Sikh man shot during Hindutva nationalists anti-Khalistan violence

UPDATE: The management of the Mandir (Hindu place of worship) that some Hindutva goons sought shelter from the Sikh counter-demonstration have released a statement which confirms their building was not damaged or attacked in any way by Sikh protesters. Despite this, Indian media outlets that claimed Sikhs attacked the Mandir have no retracted or corrected any statements, showing a clear agenda to malign Sikhs.

An anti-Khalistan (free Sikh homeland) rally by Hindu extremist nationalist group Shiv Sena led to mass violence, including the shooting of an elderly Sikh man in Patiala (Punjab, India) today (29.04.22).

The provocative rally was held on a day many Sikhs mark as Khalistan Declaration Day, due to the Sarbat Khalsa agreement to pursue Khalistan, made before hundreds of thousands of Sikhs on this day in 1986. Local Sikhs came out to counter the anti-Khalistan rally, which is when they were attacked by Shiv Sena goons.

A video of a Sikh man being shot during the Hindutva violence when he was clearly posing no threat to anyone has gone viral. In the video (available to watch via Sikh Youth UK here) a loud bang is heard before the man drops to the ground whilst surrounded by nearby police. It is unlikely if any clarity on the shooting will be given, as in previous similar incidents there has not been any investigation into the possibility of police or anti-Sikh goons carrying out the shooting, such as the infamous murder of a peaceful protester during the #FarmersProtest Republic Day rally in 2021. The man is reported to be in a serious but stable condition. Other minor injuries were reported by both sides.

The anti-Khalistan rally was held allegedly based on a Sikhs For Justice call for Khalistan supporters to mark 29th April in support of the free Sikh homeland movement, although no such gathering was evident before the Shiv Sena rally started. When Sikhs attended to counter the rally, Shiv Sena goons began throwing stones and charging at the Sikhs, some of whom retaliated. To hide from Sikh retaliation, some Hindutva goons retreated to a nearby Mandir (Hindu place of worship), before going to the roof of the building to continue throwing objects at the Sikhs. Reports have stated the Shiv Sena goons were being protected by the police whilst carrying out their violence, which is common for Hindu nationalist mobs. Police surrounded the Sikhs holding a counter demonstration and shot gunfire into the air to try and scare the Sikh crowd into leaving the site. In an act of defiance, some Sikhs started dancing to the sound of the gunfire, showing intention to stay and confront the anti-Sikh Hindu mob.

Many of the Sikhs that came out to oppose the act of Hindutva intimidation in the Sikh home state of Punjab also began shouting pro-Khalistan slogans (pictured below), underlining support for the movement despite the fact the Indian state has criminalised such support in many forms.

It has since been revealed the rally was held without police permission or allegedly even the blessing of the Shiv Sena leaders, resulting in the extremist outfit releasing a letter claiming the ringleader of the rally – Harish Singla – had been expelled from the group. After decades of carrying out extremist and terrorist actions in the name of Hindu nationalism of India, Shiv Sena have been trying to revamp their reputation in recent years, which is believed to be behind the expulsion of Singla. However, Singla rejected the claim he was expelled from the group, claiming as a senior figure of the outfit he could not be removed from Shiv Sena in such fashion.

The actions of the Shiv Sena group were not only contested by Sikhs, but also by local Muslims and even Hindus, who both opposed the clearly provocative and intimidatory actions of the mob. Local Hindus were so perturbed by the incident that ringleader Harish Singla found himself under attack from congregation at a Mandhir (Hindu place of worship) he went to seek sanctuary in. Singla was later arrested by police for inciting violence, under the request of new Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann.

In typical fashion, the Indian media machine have focused much of the story on the Khalistan support of Sikhs, whilst also suggesting they were behind the violence. Such reporting has been criticised by Sikhs, many of whom followed events as they unfolded through social media.

Meanwhile, a Sikh man has climbed a phone tower in the Moga area of Punjab, calling for the release of Sikh political prisoners, many of whom have been imprisoned for decades on spurious charges made under much criticised laws such as TADA and UAPA. The act once again underlines the importance of this issue for much of the Sikh community.