Seeking West's help to handle Khalistanis has been a bad investment

Amritpal Singh Sandhu, Khalistan's new rising star in Punjab, is on the run following the police crackdown. The choice before him now is to get either caught, surrender, fight for his cause from behind the bar or spearhead the movement from Pakistan where he would have company of ISI and leaders of Khalistan Zindabad Force (KZF), Khalsa International (BKI) and Khalistan Commando Force (KCF). He would also get a safe location there to receive instructions and financial assistance from sympathisers among the Sikh diaspora. It matters little which option he chooses but his escape reflects the extent of subversion of local policemen and Sikhs who believe in his cause.

I had once asked Jagjit Singh Chouhan as to why he was fighting for Khalistan that could not be realised since Sikhs were irrevocably an integral part of people of India socially, historically, politically, economically and emotionally. In reply, he claimed that "it is a dream every Sikh had been living for." Every dream, he added, would appear unachievable in the short term but that did not mean Sikhs would give up fighting for it until it became a reality. Then he gave the example of Israel, a country that Jews had snatched from Palestinians by waging a long war. It was a flawed example but he wouldn't care.

Dreaming for separatism is nothing new to India. Since Independence we have had violent spells of insurgencies in the Northeast. Naxalites have been waging an armed revolution to set up a government modelled on Mao's China since the early 60s and Kashmiris were fighting for 'independence' since 1948. Most of these outfits have now joined the mainstream, thanks to sustained anti-counterinsurgency measures and prolonged negotiations coupled with development work. The Khalistanis' current struggle for secession from the Indian Union is just their second attempt and will inevitably require a strong political response as long as it takes the so-called crusaders to realise their folly and avoid repeating the mistakes of late 80s and 90s - exploiting Amritpal for electoral dividends, using Army to clear the mess, allowing subversion of Sikhs to fester and adopting a lackadaisical approach to flow of arms and funds from abroad.

It's about time we drop our mask of hypocrisy and face reality. Blaming ISI for providing sanctuaries, arms, explosives and operational training to Khalistanis and collecting daily proof of their complicity is a waste of time. Who cares for your evidence? Similarly, criticising support coming from Sikh diaspora is not going to make them relent. And, to expect US, UK, Canada, Germany, France, Italy and Australia to punish Khalistanis for their hostile activities against India is wholly unrealistic regardless of improvement in strategic and economic bilateral relations. Calling embassy representatives and registering protests and reminding them of their responsibilities under the Vienna Convention also mean nothing.

Their standard excuse has always been that everyone has a right to free speech and to protest in a democracy. Anyone issuing threats, remitting money for violent purposes, conspiring to unseat a government or directing and supporting secessionist groups outside their country is not liable for prosecution under their law unless it hurts their own security. It has not ended with these deceitful responses. Khalistanis are also given free access to their politicians who are eager to champion their cause in their legislatures in lieu of votes and money.

So, there is nothing to be surprised if temples and statue of Mahatma Gandhi are vandalised, national flag at Indian missions are pulled down and violent demonstrations take place in front of embassies, high commissions and consulates in US, UK, Canada and Australia with police either missing or remaining cosmetically deployed. Their official response has at best been lukewarm. While Delhi can continue making diplomatic noises, it has to be 'atmanirbhar' in thwarting Khalistanis, their overseas backers and surrogates in India from carrying out their mischief and putting them out of job. How this can be done is not difficult to think of and act accordingly.

(Amar Bhushan worked with the Research and Analysis Wing for 24 years after briefly serving in the BSF intelligence, State Special Branch and Intelligence Bureau. He served as the Special Secretary in the Cabinet Secretariat before he retired in 2005.)

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