Khalsa tradition justifies force as last resort: New Sikh group

THE OUTFIT COMPRISES YOUTH GROUPS BASED IN CANADA, US AND THE UK AND HAS SUPPORT OF OTHER YOUTH ORGANISATIONS

TORONTO: At a time when Canadabased Khalistani activists have argued their movement is peaceful and aimed at seeking self-determination, a founding member of a new youth group has declared that in the “Khalsa tradition, the use of force is justified as a last resort”.

Moninder Singh is among the founders of Sikh Liberation Front (SLF), which came into being last year. He said it comprises youth groups based in Canada, the United States and the United Kingdom and has the support of other youth organisations.

Singh said in an interview, “The Khalistan movement doesn’t necessarily have to be associated with violence. Self-resistance, resistance against the state, self-defence — these modes sometimes require people to resist in many different ways including armed struggle.”

SLF’S logo features a hawk holding an AK-47 assault rifle. Asked about the choice of such violent imagery, Singh said, “We chose that because we felt it was reflective of the Khalsa tradition and the tradition of suppressed people across the world.”

Later, in an email, he noted: “Groups like SLF are to promote the idea of sovereignty and the use of the AK-47 is for a form of resistance as a last resort as mandated by our Guru Sahibans. Just like many countries have various weapons on their national flags, so too is ours a reminder that we must resist oppression and tyranny by any means necessary.”

Singh listed 10 national flags that feature weaponry, including that of Mozambique, which too has an AK-47. He said his group’s objective was also to counter what he called the Indian government’s “fear-mongering” and the association of the Khalistan movement with extremism.

Singh, in his mid-30s, is a prominent figure in the Khalistan movement in British Columbia, particularly in Surrey,. He is the vice-president and spokesperson of Dashmesh Darbar gurdwara, and one of the main organisers and spokespersons for the nagar kirtan there. This year’s nagar kirtan was attended by leading Canadian politicians, including New Democratic Party leader Jagmeet Singh and British Columbia province’s premier John Horgan. The main stage at the event prominently featured a banner showing Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale with the words “Khalistan Zindabaad” emblazoned across it.

Singh, born in the province and now resident in Langley in the Lower Mainland, coordinated efforts in gurdwaras in the western provinces to bar Indian officials from their premises. CHANDIGARH: Rakesh Kumar, a manager of Punjab Agricultural Development Bank (PADB), Malout, has been suspended for not seeking the arrest warrant of Akali leader Dyal Singh Kolianwali, who allegedly defaulted in repayment of Rs 1.02 crore loan of the bank.

Claiming that the manager was sitting on the warrant for the past three months, co-operation minister Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa, who suspended the manager, said nobody wilfully defaulting on the loans of co-operative banks would be spared and strict action would be initiated against such persons.

Notably, in a recent meeting chaired by the minister, he enquired from PADB managing director HS Sidhu about the Koalianwali case, who then submitted that the manager had only prepared the sale case of Kolianwali and his wife.