Protests have emerged in major cities like Los Angeles and New York in response to the Indian police search for Sikh activist Amritpal Singh. The demonstrations echo civil unrest in the Punjab state of India, where protests in several Punjab cities, including Ajnala and Mohali, began Sunday and led the government to shut down internet access for 27 million people there.
At protests outside Indian consulates and embassies in the U.S., people waved flags and chanted in support of the Sikh separatist movement to create a nation called “Khalistan,” meaning “the land of Khalsa.” Similar demonstrations have also taken place in England, Australia and Canada.
The reasons Sikh activists are gathering are many. In cities like Chicago and Sacramento, California, they quickly organized rallies to raise awareness about India’s lack of transparency with its rule of law, its previous human rights violations and the search for and possible arrest of Singh.
Singh is a figurehead for a number of causes. He quickly became known in India for his strong anti-drug values, concern for Punjab’s water crisis and denunciation of the government.
Police in Punjab are still searching for him, according to Punjab Inspector General Sukhchain Singh Gill and Indian news outlets. Gill told The Times of India that the Sikh activist is wanted on charges of “creating disharmony among classes, attempt to murder, attacking cops and preventing them from carrying out their duties.”
Kunarveer Singh, an organizer for the Sikh advocacy group California Sikh Youth Alliance, said the diaspora has a responsibility to mobilize.
“We’ve realized if no one else is going to speak up for us, then you have to do it yourself,” he said. “There’s no media blackout here. So if they can’t do it [in India], we very much will here.”
He said that the outrage goes beyond Amritpal Singh and that protesters more broadly oppose India’s treatment of minority religions.
“Protests are us in the…
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