US, UK must not allow anti-India activities

In recent weeks, there has been a visible surge in violent protests and attacks by pro-Khalistan activists on Indian missions abroad. It began on March 19, when a group of people shouted pro-Khalistan slogans outside the Indian High Commission in London. In addition to hurling bottles and colour-flares at the building, they brought down the Indian national flag. As shocking as their vandalism is the fact that there were no police to protect the Indian mission at that time. Another attack followed a couple of days later.

Meanwhile, Khalistan supporters have rallied in the US and Canada, too. They broke through security barriers to attack and damage Indian mission buildings in Washington DC and San Francisco and in Vancouver in Canada. A senior Indian journalist was injured by Khalistan supporters outside the Indian embassy in the US capital. The surge in Khalistan activism in cities in the West comes amid a massive manhunt for Amritpal Singh, leader of the radical Waris Punjab De, in India.

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Hundreds of his supporters have been detained over the past week. The Khalistan activists have claimed that they are protesting against the crackdown in Punjab. If they were concerned about the wellbeing of their kin back home, they could have petitioned the Indian missions peacefully. They did not. Their rallies were violent and distinctly anti-India.

India is understandably concerned not just about the attacks by the Khalistan supporters but also the failure of governments in the UK, US and Canada to protect Indian missions there. Host governments are obliged to ensure the security of foreign missions on their soil. Foreign Minister S Jaishankar has issued a strong statement stressing that these governments need to go beyond mere verbal assurances to acting to actually provide our missions there with security. In addition to summoning their envoys in Delhi, India has decided on a tit-for-tat approach. It downgraded security outside the British High Commissioner’s residence in Delhi.

Western governments have failed India for decades in the context of the Khalistan militancy. During the 1980 and 1990s, when India was up against a powerful secessionist insurgency that threatened its unity, they allowed Khalistan supporters to indulge in anti-India propaganda, recruit militants and raise funds to fuel terrorism in India. Hundreds of wanted Khalistan criminals were provided sanctuary there. There are Khalistan activists sitting in Canada’s legislatures. Over the past two years, Khalistan activists have held referendums in Europe and North America, despite Indian protests. In the name of supporting democracy, Western governments have mollycoddled Khalistan activists. But those calling for Khalistan are no democrats as they are funding a violent terrorist campaign. Western governments must take India’s concerns seriously and desist from allowing anti-India activities on their soil.