Windows cannot claim the property of their in-laws under an amendment to the Hindu

succession act. This point protected the rights of women.

9. The cost of machinery for farmers with limited equipment was minimal, resulting in

minimal savings.
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10. Caste reservations in government jobs should not be made by state governments.

11. SYL (Satluj Yamuna Link) will divide the remaining 25 per cent of Punjab's water with

the other states without the state's consent, making the state's water scarce.

12. Having six sugar mills and four textile mills in Punjab allows farmers to sell their

products without travelling to other states.

13. It is illegal to keep a woman in jail after she has been arrested. She needs to be brought

before the court first.

14. The sacrifices made by those who fought for independence. A function should be held in

their memory and government funding should be provided.

15. In addition to Chandigarh (city) being the capital of Punjab, all Punjabi-speaking areas

should also be considered Punjab.

16. Gun licenses should be easy to obtain.

17. To be our living Guru, we should follow Guru Granth Sahib ji. An act of unlawful

homicide should be committed if anyone disrespects.

18. To decrease addiction, opium should be sold and used under a license.

Sikh leaders put these demands forward to the Indian government, and the government

did not respond to them. As a result, Sikhs again had to start a movement, called Dharam

Yudh Morch in 1982.

Dharam yudh morch:

There was a religious political movement known as the Dharam Yuddh Morcha

("righteous campaign") that commenced in Punjab, India, in August 1982. This

movement sought to fulfil a set of devolutionary objectives outlined in the Anandpur

Sahib Resolution. The Akali Dal as well as Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale played an
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important role throughout the movement. In the first nineteen months of the Dharam

Yudh Morcha, a news magazine, the Week, reported 220 killings. Two hundred and

twenty people were killed between August 1982 and February 1984.

Blue star operation:

The central government rejected this resolution. The voice of democratic rights was

justified despite these demands, but Indira Gandhi, the prime minister of India, decided to

repress it with a blue star operation. For their people, they sent an army and tanks. At the

Darbar Sahib complex, thousands of pilgrims were killed. Indian troops and Sikh

militants engaged in a battle in response.

As part of the June 1984 attack on Harmandir Sahib, commonly known as the Golden

Temple, the Indian Army also attacked 41 other gurdwaras within Punjab. One of the first

violations of human rights in Punjab was the assault codenamed "Operation Blue Star,"

which continues to have a profound impact on its rule of law today.

The assassination of the prime minister: Sikh bodyguards assassinated Indira Gandhi

on 31st October 1984 because they could not bear to see their shrine humiliated and

pilgrims killed.

Sikh massacre A massacre of 30,000 Sikhs all over India resulted from the assassination

of the Prime Minister of India. This paper examines fragmentation in the aftermath of

Indira Gandhi's 1984 assassination by her Sikh bodyguards. No one has been brought to

justice for the mass killings of Sikhs committed 32 years ago. It has been 40 years since

the Sikhs were denied justice, and no one talks about it now. Indian democracy suffers

from a shameful delay of 11 years between FIRs being filed. Conflicts and divisions in

the Indian subcontinent are driven by a variety of factors. If oversimplified, this can lead
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to gross misrepresentation. Sikhs were burnt alive and their sister and daughter got raped

by a group of Hindu people.

As a result of anti-Sikh violence, Gurcharan Singh suffered life-changing injuries. He

was helped by the parents of his friend Vijay. His life was reduced to a wheelchair and

bedridden after surviving the attack. A quarter of a century later, he is still without

justice. A wheelchair user and ambulance rider, he eventually passed away in 2009. The

case was closed since there were no other witnesses. As he looked ahead to the day, he

believed he would finally receive justice. (ISHMEET KAUR CHAUDHRY, 03-04-2017).

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Gobind Singh Longowal, president of SGPC, commented on the recent report submitted

by SIT head Justice S N Dhingra, saying Sikh passengers were killed at train stations in

1984 as they were dragged from the train, which is very unfortunate that no one tried to

save them. On November 1 and 2, 1984, Sikhs were massacred at five railway stations in

Delhi according to the report given by Justice Dhingra.

There was no complaint filed against the cops because they didn't perform their duties.

"Along with that, several complaints were added to one FIR," he said in a statement

calling for the guilty parties to be indicted immediately.

No justice to Sikhs:

Victims of the Sikh massacre: there are still many victims of the Sikh massacre, who

lost their families and relatives. Some mothers lost their sons, and some of their daughters

got raped. But people who provoked Hindu groups to do so are walking in the street free.

So no justice has been given to those families.

Descriptions of Guru granth sahib (today’s guru of Sikhs):

In October 2015, a series of desecration incidents of the Guru Granth Sahib (also referred

to as the 2015 Sri Guru Granth Sahib sacrilege) were committed in Punjab, India, which

led to protests in response, although the incident is also referred to as the 2015 Guru

Granth Sahib sacrilege.

After that, Sikhs protested to get justice for this discretion. Police and Sikhs clashed

violently. Several protesters and police were injured, and two protestors died from police
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shootings. Nevertheless, no decision has been reached regarding the discretion and also

the death of protestors by the police.

The current situation in Punjab: Even now Sikhs are not getting any justice from the

system. Instead of solving their problem, the government is abusing Sikhs by arresting

them from home, and torturing them and 2 Sikhs are dead in 2 days. The Punjab

government is also handled by the central government so all of this is done on the order

of the central government. Sikhs' main demands are:

1. Punjab should have the right to its water

2. Government jobs and the jobs in the banks of Punjab belong to the Punjabi

people. So they should be prioritized for these jobs.

3. There should not be interference of government in the religious matter of Sikhism

4. Drug smuggling should be stopped. Where it increases day by day in Punjab.

There are also many other issues to solve. Which if I explain might be confusing.

So the current leader of Sikhs Amrita singh said if the government can not fulfil

the demands of Sikhs then we need a separate country, called Khalistan. He also

claimed that demanding a separate country is not an “anti-democratic step”

adding that in a democracy people’s opinions are respected, “so if people want to

be separated it should be respected and it should not be a taboo.”

Where the Indian state assembled him as a terrorist to demand separation from

India.

Currently, police have arrested him and his supporters are alleging that he is being

tortured in the 3rd degree. Around 500 of his supporters are arrested as well.
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To conclude, Sikhs in India are facing slavery, under the Indian state. All the

above are the facts that describe why they need to be free from the Indian system.

They are not given basic rights to living, justice is the main right they should

have. We have discussed how they don't have the right to self-determination. They

are being genocide till now with drugs and migrating to other countries, this has

been found that the highest drug epidemic is in Punjab. So it can be said that only

Punjabis are targeted.

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References :

Dhami, M. S. (1986). ETHNIC POLITICS IN PUNJAB: A Review Article [Review of Storm

over the Sutlej : The Akali Politics, by A. S. Narang]. India Quarterly, 42(2), 193–199.

http://www.jstor.org/stable/45072101

https://www.jstor.org/stable/45072101?read-now=1&oauth_data=eyJlbWFpbCI6Imd1cmRpYW

xzMTU0QGdtYWlsLmNvbSIsImluc3RpdHV0aW9uSWRzIjpbXX0#page_scan_tab_contents

https://heinonline.org/HOL/LandingPage?handle=hein.journals/techssj30&div=54&id=&page=

https://www.sanskritimagazine.com/1984-sikh-genocide-centre-told-sit-probe-rajiv-gandhis-role-

says-sukhbir-badal/
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