:dateline:US based human rights group “Sikhs For Justice” (SFJ) whose Facebook page has been blocked by the Indian government has given a call to the Sikh diaspora in North America to boycott Air India. The national airline of the India operates several flights every day to various destinations in North America.
SFJ claims that it called for boycott of Air India to highlight the dictatorial action of Modi Government to block the democratic campaign of SFJ to hold referendum in the state of Punjab.
To adversely affect the usage of Air India by the Sikh community, on May 12, SFJ launched an online campaign “Say NO Air India, YES to Punjab Independence Referendum”. The campaign urges the community to denounce blocking of SFJ’s Facebook Page; declare that Sikhs have a right to hold Punjab Independence Referendum and pledge not to travel by Air India.
The Sikh rights group plans to reach out to every Sikh household in North America through social media and local Gurdwaras. SFJ volunteers will be setting up �No To Air India� camps at Gurdwaras urging the community to sign the pledge boycotting India�s national airline during the upcoming busy travel season.
Advocating to banish Air India, attorney Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, legal advisor to SFJ stated that �every dictatorial action of Modi Government will be challenged through equally strong but legal, peaceful and democratic action�. “Our campaign is aimed at mounting pressure on India into holding Punjab Independence Referendum under UN Charter”, added attorney Pannun.
SFJ has given a call to hold a referendum in the year 2020 on the question of Sikh sovereignty. Referendum 2020 will be held in the state of Punjab and among Sikh diaspora living in America, Canada, United Kingdom, European Union, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia and Middle Eastern Countries.
Vikram and Sarabjeet are correct. Those who have settled abroad have nothing to fear.But we live in India. Don’t create such poison in our country. I don’t want khalistan.
If you fear utilizing your constitutional right to free speech in your own country due to action from the government, then there is something wrong with your country. Maybe your country then isn’t really a democracy, have you ever thought about that?
No western democratic country represses free speech the way India does.
Innocent Sikh protesters get shot and killed in broad daylight for protesting, and the perpetrators, instead of facing jail time, are instead rewarded with promotion!
India should be just honest with itself and declare itself a Hindoo country. It is not a secular democracy.
If you don’t want Khalistan, you are entitled to your opinion and cast your “No” vote.
You have no right to stop anyone else from casting their “Yes” vote to independence.
That’s how real democracy works.
Khalistan Zindabad!
Yes, I agree with RS. A call for a Panjab Independence referendum, will ultimately be the determining factor.
Khalistan will one day be a reality.
Dear Sarabjeet and Vikram,
It’s nice to know you’re both paid shills of the Modi Government.
Every time there’s a pro-Khalistan or pro-justice for 1984 article, the first few responses are always from people like you guys denouncing any call from the Sikhs for pursuing their legal rights to self-determination or justice for 1984 genocide.
“It was such groups that funded the terror in the 70,80,90s in punjab.”
What “terror” is SFJ advocating? There is a big difference between “terror” and a boycott. Was Mahatma Gandhi also a terrorist with the “Quit India” boycott campaign during 1947 independence?
Why has Mr. Modi, PM of the world’s largest “secular” “democracy”, banned the Facebook page of pro-independence, pro-justice organizations? Is it because he fears that the independence movement is growing, day by day?
Khalistan will one day be a reality.
The reason the movement for the RIGHT to agitate for Sikh self determination is being led from outside India is very simple.�
“The Indian government�s centralized monitoring is chilling, given its reckless and irresponsible use of the sedition and Internet laws. New surveillance capabilities have been used around the world to target critics, journalists, and human rights activists.”
Cynthia Wong, Human Rights Watch� 2014
�In India, ranked at its lowest since 2002, violence against journalists and web censoring continues unabatedIndia has dropped nine places to 140 in the list of 179 countries in the 2013 World Press Freedom Index, which its authors, Reporters Without Borders, said was the lowest for the �world�s biggest democracy� since 2002.�In Asia, India (140th, � 9) is at its lowest since 2002 because of increasing impunity for violence against journalists and because Internet censorship continues to grow,� Reporters Without Borders said.
Recall the Gadar movement? Similarly led from abroad due to another imperialist state’s oppression.
The fact that Indian propaganda has completely controlled the narrative within India for at least the last twenty five years is also a major factor, it is in fact the increasing dissemination of FACTS regarding 1984 and the broader Sikh relationship with the Indian state that is turning the tide in Panjab. Sikhs in India have for the first time free access to information that was denied to them for decades. India rightly fears this but try as they may there is no getting the genie back in the bottle. India believed it could commit terrible crimes against a small, and as far as they saw it, internationally insignificant minority but they failed to learn from history, arrogance has that effect.
As for the Pakistani connection, how original…�
There was never and never has been any evidence whatsover of the Sant having any connections with the ISI or that Pakistan had any hand in the Panjab situation other than that of an opportunistic enemy after the fact – Indias Sikh war. They were simply working on the principle of �the enemy of my enemy is my friend�. Much the same way India assisted the Mukhti Bahini against the Pakistani�s. This assistance was in the form of supply of arms for the armed resistance following Bluestar.
Remember it was not the Pakistani army that raided Sri Harmandir Sahib, it was not the Pakistani army that simultaneously attacked 78 other major Sikh Gurudwaras in Panjab (one man-78locations?) – It was not the Pakistani army that carried out mass murder and torture under the banner of �Operation Woodrose�, It was not the Pakistani army that desecrated more than 200 Gurudwaras in Delhi, It was not the Pakistani army that killed more than 3,000 innocent Sikhs in Delhi alone – this pattern repeated in at least 127 other northern Indian towns and cities (figures for those killed there may never be known) and it was certainly not the Pakistani army that burned Sikh chidren alive on the streets of the nations capital AND it has not been the Pakistanis who have for thirty years actively obstructed the prosecution of the guilty.
I know its common practice in India to blame all its ills on �foreign powers�, there is an expression in Panjab that the death of a pigeon in India is usually attributed to the Pakistanis.
The Sikh right, yes right to self determination is our concern, what the rest of India or Indians feel about this is their concern. What I and all other Sikhs should be focused upon is, what is in the best interests of the panth – Sikh nation.
It is known that the Indian state employs individuals whose sole working purpose is to be engaged in the social media/cyber world – YouTube/twitter etc. These banks of state propagandists post comments/tweet against anything that is considered to be anti-Indian. India is not alone in this, Israel admits it does the same, doesn’t make it any less deceitful. It is certainly something Sikhs should be aware of.
why would as they are sitting comfortably abroad. It was such groups that funded the terror in the 70,80,90s in punjab. Have your khalistan in canada, USA and uk? but they have vested interests with their ISI funding.
such people have no right to call themselves sikhs, as there is nothing “pure” in their actions. They are khalistanis.
Do these kind of people understand how their actions portray Sikhs living in India?
Why don’t these idiots understand that all the Sikhs don’t live in UK, US and Canada.
They live in Punjab and other states of India and are happy and doing well. Please do not spread poison by your words and actions. If anything happens you and your children will be safe living in UK, US and Canada but those living here will suffer.
Think before you speak and act…
Regards