Sikh ethnonationalism and militancy: manifestation and prognosis

ABSTRACT

The study primarily answers the question that whether the movement of Sikh ethnonationalism had been defeated permanently during 1990s or whether it still persists? The study perceives that the movement of Sikh ethnonationalism cannot end till the core pivotal ethnic issues, the moving force of the movement are prevailing. The study eventually predicts that the movement will sooner or later rejuvenate from its previous stage, i.e. militancy, as the sociopolitical circumstances of Punjab have been nourishing microclimate for resurgence of the same. In typical political scenario, the moderate outfit of Sikhs is eager to stimulate the ethnic-regional issues of the Sikhs while the radical factions are also observant to ignite the clinkering Sikh ethnic issues once again. Contrarily, the political aspirations of the BJP controlled by the RSS are opposite to the ethno-political demands of the Sikhs. This contradiction, if aroused systematically, has the potential to rekindle the old spark of militant movement.

KEYWORDS:

• Identity
• autonomy
• militancy
• normalcy
• resurgence

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.

Notes

1. Engels, Ludwig Feuerbach End, 17.

2. Mann, Sikhism, 13.

3. Singh, “The Difference of Sikh Memory,” 41–42.

4. Mann, “Guru Nanak’s Life and Legacy,” 3–44.

5. Singh, History of the Sikhs, 89.

6. Ahluwalia, The Sovereignty of the Sikh Doctrine, 27.

7. Singh, “The Sikh Identity and Sikh Institution,” 81.

8. Singh, Parasaraprasna, 53.

9. Mann, “Sources of the Study of Guru,” 229–84.

10. McLeod, Who is a Sikh, 8–9.

11. Singh, The Life of Banda Singh, 72–87.

12. Banga, “Khalsa Ideology and Politics,” 101–20.

13. Bhangu, Sri Guru Panth Parkash, 81–82.

14. Brass, Language, Relgion, and Politics in North India, 33.

15. Jones, “Hum Hindu Nahin,” 330–55; and Dhillon, Identity and Survival, 13.

16. Guha, India after Gandhi, 41–47.

17. Singh, History of the Sikhs, 201–13.

18. Isabel and Sandhu. “The Text of the Memorandum ‘Sikhs and the New Constitution for India, 307

19. Wallace, “Religious and Secular Politics in Punjab,” 1–44.

20. Malik, History of the Punjab, 246.

21. Sandhu, “Sikh Failure on the Partition of Punjab,” 215–32.

22. Pettigrew, The Sikhs of the Punjab, 58.

23. Akbar, India: The Siege Within, 109–117.

24. Wallace, “Religious and Secular Politics in Punjab”, 1–44.

25. Singh, “Sikhs, Arms and Terrorism,” 1–17; and Gandhi, “Weekly Letters,” 39–47.

26. Singh, Bibliography of S. Baldev Singh, 45.

27. Akbar, India: The Siege Within, 94.

28. Ibid.

29. Singh, Ethnic Conflicts in India, 104.

30. Chima, The Sikh Separatist Insurgency, 30–31.

31. Ibid., 31–32.

32. See note 26 above.

33. Chima, The Sikh Separatist Insurgency, 36–37.

34. Election Commission of India, Statistical Report on Elections to the State Legislative Assembly of Punjab, 1977, Government of India, p. 13.

35. Kumar, “Deras as Sites of Ethnic Mobilisation,” 335–50; and Singh, The Way of the Saints, X.

36. See note 28 above.

37. Grewal, The Sikhs of the Punjab, 217.

38. Gill and Singhal, “Genesis of the Punjab Problem,” 603–608.

39. Grewal, The Sikhs of the Punjab, 219.

40. Ibid, 219–220.

41. Chima, The Sikh Separatist Insurgency in India, 138.

42. Dyke, “The Khalistan Movement in Punjab,” 975–97.

43. Chima, The Sikh Separatist Insurgency in India, 147.

44. See note 41 above.

45. Paroha, “Terrorism and Punjab,” 238–50.

46. See above 41.997.

47. Grewal, The Sikhs of the Punjab, 237.

48. Aziz, “A Leaf from History,” 223; and Telford, “Counter-Insurgency in India,” 18–19.

49. Shah, The Foreign Policy of Pakistan, 117.

50. Grewal, The Sikhs of the Punjab, 247.

51. Election Commission of India, Statistical Report on the General Elections to the Legislative Assembly of Punjab, 1992, Government of India, 8.

52. Singh, “Disorder, Order, and the Legitimacy,” 410–21.

53. Mahadevan, “Counter-Terrorism in the Indian Punjab,” 3.

54. Gossman, Death Squads in Global Perspective, 177–78.

55. Sandhu, “Official Excesses,” 17–18.

56. Ribeiro, Bullet for Bullet, 221–222.

57. Mahadevan, Counter-Terrorism in the Indian Punjab, 17–18.

58. Interview of the Author with a Retired Police Personnel in Moga who served in Faridkot, Ferozepore and Moga Districts Punjab.

59. Mahadevan, The Politics of Counter Terrorism, 157–158.

60. Pettigrew, The Sikhs of the Punjab, 187.

61. Dhillon, Identity and Survival, 247.

62. Chema, Constitutional and Legal Challenges, 17.

63. Kumar, “50 Years of Punjabi Suba,” 4.

64. Ghuman, “Water Use Scenario in Punjab,” 107–16.

65. Human Rights Watch, “India- No Justice,” 2–3.

66. Amnesty International, “Punjab Government must Respect Bapu,” 1–2; and The Times of India, “Punjab polls,” 3.

67. Vinayak, “Candid Talk,” 4.

68. Chhina, “Badal Government Opens Coffers,” 27–31.

69. See note 66 above.

70. ‘For Sikh identity, Amend Art 25: SAD’ (The Tribune, 30 December 2017).

71. Kumar, Reduced to Ashes, 277.

72. Lal, “Dhara 25b vich Sodh,” 3.

73. Gill, “Badal, Mann ready,” 2.

74. Singh “Gear up for Struggle,” 1.

75. Gopal, “SYL Canal Issue,” 27–33.

76. Gupta, “Jains, Sikhs, Bhudhist,” 3.

77. Rana, “Sikhs termed Hindus,” 2; and PTI, “India will be Hindu Nation,” 4.

78. Uday, “The Congress India’s Original Hindu,” 2; CIA, Hindu-Muslim Communalism, 2–3; and Hanninent, The Contest of Indian Secularism, 37–38.

79. Hansen, The Saffron Wave, 57; and Siddiqui, “A Critical Study of ‘Hindu Nationalism,” 9.

80. Harriss, “Hindu Nationalism in Action,” 13.

81. Chima, The Sikh Separatist Insurgency, 257–258.

82. Grewal, The Sikhs of the Punjab, 207.

83. Dyke, “The Khalistan Movement,” 975–97.

84. Paul, “At Sarbat Khalsa,” 1.

85. Tribune News Service, “Shiv Sena Leader Gunned,” 1.

86. Singh, “Multiple Agencies at Work,” 2; and Tribune News Service, “DGP: Terrorists Still Getting,” 2.

87. The data has been based on the reports of The Tribune newspaper from January 2016 to October 2017.

88. Kochhar and Bhakoo, “Punjab RSS Leader,” 1.

89. See note 84 above.

90. Sharma, “2 Dera followers Shot,” 1.

91. Tribune New Service, “Terror angle not ruled,” 1.

92. Bhardwaj, “21-year-Old Behind,” 1.

93. Singh, “2 Lakh Arm Licenses,” 3.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Satnam Singh Deol

Satnam Singh Deol (Ph.D in Political Science) is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Political Science of Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar, Punjab, India. He specifically conducts research on the ethnic conflicts and violence in India with more focus on India’s Punjab state, besides writing on various perspectives of human rights.