The left-wing media has a long history of romanticizing and glorifying Islamic terrorists, and now, this propaganda machine is doing the same with Khalistani terrorists. Just days after OpIndia highlighted how The Wire, a leftist outlet, displayed clear admiration for Khalistani terrorist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, the US-based New York Times (NYT), a known Islamo-leftist propaganda entity, published an article titled “Sikh Activists See It as Freedom. India Calls It Terrorism”. The article was penned by a writer who could be described as a "brown sepoy," reflecting NYT’s typical narrative.
OpIndia
The NYT piece distorts the facts to serve its agenda of downplaying the threat of Khalistani terrorism, while casting the Modi government as a villain deliberately stoking Khalistani extremism for political leverage. The article laments India’s strong stance against Khalistani secessionism, describing it as a threat to national security. Gunisha Kaur, a medical director at the Weill Cornell Center for Human Rights, quoted in the NYT, claimed that “the threat of terrorism is used to exploit fear and justify the suppression and silencing of minorities.”
However, Kaur fails to explain how the Modi government is supposedly exploiting fear or silencing Sikhs. Does she believe that rising extremist and separatist elements in Punjab, spreading hatred against India and its Hindu citizens, should not be cause for concern? Khalistani separatists like Amritpal Singh and Sarabjeet Singh Khalsa used the very democratic processes they oppose to contest elections and win significant margins. Should India ignore this rise in support for secessionism?
According to Kaur and the NYT’s logic, as Khalistani separatists win elections with support from radicalized voters, vandalize Hindu temples, hold ‘referendums’ on foreign soil, and rally against India, the Indian government should dismiss the Khalistani movement as a non-existent threat to national security.
Kaur also claims that Sikhs in India face “impunity” and that this has led to calls for a separate Sikh nation. However, this is far from the truth. While Khalistani terrorists seek to create a separate Sikh state and promote hatred towards Hindus, the Indian public, particularly Hindus, do not harbor animosity towards the entire Sikh community. They only oppose the extremists who seek to sever historic ties between Sikhs and Hindus. The Indian government and people do not see Sikhs as “anti-national” but value their contributions to the country’s growth and their equal freedoms under the law.
The Indian government's approach is clear: it will not tolerate efforts by any group—whether religious, political, or both—that threaten the country’s territorial integrity. This stance applies to Khalistani terrorists, Islamic terrorists, or any other extremist factions. It is only the anti-India elements that will face resistance.
The NYT insinuates that the Khalistani issue is not a national security concern but merely a tactic for Modi to bolster his image as a Hindu nationalist. This portrayal is utterly disconnected from reality. Modi’s political career is a testament to his strongman image, which was pivotal in his rise to power in 2014, when India voted for him to lead the nation out of a period of weakness and complacency on national security. The Indian electorate demanded a leader who would confront threats, not ignore them.
Furthermore, while the BJP is seen as the political party most supportive of Hindus, it is understood that the security of Hindus and the nation relies not on a single leader, but on collective efforts from the government, the armed forces, security agencies, and the people. Acknowledging the real and growing threat posed by anti-India and anti-Hindu elements is essential for ensuring national security, and it is crucial not to wait for these threats to escalate, as the NYT would suggest.
The NYT article also mentions Canada’s claims about an alleged Indian campaign to target Khalistani separatists within its borders, citing unnamed sources and evidence-free accusations. However, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau himself admitted to having no concrete proof to support these claims, raising questions about the credibility of such reports.
The NYT also attempts to deflect attention from the reality of Khalistani terrorism, dismissing it as a matter of “freedom of speech” or “activism,” despite the violent actions of Khalistani extremists. Canadian authorities, for example, have provided a safe haven for Khalistani terrorists, who regularly carry out anti-India and anti-Hindu activities with impunity, while simultaneously invoking the protections of freedom of speech and protest. This selective application of free speech protections is evident when one compares the Canadian government’s harsh response to the 2022 trucker protests, where demonstrators were denied their right to protest.
While the NYT reports on the Indian government’s efforts to combat the Khalistani terror nexus, it fails to recognize that the government’s actions are driven by the need to protect the integrity of India’s national security. It also dismisses the threats posed by Khalistani extremists, who have carried out violent attacks on Hindus, including in Canada. The NYT’s downplaying of these threats only serves to embolden terrorists and undermine efforts to counter terrorism effectively.
The NYT article acknowledges concerns about the radicalization of young Punjabis but fails to demand accountability from the Canadian government for sheltering terrorists and allowing them to challenge India's sovereignty. As long as the Khalistani movement is allowed to spread unchecked in foreign countries, the threat to India’s national security will continue to grow. Therefore, addressing the root cause of Khalistani terrorism, through deradicalization and dismantling terror networks, is the only way to ensure the safety of Sikh youth and the preservation of India’s territorial integrity.
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