The Movement Of Khalistan In INDIAN Punjab

Irfan Bhatti

Discover the history of the Khalistan movement, a Sikh separatist campaign in Indian Punjab. This short video explains how the movement began, the role of Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale, the impact of Operation Blue Star, and the tragic events that followed, including the 1984 anti-Sikh riots.  Learn about the rise and fall of the armed struggle, and how the idea of Khalistan still lives on among some groups today.  🔔 Subscribe for more history and current affairs content!

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00:00After the takeover of Indian government, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is trying to eliminate

00:05Muslims, Sikhs, and other minorities who are living in India since decades.

00:10Apart from this, there are many separatist movements are operating in different provinces.

00:16Indian Punjab is one of them.

00:17The Khalistan movement is a separatist campaign that seeks to create an independent Sikh homeland,

00:23Khalistan, or Land of the Pure, in the Punjab region of India.

00:28Its roots can be traced back to post-independence India, but the movement gained momentum in

00:33the 1980s, following growing dissatisfaction among Sikhs over political representation,

00:39economic neglect, and the erosion of religious identity.

00:43Tensions escalated after the Anandpur-Sahib Resolution in 1973, which demanded more autonomy

00:49for Punjab and recognition of Sikh distinctiveness.

00:53The conflict intensified under the leadership of Jarnail Singh Bindranwal, a charismatic

00:58preacher who advocated for Sikh rights and criticized the Indian government.

01:02His increasing militancy led to the militarization of the Golden Temple complex in Amritsar.

01:08In June 1984, the Indian Army launched Operation Blue Star to remove Bindranwal and his armed

01:14supporters from the Golden Temple.

01:16The operation resulted in heavy casualties and widespread destruction of the sacred site,

01:22deeply offending the Sikh community worldwide.

01:24In retaliation, Prime Minister Indira Gandhi was assassinated by her Sikh bodyguards later that

01:30year, sparking anti-Sikh riots across India, particularly in Delhi, where thousands were killed.

01:36The subsequent decades saw a violent insurgency in Punjab, marked by targeted killings,

01:42bombings, and heavy-handed police crackdowns.

01:45By the mid-1990s, the movement lost momentum due to internal divisions,

01:50state repression, and lack of popular support.

01:53Today, while the armed struggle has largely ended, calls for Kalistan still echo among some

01:59groups in the Sikh diaspora, particularly in Canada, the UK, and the US, keeping the issue

02:05alive in global political debates.

02:07The Kalistan movement remains one of the most complex and emotionally charged chapters in

02:12modern Indian history, symbolizing faith, identity, and the consequences of deep political

02:18political fractures.

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