Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent arrival in Washington D.C. isn’t just a routine diplomatic visitit significantly impacts Sikhs and Sikh activism in the U.S. We must understand his true intentions and the implications for our community. Modi aims to extend India’s repression of Sikhs both in Punjab and across the diaspora, using this visit to strengthen mechanisms that silence our voices.
While mainstream media focuses on US-India trade relations, Sikh naujawan must be aware of the real issues.
Modi’s visit is about tightening his own grip on power, expanding transnational repression against Sikhs with U.S. cooperation, and reaffirming political ties with Trump and the U.S. The emboldening of Hindu nationalists, with the selection of Tulsi Gabbard, Kash Patel, and Vivek Ramaswamy coupled with indias close alliance with the U.S. establishment, poses a significant threat to Sikhs, Dalits, and other communities marginalized by Hindutva ideology. indian nationalists, RSS affiliate organizations, and these political leaders are actively shaping the U.S.s policy on Khalistani activists and transnational repression.
For decades, the Indian government has purposely branded Sikhs as extremists and terrorists, attempting to delegitimize the Khalistani movement. Modi’s administration has pushed Hindutva ideology, distorted indias history of oppression, and cracked down on those advocating for Khalistan. India continues to surveil gurdwaras here and send intelligence agents to infiltrate our communities and spaces with no opposition from the U.S.
In April 2023, an internal memo was sent out by the indian Minister of External Affairs and Foreign Secretary, Vinay Mohan Kwatra (now Ambassador of India to the U.S.) guiding indian consulates on how to target, surveil, and report on Sikhs to indian intelligence agencies. Khalistani organizations in the US and Canada, along with specific jathebandiyan like SYA, were listed as primary concerns to the indian government. Diasporic Sikh activists. have faced severe repercussions for their seva in the ongoing Sikh sangarsh for Khalistan. Their families in Punjab have been targeted and harassed, falsely charged with terrorism, and subjected to intense surveillance and assassination attempts. While we don’t expect the U.S. to advocate for Sikh activists, we should be aware that both countries seek to deepen ties for security, trade, and geopolitical allyship with Sikhs as a key bargaining chip.
As a result, Sikh naujawan must be unequivocally clear that we are entering a challenging period where we will have to navigate the complexities of different geopolitical shifts and wrestle with increased repressive activities to clamp down on our organizing and activism. Now more than ever, we must unite and mobilize our sangat, anchoring our efforts in our sovereign institutions. No external power or foreign state can grant us sovereignty or justice: Khalsa seeks justice themselves. This hukam has already been bestowed upon the Guru Khalsa Panth by Sache Patshah; our responsibility today is to exercise this patshahi by protecting the weak and destroying the tyrants as we collectively move towards our goal of halemi raj, Khalistan.
