Pro-Khalistan placards were seen and sloganeering witnessed by Sikh activists at the Golden Temple in Amritsar on Sunday, the 37th anniversary of Operation Blue Star.
Several photos and video clips went viral on social media showing many leaders and supporters who had gathered in large numbers at the Akal Takht, the highest temporal seat of the Sikh religion, in the Golden Temple complex.
After the scuffle and heated arguments between the activists and police on the same day last year, the security agencies had been on a high alert in and around the holy city ahead of the Operation Blue Star anniversary.
Punjab | Posters of Khalistani separatist Jarnail Bhindranwale, and Khalistani flags seen during an event inside Sri Harmandir Sahib (Golden Temple) in Amritsar, on the 37th anniversary of Operation Blue Star today pic.twitter.com/AKePPb45Gf
— ANI (@ANI) June 6, 2021
Operation Blue Star was carried out by the Indian Army at the Darbar Sahib complex between June 1 and 8, 1984.
Every year, prayers are held at the Akal Takht by radical Sikh organisation Dal Khalsa to mark the anniversary of the Army operation carried out to flush out heavily-armed terrorists from inside the complex.
On January 26 this year, the Khalistani movement reached the Red Fort in Delhi during the farmers protest.
It was reported that the Punjab Police has also decided to recruit specialised de-radicalisation counsellors in the backdrop of radicalisation of youth for pro-Khalistan activities through social media.
"The government has stated that pro-Khalistani group, Sikhs for Justice (SFJ) has intensified its efforts to meddle into the ongoing farmers' protest and incites farmers," said a government source.
The militancy in Punjab had abated in the 1990s. But Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) has now revived its covert plan of encouraging a separatist movement among the Sikhs for an independent state to be called Khalistan.
Pro Khalistan Sloganeering in Amritsar Punjab @dal_khalsa lead a March on 37th Anniversary of Ops blue star” pic.twitter.com/faM5NWJGs7
— _Angad_singh_ (@_Gaziangad_) June 5, 2021
"During the protests by farmers, the ISI is trying to rekindle the dormant feeling of anger of Operation Blue Star of June 1984 and the anti-Sikh riots in Delhi in the aftermath of then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi's assassination," the source said.
Farmers launched their protest against the Centre and its three new agriculture laws on November 26 last year, when thousands of them — mainly from Punjab and Haryana — marched towards the national capital demanding a complete repeal of the legislations, as part of a "Dilli Chalo" campaign.
Sensing a window of opportunity, the ISI is making efforts to revive the Khalistani movement in India.
Without any base in Punjab, Khalistani separatists in countries such as Canada, the UK, Germany and the US are making attempts to radicalise youngsters in the state through social media platforms and fake news.
The ISI has activated the fringe groups for carrying out a systematic radicalisation programme.
Fringe groups such as Babbar Khalsa International (BKI), Khalistan Zindabad Force (KZF), Khalistan Tiger Force (KTF), Khalistan Commando Force (KCF), SFJ and the International Sikh Youth Federation (ISYF) are getting support from the ISI and sympathisers in Canada, the UK, Germany and the US.
(With IANS inputs)
