Thank you for this report, Murtaza. The Sikh movement for an independent state (Khalistan) had its peak in the 1980s and has understandably been revived within and outside India because of Modi's Hindu nationalist government which exemplifies religious bigotry.
I wrote news stories as a journalist at an American newspaper (St. Louis Post Dispatch) in the 1980s from Punjab about the Sikh independence movement. I take no position on it as long as the movement is a non-violent one seeking to create an independent state.
I worry a bit about that now, since two major figures in the Trump administration -- Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard (who met Modi this week), and FBI Director Kash Patel, are both Hindus, although it's unclear whether they support Modi and the BJPs nationalist and bigoted agenda.
Please continue to report on the story as it is likely to be overshadowed by how useful Trump may find Modi, vis-à-vis China and Russia. Thank you!
Tulsi Gabbard has a long history of supporting Modi and the BJP, although it may be due more to Islamophobia than anti-Sikh. It will be important to watch this issue, especially with the report that thousands of FBI agents are set to be fired. In thinking about this issue. While reading this, it occurred to me that with all the anti-China groups, including Uyghur separatists, that I have never heard about assassinations being carried out against them anywhere in Asia or the west.
Thank you for this report. I worked Law Enforcement with a very high population of Sikhs. I handled numerous threats and vandalism investigations to the temples and even places of work.
Thank you for this report, Murtaza. The Sikh movement for an independent state (Khalistan) had its peak in the 1980s and has understandably been revived within and outside India because of Modi's Hindu nationalist government which exemplifies religious bigotry.
I wrote news stories as a journalist at an American newspaper (St. Louis Post Dispatch) in the 1980s from Punjab about the Sikh independence movement. I take no position on it as long as the movement is a non-violent one seeking to create an independent state.
I worry a bit about that now, since two major figures in the Trump administration -- Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard (who met Modi this week), and FBI Director Kash Patel, are both Hindus, although it's unclear whether they support Modi and the BJPs nationalist and bigoted agenda.
Please continue to report on the story as it is likely to be overshadowed by how useful Trump may find Modi, vis-à-vis China and Russia. Thank you!
Tulsi Gabbard has a long history of supporting Modi and the BJP, although it may be due more to Islamophobia than anti-Sikh. It will be important to watch this issue, especially with the report that thousands of FBI agents are set to be fired. In thinking about this issue. While reading this, it occurred to me that with all the anti-China groups, including Uyghur separatists, that I have never heard about assassinations being carried out against them anywhere in Asia or the west.
You can read about the ideological and brutal history of how and why Modi came to power in Pankaj Mishra's book Age of Anger: A History of the Present https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250159304/ageofanger/
Thank you for this report. I worked Law Enforcement with a very high population of Sikhs. I handled numerous threats and vandalism investigations to the temples and even places of work.