The words Punjab and Sikh burst on the global scene in the 1984 and have commanded popular perception is that a “handful of terrorists” are committing acts of violence and the government of the so called “largest democracy” in the world is trying to fight this campaign. Recently, the Western considerable attention since then world itself has faced considerable violence and terrorism in one form or another. An ignorance of the Sikh/Punjab issues and a general anger towards terrorism as such has created a tendency in most circles to simplify matters.
What are the issues? Did the violence begin as a last resort weapon towards deliberate neglect of Sikhs by the Government of India? And, is the Government of India (and India’s Hindu majority) indulging in a calculated campaign of wiping out a religious minority?
The Sikh nation maintains that the current repressive attitude of Indian Government is nothing new. The Hindu community and its leadership are determined not only to exterminate the Sikhs but also other potent minorities.
Currently, Sikhs: constitute about 2% of Indian population. In the undivided British India, an independent Sikh State was finally annexed in 1848. In 1877, Sikhs launched a movement fora “Punjabi Suba” —a Separate province where all persons who spoke Punjabi language could enjoy the freedom of preserving and promoting their cultural heritage. Sikhs also declared their support for Indian Freedom Movement.
Article extracted from this publication >> December 7, 1990
