Unmindful of the international opprobrium against India as it slipped to Rank 161 in 2023 on the World Press Freedom Index of Reporters Sans Frontiers, the Narendra Modi-led right-wing Bhartiya Janata Party government continues to play Orwellian Big Brother through arm-twisting social media platforms into blocking truthful documentaries about Punjab and India. The latest to be blocked is the Foreign Correspondent -Australian Broadcasting Corporation -ABC documentary entitled Sikhs, Spies, and Murder, which investigates India’s extrajudicial killing plans on foreign soil. WSN editor Jagmohan Singh analyses the role of the Indian state and records the viewpoint of Dal Khalsa which features in the documentary from the homeland Punjab.

Caught on the backfoot with the speech of Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in the Canadian Parliament about the murder of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a Canadian citizen on Canadian soil, followed by the US indictment of an Indian operative in the attempted murder of Sikh sovereignty activist Gurpatwant Singh Pannu, further followed by raised eyebrows by Five Eye Group countries, barely a week ago, India virtually owned-up its role even though it tried to circumvent the issue by passing on the blame to so-called rogue elements. This highlights India’s mounting frustration with exposes about high-profile killings and attempted murders by Western governments and the world media.

As the issue garnered international attention, major international channels have visited the Punjab -the homeland of the Sikhs, and interacted with governmental officials in Canada and the United States, with of course, the Indian government always unavailable to answer difficult questions of transparency and human rights violations -taking cue straight from Prime Minister Narendra Modi for whom media personnel are untouchables.

India’s Report Card of Censorship of Documentaries First, the BBC documentary India -The Modi Question Second, the CBC documentary -Contact to Kill Now, ABC documentary Sikhs, Spies and Murder Which will be the next?

First, the BBC -British Broadcasting Corporation documentary India –The Modi Question was blocked in February 2023, then early this week the CBC -Canadian Broadcasting Corporation documentary in The Fifth Estate section entitled Contact to Kill was prevented from being screened on YouTube and now a day ago Foreign Correspondent ABC -Australian Broadcasting Corporation documentary Sikhs, Spies and Murder has been told to be off air after becoming viral on YouTube in three days since release.

I viewed the documentary Sikh Spies and Murder as soon as it was on YouTube and was to write about it in detail. Wanting to see it another time, I was confronted by the Google-owned YouTube saying “The content is currently unavailable in this country because of an order from the government related to national security or public order. For more details about government removal requests, please visit Google Transparency Report.”

Surprisingly, Google’s YouTube complied rather easily. YouTube informed ABC that they had received an order from India’s Ministry of Information and Broadcasting over the upload of Sikhs, Spies, and Murder.

YouTube said the specific order was “confidential” but said it came under India’s Information Technology Act (2000). Does Google have a choice?

The Indian reaction is decades old –“Do not meddle in the internal affairs of India. We do not do such things.” While this seemed to hold water with the international community for India some decades ago, in this day and age, with ample transparency in public and political affairs worldwide, India has reduced itself to be the laughing stock of the world by putting barriers over freedom of expression.

Foreign Correspondent ABC documentalist Avani Dias says in the video that the ABC crew faced pressure and questioning from Indian criminal intelligence officials and despite permission were not allowed to film a public function at the Wagah border.

If India goes international in its killing spree, how difficult it is for India to accept that the international media and world powers will thoroughly examine their human rights and civil liberties principles and practices?

Foreign Correspondent ABC documentalist Avani Dias says in the video that the ABC crew faced pressure and questioning from Indian criminal intelligence officials and despite permission were not allowed to film a public function at the Wagah border.

As their website says, “ABC stands by the story.” ABC spokesperson said, “It was meticulously researched and balanced, sought an array of perspectives, and upholds the highest editorial standards. We defend the audience’s fundamental right to access this story, regardless of their location.”

ABC stands by the story. It was meticulously researched and balanced, sought an array of perspectives, and upholds the highest editorial standards.

Visit the ABC website to see the video to see Sikhs, Spies, and Murder and discern the facade behind which India hides.

Foreign Correspondent ABC documentalist Avani Dias toured Punjab and spoke extensively to the family of slain Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar and Sikh sovereignty advocate and Dal Khalsa leader Kanwar Pal Singh. Covering the whole canvas, she spoke to former Indian spies and experts for their understanding. In contrast, the Indian government chose to remain silent and turned down her requests for an official version.

Kanwar Pal Singh of the Dal Khalsa during his long innings in the documentary spoke with a straight bat, without mincing words. He stated headlong, “We want our independent country Khalistan.” When asked whether he feared death, he said, “No.”

Asked about the ban on the ABC documentary, Dal Khalsa leader Kanwar Pal Singh told me that, “The days of India fooling us and the world are over. Modi or his shenanigans cannot absolve him or his government of dictatorial functioning. Dissent cannot be crushed by despots.”

“India is caught in its web of anti-minority leaders, incompetent spies, and extrajudicial killings by state and non-state actors. India became a fascist state when they attacked Darbar Sahib in June 1984 and since then the degree of fascism has grown exponentially. Desperate moves like banning of documentaries exposes them even more,” he added.

India cannot fool the world anymore. Modi or his shenanigans cannot absolve him or his government of dictatorial functioning. Dissent cannot be crushed by despots.

Kanwar Pal Singh, Senior Leader, Dal Khalsa

In his reaction to the YouTube ban on the ABC documentary, Dal Khalsa’s Working President Paramjit Singh Mand told WSN, “The Modi government cannot silence our voices. Such cheap and childish tactics are signs of arrogant and undemocratic leadership. They have tried such moves in the past but to no avail. Our resolve and determination to Sikh sovereignty is steadfast. No government can stop us from exposing their misdeeds, designs, maneouvres and murders.”

Which will be the next documentary to be banned by India? What will be India’s Rank in the World Press Freedom Index in 2024?