A day after pro-Khalistan separatists focused the Hindu Sabha Mandir in Brampton in Canada throughout a go to by Indian consular officers on November 3, the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) got here out together with the Indian neighborhood within the Ontario metropolis to protest this assault. Their occasion had members from each the Hindu and the Sikh communities, VHP sources mentioned.
Following the Brampton incident, Prime Minister Narendra Modi condemned the “deliberate attack on a Hindu temple” and “cowardly attempts to intimidate our diplomats”, asking the Canadian authorities to “ensure justice and uphold the rule of law”.
On November 10, the Hindu Sikh World Discussion board, which is led by BJP chief Tarvinder Singh Marwah, staged an illustration exterior the Canadian Embassy in New Delhi to protest towards such assaults on temples in Canada allegedly by Khalistan supporters. This protest additionally had members from each the Hindu and the Sikh communities, a few of whom carried placards saying: “Awaz Do, Hindu Sikh Ek Hain” (Increase the voice that Hindus and Sikhs are united) and “Hindu Sikh Ekta Zindabad” (Lengthy stay the Hindu-Sikh unity).
within the backdrop of a rising chasm between the Hindutva politics and the Sikh neighborhood.
For the reason that year-long farmers’ agitation towards the now-repealed three central agricultural legal guidelines in 2020-21, a bit of the Sikh neighborhood in Punjab has more and more considered the BJP with suspicion. This has been mirrored in and exacerbated by an increase in actions of sure radical Sikh teams in components of the state.
The rise of Khalistani radical Amritpal Singh was checked, with authorities arresting him in April final yr below the Nationwide Safety Act. Amritpal has since been within the Dibrugarh jail in Assam. Nevertheless, he went on to win the latest Lok Sabha polls from the Khadoor Sahib constituency as an Unbiased whereas being lodged in jail, defeating the Congress candidate by 1.97 lakh votes.
Going solo in these polls in Punjab within the wake of its break-up with its oldest ally Shiromani Akali Dal, the BJP didn’t open its account within the state, though it had gained two seats within the 2019 polls. Although the BJP’s vote share improved, it was mentioned to be on account of the occasion contesting extra seats in addition to a consolidation of Hindu votes within the occasion’s favour.
“Hindus and Sikhs have always been together. But some elements who have support of the ISI have been trying to drive a wedge between the two communities. The true Sikhs in Punjab or in Canada have no ill will against Hindus. Some Khalistanis who fled from here in the 1980s have opened gurdwaras there (in Canada) and are behind all the trouble. Our Gurus have always protected the religion, be its Sikhism or Hinduism. Those who attack Hindus are not true Sikhs,” Marwah informed The Indian Specific.
He mentioned his organisation has been working for the Hindu-Sikh unity for the final 10 years and that it commonly holds programmes geared toward fostering amity between the 2 communities.
VHP spokesperson Vinod Bansal insisted that Hindus and Sikhs are a part of the “same culture” and “sons of the same Gurus”.
“Both the communities think alike on nationhood and religion. Guru Granth Saheb is inspired by the Vedas and Bhagwat Gita. Our Kendriya Margdarshak Mandal has representation from the community. The song we sing talks about the sacrifices made by Sikh Gurus to save Hindu religion. We celebrate the anniversaries and sacrifices of all Sikh Gurus. Certain powers are trying to alter this narrative, but we will not let that happen,” Bansal informed The Indian Specific.
Within the Sangh’s outlook, Islam and Christianity are thought of “foreign religions” within the nation, with Sikhism, Buddhism and Jainism thought to be a part of the bigger Hindu tradition. Politically, the Sangh has at all times thought of it necessary to interact with Sikhs in a bid to place a verify on the “foreign religions”, given the neighborhood’s socio-economic affect in India and overseas.
Notably, within the Eighties, the RSS had constituted the Rashtriya Sikh Sangat to work among the many Sikh neighborhood and bridge the schism created between Hindus and Sikhs because of militancy in Punjab. Nevertheless, as militancy waned within the state, the Sangat’s work was additionally curtailed. An try to revive it was made throughout the farmers’ stir, which the Sangh has held as one of many causes for the growing disconnect between Sikhs and the Centre.
Sources mentioned the RSS is “carefully handling” the Sangat’s work now because it believes that the present ambiance in Punjab shouldn’t be conducive to any assertive motion on its half. “In some quarters Sangat is being confused with another grouping of the Sikhs, which can irritate them. But there are other ways of engaging with the community and the cadres are doing that,” an RSS chief mentioned.
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