Khalistan referendum continues in Brisbane, Australia

• The Sikh community gathers with determination.
• Around 30,000 to 35,000 Sikhs have cast their voice in the referendum.
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed apprehension.

The ongoing Khalistan referendum has reached a new height today in Brisbane, Australia, as the Sikh community gathers with determination, voicing their rejection of Indian extremism and calling for the establishment of Khalistan. The air in Brisbane is thick with anticipation as voting for the referendum commences.

Despite the palpable tension, an impressive 30,000 to 35,000 Sikhs have already cast their votes in the referendum, and this number continues to surge. In a forceful display of dissent, pro-Khalistan Sikhs shut down the Indian consulate in Brisbane.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has since expressed his apprehension about the Sikh community’s activities.

Earlier this year, on January 29th, Melbourne witnessed the Khalistan referendum in which an estimated 60,000 Sikhs participated. This strong turnout signified a bold act of defiance against the Indian government’s efforts to stifle the local Sikh community’s democratic right to demand the creation of Khalistan in Indian Punjab.

What’s the Khalistan Referendum?

The US-based organization and advocacy group, Sikh for Justice (SFJ), established in 2007, has taken the initiative to organize a referendum. In 2018, while championing the Khalistan cause, SFJ announced the Khalistan Referendum led by Gurpatwant Singh, its co-founder and legal advisor.

The referendum’s aim is to gather consensus among Sikhs for the creation of a separate homeland within India, to be called “Khalistan.”

Envisioning a new nation, SFJ proposed that Khalistan would comprise the north Indian state of Punjab, sections of Haryana and Himachal Pradesh, and various districts within Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh. The organization announced that once consensus is achieved, it will appeal to the United Nations and other international bodies to recognize Punjab as a nation-state.

The referendum’s voting process began in October 2021 and has taken place in countries such as the UK, Switzerland, Italy, and Canada.

SFJ claims the assert of thousands of Sikhs across these four locations have participated, voting on the question, ‘should Indian-governed Punjab be an independent country?’

Before launching the referendum, SFJ sought justice for the victims of the anti-Sikh riots in November 1984.

However, the Indian government banned the organization in 2019 under its Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.

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