UPDATE- The filmmakers have agreed to remove the disrespectful scene from the film. See their statement here.

A Bollywood film production team have had an official police complaint filed against them by leading Sikh body the SGPC (Shiromani Guru Parbandhak Committee) for “hurting religious sentiments of minority Sikh community”.

The complaint is based on the depiction of a character in film Yaariyan 2, the latest upcoming release by Sapru and Rao. In the film a cleanshaven character is seen wearing the kirpan, a small sword only worn by Amritdhari (initiated) Sikhs, whilst also dancing and singing about consuming alcohol.

Amritdhari Sikhs commit to keeping kes (unshorn hair), as well as staying away from intoxicants like alcohol during their initiation into the Khalsa (collective of initiated Sikhs), which is when they are also given a kirpan to wear. Only Sikhs committed to maintaining strict physical and spiritual faith practices will be initiated into the Khalsa, which has no age restriction and is open to both males and females. Non-Amritdharis wearing a kirpan is seen as not only inappropriate but entirely disrespectful to what the kirpan stands for, which has seen the article of faith become accepted within law in countries across the world.

The anti-Sikh depiction went viral after it was included in a video-song release from the film called “Saure Ghar” on 25^th August. Actor non-Sikh Meezaan Jafri is seen in it wearing a Punjabi style kortha-pajama outfit, with the kirpan tied around him with a traditional gatra, using the Punjabi language whilst seemingly harassing a woman on a bus.

The release quickly faced a mass Sikh backlash, with many calling it “blasphemy”. The SGPC pushed for not just an apology but the total removal of the scene from the film and of the social media videos featuring the clip, threatening legal proceedings if Sapru and Rao, along with producer Bhushan Kumar of T-Series, refused. The org, which is in charge of all Gurdwaras in India, also appealed for India’s censorship regulator to intervene.

In response, the @SapruandRao official Twitter handle released a statement, claiming the character in the film was not wearing a kirpan, but was in fact wearing a khukri (sometimes spelled kukri), a knife traditionally associated with the famed Nepalese Gurkha soldier community. However, most felt this response was entirely dishonest, with some highlighting how the language and fashion of the character could only be associated with Punjab (the birthplace of Sikhi), whilst the style of the blade only resembled the kirpan, and not the khukri.

Due to this response, on 29^th August the SGPC officially filed a police complaint under the crime for a hate crime under Section 295-Aof the IPC which allows criminal charges for hurting religious sentiment, although many feel it is a law only upheld for the majority Hindu community. The complaint has been replicated by Amritsar police, according to the latest media reports on the issue, whilst legal advocacy group United Sikhs have also sent a legal notice to the filmmakers.

The complaints against Yaariyan 2 are far from the first time Bollywood productions have been accused of hurting Sikh sentiments. Both India’s film studios and wider media of the country have been accused of “character assassination” of Sikhs before, with features often depicting the 1-2% Sikh community of India as buffoonish clowns or callous terrorists.

The notorious Santa-Banta characterisations of two Sikhs was challenged in court in 2017 after the mocking depictions were linked with schoolyard bullying. Even famous actors like Punjabi Sikh Gippy Grewal have spoken out against Bollywood’s mocking and disrespectful portrayals of Sikhs.

Indian authorities are yet to make an official comment about the case.

For now, the scene and the videos with it remain up on social media platforms. However, Sikh orgs and individuals are continuing to speak out, mounting pressure on Sapru and Rao, headed by directors Vinay Sapru and Radhika Rao, and T-Series.

Updates on the SGPC legal challenge against the anti-Sikh scene will be shared as they come in.

UPDATE: The body of a 75-year-old Sikh man identified as Karan Singh was also discovered in Tral area of South Kashmir’s Pulwama district on 02.09.23, prompting concerns of an uptake in targeting of Sikhs in Kashmir. So far suicide is again not suspected by locals.

The body of a respected Sikh figure has been recovered days after he went missing in Baramulla (city in Kashmir), in an incident of suspected kidnapping and murder.

59-year-old Gurmeet Singh, an engineer for the city, was reported as missing on the evening of 25th August. His car was left in the Kanth-Bagh area of the city and his mobile phone was switched off. Singh’s body was found in a barrage in the Gantamulla village on 28th August. Suicide is not suspected.

Although what occurred still remains a mystery, Sikhs have historically been plagued by Islamic extremists in Jammu and Kashmir (J&K). It is also not the first time a Sikh engineer has gone missing in J&K, as reported by the Kashmiri Sikh Project group (see image below). Kashmir based Sikh academic Dr Komal Singh said about the murder of a Sikh and J&K, “We know this is not first it won’t be last”.

Most accounts state Gurmeet Singh said he went to attend an official work meeting before he disappeared. J&K is also noted as being one of the most militarised areas on earth, with hundreds of thousands of Indian troops stationed there, imposing many human rights abuses on the area’s citizens.

Protests have broken out, with J&K Sikh groups calling for more government action on protecting the community. The protest was supported by the Civil Society of Baramulla, whilst the local Transport Association also suspended actions in a mark of respect.

Investigations into the murder continue, although a conclusive outcome is unlikely to come any time soon.

Speaking on the issue, Sikh Press Association Senior Press Officer Jasveer Singh said:

“The case of Gurmeet Singh reminds us that across India, and in neighbouring Pakistan and Afghanistan and all that is in between, Sikh lives seem more dispensable then most. Sikhs remain a micro-minority community in these countries, plagued by Islamic extremism on one side and Hindu extremism on the other.

“Between these issues, Sikhs lives are often lost in various ways and the ability for the community to obtain justice remains weak. Hopefully in this case more will come to light. Our prayers and thoughts go out to Gurmeet Singh’s family and the Sikhs of Jammu and Kashmir.”

A Sikh man died from injuries sustained during a police attack, as Indian authorities attempted to prevent a new farmers protest march.

55-year-old farmer Pritam Singh was hurt yesterday (21.08.23) during a lathi (stick) charge by police in Longowal (Sangrur, Punjab) and passed the same night. Singh was part of a Punjab and Haryana farmers union march towards Chandigarh (India’s capital of Punjab), organised to today demand more government support for farmers after recent floods destroyed their lands.

The official police statement of the death claimed Pritam Singh died after falling under the wheels of a tractor, amid a police operation against many of the 32 farmer union groups passing through Longowal for a protest in Chandigarh. The operation saw violence towards the protesters, ending with cases put against 53 farmers, an unaccounted amount also detained and farmer vehicles damaged by police vandalism. Grassroots accounts have solely blamed police for Pritam Singh’s death during the melee, with their heavy-handed approach causing him to fall under a passing by tractor.

A further 100 farmers from Haryana and Punjab were also reported as arrested, with more detained across both states in an attempt to disrupt today’s gathering. Demonstrations about the arrests spread across Punjab, with some groups attempting to block highways in protest, whilst masses joined protests outside Longowal police station regarding the death of Pritam Singh.

The violence highlights that Indian police in Punjab have been tasked with violently disrupting the new farmer protest attempts by any means. Videos have gone viral of police attacking union groups all over the state, whilst lead figures within the groups have had their homes raided and faced house arrest. Many social commentators are criticising Punjab’s new Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann of the Aam Aadmi Party, whose party was advertised as bringing a fresh approach to Punjab, away from previous violent regimes. However, police violence in the state is arguably the worst it has been in a decade.

The uptake in State violence is believed to be an attempt to curb any potential movement as seen during the famous #FarmersProtest of 2020-2021, which resulted in a partly Sikh led movement forcing the Indian State to revoke three exploitative farm laws being forced on the agriculture sector. News of censorship (via Facebook) to hide the actions of Indian authorities have also been reported, particularly impacting respected journalist Mandeep Punia. Attempts to prevent the Chandigarh protest gathering even saw police trying to drive vehicles off the road.

Demands from the farmers will continue, as compensation packages are sought due to the ongoing impact of the Punjab floods. Along with these demands, farmer groups will now be pursuing justice for their arrested colleagues, some of whom remain imprisoned. Concerns about India’s violent response to the farmer demands remain prominent in global Sikh circles.

Chandigarh today

UPDATE (20.03.24): A Khalistan supporter Sikh man has been sentenced to 28-months imprisoned for violence involving using his kirpan (Sikh sword, article of faith part of the initiated Sikh uniform) during a skirmish with Indian nationalists, which also saw a policewoman injured with the blade. In comment to Sikh PA, locals maintained that the streets of Southall were awash with Indian nationalist mobs on the day, who were intent on stirring up trouble.

An Indian nationalist mob were videoed attacking Sikh Khalistan (free Sikh homeland movement) supporters during a yobbish Indian Independence Day gathering in Southall (West London, UK) last night (15.08.23).

One of several viral videos of the violence showed an Indian nationalist mob surround four Sikh men holding Khalistan flags, screaming and chanting at them, before violence broke out and the mob ended up chasing the men, resulting in at least one ending up on the floor being stomped on. Witnesses reported cries from the Indian nationalists to remove the dastaars (Sikh turbans) of the Sikh men.

See the incident which went viral here.

Videos of other skirmishes circulated around the same time as police sealed off The Broadway, a long road known as a tourist hotspot in Southall. No official police reports have been released but local witnesses have claimed there were two stabbings and that three people were taken to hospital with serious injuries. It remains unclear which side any of the victims were from.

Indian nationalists have long targeted supporters of Sikh sovereignty in India, with the Hindu extremist movement now clearly an issue in the UK where many within the Sikh community use UK freedoms to advocate for a free Sikh homeland within India (Khalistan).

Local Sikh-focused community media group AK Media followed the situation closely and countered early reports which attempted to lay blame on Khalistanis for the outbreak in violence, even though video evidence clearly showed Indian mobs carrying out the attacks.

As has happened for many years, crowds gathered in the mini-Punjab of Southall to celebrate the day India came into existence after Britain relinquished its colonial rule of the territory in 1947. Southall however, is known to be home to a large section of Khalistan supporters, with local Gurdwaras depicting images of Khalistan figures and holding events in support of the movement. Many of these Khalistan supporters have also long attended the India Independence Day gatherings to highlight wider Sikh sentiment that the period was actually a dark time for the community, due to the biggest migration in history and over two million deaths during the chaos of Punjab’s partition under the British. However, the increasingly dark turn of Hindu Indian nationalism in the UK (and beyond) became evident through the evening.

Earlier in the night before police issued a dispersal order a mob was seen chanting Jai Shri Ram marching provocatively past the Park Avenue Gurdwara, which is a 10 minute walk away from The Broadway where crowds gather. The chant is associated with intimidatory mob behaviour in India which has seen Hindu groups attack Mosques, Gurdwaras and anti-state demonstrations (including anti-rape protests).

What is Khalistan and why do Indian nationalists target Khalistanis?

Khalistan is the name of a proposed free Sikh homeland that would be made up of the Punjab state in India. The support for the movement comes partly from the fact the Indian regime has been viewed as carrying out various anti-Sikh actions since its inception, including the Sikh genocide. Khalistan support also comes from the fact that prior to the British Raj, there was a Sikh empire across India, the territory of which was handed over to a central majority Hindu government to control post 1947. Finally, support for Khalistan also comes from faith-based notions of Sikh sovereignty and philosophy. Respected activist and educator Bhai Daljit Singh recently said “Khalistan is not the idea of a Sikh state; it is the Sikh idea of a state”.

Fanatical nationalism across India, stemming from the idea India is a Hindu Rashtra (nation), has demonised those perceived as attempting to break up Bharat Mata (Mother India), resulting in mass anti-Sikh/anti-Khalistan rhetoric being normalised among Indian Hindu nationalist groups.

Anti-Sikh violence has demonstratably been imported to the West. Various reports of attacks have surfaced from Australia, whilst less violent but still concerning incidents have been reported across Canada too. Hindu extremist Vishal Jood was deported from Australia in 2021 for being a ringleader of anti-Sikh attacks in Australia, and was met with a heroes welcome in India. In the UK, Hindu mobs acting similarly as they did yesterday in Southall instigated violence in Leicester in 2021.

Across the world Sikh groups are condemning the violence whilst highlighting it as yet another example of the growing threat of Hindutva.

A Southall Sikh resident and Khalistan supporter, who asked to remain anonymous, spoke with Sikh PA about the incident, saying:

“The Indian nationalist mobs took advantage of the fact there was no coordinated demonstration by the Sikh community of Southall last night. There was a conscious decision by Sikh groups to not do anything that could raise tensions so we allowed this Indian Independence Day gathering to take place.

“The few Khalistan supporters that did attend to highlight the Sikh stand against the Indian state were very outnumbered and thus quickly targeted by the Indian mobs.

“However, Southall has a long history of standing up against fascism and now steps will be taken to ensure what we saw in the town last night will never be repeated. It is up to UK authorities to ensure these Indian nationalist mobs do not provoke violence, as next time Sikhs will not allow them to target our community.”

Sikh PA have reached out to Southall police for a statement on the incident and also to answer questions about concerns of Hindu Indian extremism in the area.

A popular anti-drug Sikh activist was pictured with visible burn marks from electrocution torture, after his arrest by Punjab Police last week.

The disturbing image went viral on 17th July, showing Parvinder Singh Jhota in a disheveled state, clutching onto his dastaar (Sikh turban) under his arm, outside a Mansa police station. In the picture Singh’s fingers are blackened from where his fingers were attached to a device to electrocute him, a well known torture technique of Punjab Police.

Parvinder Singh Jhota (also spelled Jhotta or Jhote) was arrested by local police in his home city of Mansa (Mansa district) on the morning of 14th July at his home. Footage of the arrest went viral on 15th July, depicting the Punjab Police force’s heavy-handed tactics, which included aggression towards the elderly parents of Jhota. Jhota was not shown any official documents detailing the reason for his arrest.

Jhota, a father and respected community figure, was arrested for his exposure of Panjab’s drug dealers who were working openly in Mansa. Jhota publicly spoke on social media of police impunity given to dealers working in Pharmacies. On 12th July it was reported (with video proof which has now been removed of Facebook) that Jhota confronted one of these drug dealers, Ashwin Kumar, found selling illegal non-prescription drugs to local addicts. With police ignoring requests to make arrests of such drug dealers, Jhota took up the issue himself and exposed the drug dealer, humiliating him by walking him through the street with a garland of shoes around his neck. Local journalists have also found evidence that Jhota had previously made an official report of crime to the police about Kumar, which was ignored.

*Note- The Sikh Press Association does not share links to Indian media outlets, due to their regular regurgitation of anti-Sikh propaganda. Indian media is ranked 161st of 180 countries in the world for press freedom.

Two days after the incident, dozens of Punjab Police officers raided Jhota’s home to arrest him. Six of his supporters were also imprisoned at the same time. Police have since claimed Jhota and his supporters are under arrest for assault and more around public disturbance. Following his arrest, Jhota’s father who was able to speak to him detailed his son’s account of being tortured. You can see the interview with Parvinder Singh’s father here, posted by respected activist and Sikh social commentator Dr Prabhjot Singh (@Free5ab).

Protests have been made across Punjab, with one attended by thousands taking place today (21st July) in Mansa.

Parvinder Singh Jhota’s Facebook page (which has 40,000 followers) can be seen here, showing mainly his efforts to speak against drug dealing in Punjab. His social media talks on the topic have seen him become a widely respected activist.

The link between Panjab Police officers and the illegal drug trade practiced in and through the state has been a particularly pertinent issue ever since the #PunjabUnderSiege operation from March-April this year.

The chief target of the operation was Bhai Amritpal Singh, head of social reform group Waris Punjab De. At the time of his arrest Bhai Amritpal Singh was leading the Khalsa Vaheer campaign, which was based on challenging the drug epidemic in Punjab, including the impunity of drug dealers.

As the popularity of the Khalsa Vaheer movement grew, so did Police targeting of the WPD team, leading to the famous incident where Bhai Amritpal Singh led an effort to free Sikhs being detained and tortured at Ajnala Police station.

A Police officer involved in the imprisonment of British Sikh political prisoner Jagtar Singh Johal was also relieved of his duties due to his involvement with drug mafias becoming too well known. Officer Raj Jit Singh Hundal remains under investigation. However, often investigations into Police officer crimes can be dragged on for decades, allowing guilty parties to remain free, often until enough time has passed for the case to fall apart. Just last week Hundal was given a “reprieve” according to Indian media, allowing the corrupt police officer more time free, with his trial yet to even start.

Jhota remains imprisoned whilst under investigation. No update on the status of the drug dealer Ashwin Kumar, whom Jhota’s efforts to expose caused all of this, has yet been given.