Attempted Revival of the Khalistan Movement Abroad: Challenges to Indian Diplomacy

Abstract

The paper looks at the Khalistan movement, amidst the recent hunt and arrest of radical preacher Amritpal Singh. It studies how the movement has changed since the campaign for a sovereign Sikh state went global in the 1970s; and what the demand for Khalistan entails today. It studies the role the Sikh diaspora in the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia and the United States has played; and how recent events, particularly, protests at Indian High Commissions in these countries reflects the ambivalence of India’s ‘allies’ towards the separatists. The paper argues that while the nature of the threat posed by Khalistani separatists is much milder today than it was decades ago, the challenge for the Indian government will be the influence of the Sikh diaspora on foreign politicians and New Delhi’s ability to discredit the movement abroad.