'Govt blocks 'Khalistan resurrection' plan for now but its global network is robust, active'

In this article, senior journalist, Sanjib Kr Baruah outlines the 'Referendum 2020' which was to be launched in India on July 4. A top security official familiar with the recent developments in the Sikh secessionist movement admitted that the Khalistan movement continues to be 'robust' with the global network, logistics and process of routing of funds remaining intact.

New Delhi: In the planning for at least two years, 'Referendum 2020' was to be launched in India on July 4, as part of a major effort to resurrect the movement for 'Khalistan'—an independent homeland for Sikhs comprising Punjab and neighbouring areas.

Started by an outlawed organisation called 'Sikhs for Justice' (SFJ) and spearheaded by US-based lawyer Gurpatwant Singh Pannu, 'Referendum 2020' is a process where adult individuals in Punjab were to opt for an ‘independent country of Khalistan’ by registering themselves online on a portal.

A day before the process was to begin, the government blocked the online portal hosted on a Russian domain while on Sunday, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MEITY) blocked 40 SFJ-linked websites, delivering a crippling cyber blow to ‘Referendum 2020’. A year back, the SFJ was banned by the government on July 10, 2019.

But a top security official familiar with the recent developments in the Sikh secessionist movement admitted that the Khalistan movement continues to be 'robust' with the global network, logistics and process of routing of funds remaining intact.

The official told ETV Bharat, "But there is a fundamental flaw in the movement in that it is a movement that is bolstered by the support of wealthy Sikhs settled abroad while being restricted by the lack of traction for the idea among Sikhs in India."

First scheduled for launch in Punjab on June 6, 2020, the 36th anniversary of Operation Bluestar, the date had to be rescheduled for July 4 because of lack of traction.

According to a recent report prepared by ‘Innefu’, a cybersecurity firm that works closely with the government in the cyber domain, the movement is geographically spread with Pakistan, Canada, US and UK as the most active location bases besides some presence in UAE, Bahrain and Belgium.

The report which analysed ‘Khalistan’ propaganda active on platforms such as social media, blogs, news, publications, and other open web sources names very influential people including ministers, MPs, mayors, political leaders, and others across the globe who are active in their support for the movement.

The report identified a number of Pakistan-based BOT profiles on Twitter. Some handles with substantial followers are @DrAliya7 (with 52,774 followers), @smushtaq30 (16,347 followers), @Gillsab027, and @Rameezkhan066.

Another notable finding of the report is the linkage with the Kashmir issue. The report states that ‘Free Kashmir’ is one of the top themes of the Khalistan movement.

It states, “Khalistan and Free Kashmir: Two connected anti-Indian propagandas. Pronounced connectivity and fraternity with the Khalistan movement were recorded in the narrative of radical profiles with the propaganda of ‘Free Kashmir’.”

‘Referendum 2020’ aims to get 5 million votes in support of independence for Punjab and then to present it to the UN to further underline the demand for a separate country.

Analysing the open-source intelligence, ‘Innefu’ found that the ‘Referendum 2020’ plans voter registration in the USA, Canada, UK, Australia, New Zealand and other countries of Europe and Asia before proceeding to Punjab.