30-sec summary
In recent times, Indian embassies and establishments have increasingly come under attack by Khalistan sympathizers across several countries, including the United Kingdom, the United State, Australia and Canada. These attacks are a cause for concern as they pose a threat to the safety and security of Indian officials and citizens abroad also the effectiveness of local law enforcement, as it seems easy for these miscreants to attack a sovereign embassy and yet no one has been detained so far.
Khalistanis Attack Indian Consulate in San Francisco
In a row after the London High Commission was attacked by Khalistanis and the Indian flag vandalized, a pro-Khalistan mob attacked the Indian embassy in San Francisco after Indian officials allegedly removed Khalistani flags from the consulate building. The clip shows miscreants vandalizing the consulate building and defacing walls. They even painted a message that reads: “#Free Amrit Pal”.
In August last year, miscreants painted Khalistan slogans on the walls of the Indian Consulate in San Francisco with “Khalistan Zindabad” slogan. The incident occurred amid the outlawed Khalistani group issuing a provocative statement in the wake of India’s 75th anniversary of independence.
Indian High Commission in UK Attacked by Khalistanis
The attack in San Francisco comes mere hours after a group of pro-Khalistani supporters attacked the Indian High Commission in the UK and took down the Indian National Flag. The miscreants were heard chanting pro-Khalistani slogans as they caused damage to public property. India expressed its displeasure with the incident, and the senior-most UK diplomat was summoned in New Delhi to convey strong protest at the actions taken by the extremist elements against the Indian High Commission in London on Sunday.
Australia Shuts Down Indian Consulate
Last week, Australia had shut down an Indian consulate due to the threat posed by Khalistani radicals. The consulate, located near Swann Road in Brisbane’s Taringa suburb, had to shut down because Khalistani extremists blocked the entrance. The attack on the consulate came with a few days after Indian External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar visited Australia and expressed the need to be vigilant against “radical” elects that have been targeting the Indian community in Australia.
Past Attacks by Khalistanis in Indian Embassies
In January 2021, Khalistan elements vandalized the Indian embassy in Rome ahead of India’s Republic Day. Khalistani flags were raised in the building, and the walls were scribbled by “Khalistan Zindabad” slogans.
In December 2020, a violent group of Khalistani separatists desecrated the statue of Mahatma Gandhi outside the Indian embassy in the US. During the protest, many of the pro-Khalistan Sikh youths flashing kirpans jumped on the statue of Mahatma Gandhi and pasted a poster over it. The group raised anti-India and pro-Khalistan slogans.
Why is this Attack Happening right now?
The attacks on Indian consulates on foreign soil come after a crackdown on 'Waris Punjab De' chief and prime Khalistan leader in India, Amritpal Singh, who has been running underground. A “massive state-wide cordon and search operations (CASO)” in the northern Indian state of Punjab by police against elements of the ‘Waris Punjab De’ has led to the unrest.
Pakistan Funded Protest
Pakistan have a significant portion of Punjab, but there have been no Khalistan protests against Pakistan demanding independence, unlike in India. This raises the question of whether the Khalistan Movement is being supported financially by Pakistan. In the past times also The Khalistan movement and its leaders, reportedly backed by Pakistan's intelligence agency ISI, aim for the independence of Punjab from India. 2020 referendum and pro-Khalistan rally in London failed to garner much support, with many Sikh separatists accusing Pakistan of using the movement for its own propaganda. While Lord Nazir Ahmad, a British-Pakistani politician, spoke openly about separating Punjab from India, Indians in large numbers held the Indian flag and sang patriotic songs in Trafalgar Square to oppose the referendum.
A senior Punjab Police officer who monitors militant activity said Pakistan's intelligence agency, ISI, has been supporting and funding pro-Khalistan activities like Referendum 2020. Several pro-Khalistan social media accounts and websites can be traced back to Pakistan.
Opinion
The recent attacks on the Indian embassy and consulate in London and San Francisco are condemnable and demand immediate action against the miscreants. Despite the faces of these attackers being visible in viral videos, no action has been taken against them by the Western countries. It is not acceptable to call these attacks freedom of speech or peaceful protests.
We demand the names of the miscreants and strict action against them. Would the Western countries still remain silent if a similar incident had occurred in their embassies in India? It is shameful that the UK police didn't do anything to prevent the Indian embassy from being surrounded by attackers. If this same thing had happened in Prince Charles's house, would the police still have only watched it happen? Is it just as easy to vandalize their own building in Washington as it was to vandalize the Indian consulate in San Francisco?
It is high time that the US and UK governments take strict action against the attackers and bring them to justice. New Delhi has already asked for justification from the UK and US, but we should spread this response on social media. Only tweeting by international diplomats is not enough; we need strict action against the attackers to ensure such incidents do not repeat themselves in the future.
What do you think?
