NSA Doval meets UK counterpart, raises Khalistan extremism

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Last Updated09/07/2023

Recently, India issued a stern message to foreign governments on posters by pro-Khalistan groups inciting violence against senior Indian diplomats
Now, National Security Adviser has raised the issue of extremist elements

The two sides agreed to enhance cooperation to address violent extremism and radicalism.
- They agreed to work closely on counter-terrorism, counter-terror financing, use of the internet for terrorism purposes, illicit drugs trafficking and counter-radicalisation
They reaffirmed their close strategic partnership and agreed to accord maximum priority to further enhance the security linkages.
They also agreed to deepen mutually beneficial collaboration in critical and emerging technologies

A fight for a separate, sovereign Sikh state in present day Punjab (both India and Pakistan).
The movement was crushed in India following Operation Blue Star (1984) and Operation Black Thunder (1986 and 1988)
But it continues to evoke sympathy and support among sections of the Sikh population, especially in the Sikh diaspora in countries such as Canada, the UK, and Australia.

Punjab has long been peaceful, but the movement lives among some Sikh communities overseas.
- The diaspora is composed predominantly of people who don’t want to live in India.
The deep-rooted anger over Operation Blue Star and the desecration of the Golden Temple continues to resonate with some in the newer generations of Sikhs.
Even as Bhindranwale is viewed as a martyr by many and the 1980s remembered as dark times, this has not manifested into tangible political support for the Khalistan cause.
There is a small minority that is clinging to the past, and that small minority remains significant as they are trying to keep up their political influence with various political parties both from the left and the right.