In an 11-page report entitled “Enforcing silence: India’s War on Sikh Social Media,” released today in Ottawa, the World Sikh Organisation of Canada has comprehensively examined the recent trend in India of detaining political activists under the dreadful Unlawful Activities Prevention Act, 1967 -UAPA and illegally and surreptitiously banning Sikh-centric websites, YouTube channels in Punjab and parts of India.

THE SPECTRE OF REFERENDUM 2020 -HARDLY HAPPENING IN PUNJAB AND INDIA, but which has highlighted the issue of Sikh sovereignty and injustices to the Sikh community, looms large on the Indian leadership and law enforcement agencies and in their knee-jerk reactions, they are resorting to draconian and undemocratic measures. The memorial services of June 6 this year for the martyrs of the attack on Darbar Sahib in June 1984, has led to renewed ‘state terrorism’ in Punjab. Dissenters across India face UAPA and other legislations for opposing policies of the Narendra Modi government, including CAA.

Hitting the nail on the head, the first paragraph of the WSO report states, “Indian authorities are increasingly using social media to target and prosecute Sikhs and members of other minority communities who advocate on human rights and political issues. Social media posts deemed critical of India or supportive of separatist movements are reported for removal and in some cases, lead to individuals being detained and charged for terrorism-related offences. In particular, Sikhs expressing support for Khalistan are being targeted.”

News website Sikh Siyasat was blocked in June 2020 within India. www.sikhsiyasat.net and then sikhsiyasat.info have been blocked. News channels Akaal Channel, KTV and TV84 were blocked on YouTube. While Akaal Channel is live again, the ban on the YouTube homepages of TV84 and KTV continues. Yesterday, the Youtube channel of Khalas TV was hacked.

Placing its viewpoint in perspective, WSO says, “Khalistan is a construct that is understood in different ways and is a source of robust discourse and debate amongst Sikhs worldwide. Discussing or promoting Khalistan is within recognized freedoms of expression and political discourse and should not be confused with extremism or terrorism.”

Quoting human rights defender and lawyer Jaspal Singh Manjhpur, the WSO narrates “Around 175 Sikh youths have been arrested under UAPA during the current Congress government since March 2017 and many of them are political activists who are hauled up merely to keep them behind bars for a longer period of time.”

“Around 175 Sikh youths have been arrested under UAPA during the current Congress government since March 2017 and many of them are political activists who are hauled up merely to keep them behind bars for a longer period of time.”

Jaspal Singh Manjhpur, Human Rights Defender and lawyer

A large number of political activists have been detained under UAPA, many have been sent notices by the National Investigation Agency -one of which Lovepreet Singh of Sangrur committed suicide a day ago.

The report states that “In recent weeks, Indian authorities have attempted to silence Sikh voices on social media and to target Sikhs who advocate on human rights and political issues.” Releasing the report, WSO President Tejinder Singh Sidhu said, “India is attempting to silence dissenting voices and censor Sikh social media content. This is unacceptable.”

“We will continue our engagement with all stakeholders so that Sikh interests are protected. We will be sharing this report with social media stakeholders so that they see the Sikh perspective,” he added.

The WSO report provides a background to online Sikh activism, draconian Indian laws used to silence dissent and also reviews the detentions of Sikh youth that have appeared in the media over the past months.

The situation of unlawful detentions has become so grave that even the Jathedar of Akal Takht Sahib Giani Harpreet Singh has taken notice of it and denounced harassment, torture and illegal detentions. As reported in the media, he has categorically asked, “I have been getting many such calls from Sikh youths being summoned by police. How can linking or commenting on Facebook be a crime to summon youth to the police station if it is not spreading hate between communities?”

A section of the Canadian social media, especially those monitoring developments in the Sikh world very easily endorses the Indian state viewpoint. To them, the World Sikh Organisation of Canada suggests “social media platforms establish a dialogue with the WSO and other Sikh stakeholders to identify Sikh historical figures being reported for censorship by Indian authorities and to better understand issues such as Khalistan and 1984.”

The report asks social media platforms, in Canada to consider whether India’s actions are based on some purported criminal activity or is only a subverted attempt to suppress dissenting voices.

The report asks social media platforms, in Canada to consider whether India’s actions are based on some purported criminal activity or is only a subverted attempt to suppress dissenting voices.

Admonishing India for taking the drastic decision of banning social media platforms, the World Sikh Organisation of Canada has sought that “where content is restricted, there must be a clear mechanism within social media platforms to appeal the decision and have it reviewed by a human moderator well versed in the nuances of this topic.”

Punjab Opposition leader Sukhpal Singh Khaira, who has been leading from the front the UAPA onslaught in Punjab has said, “The Punjab government and police are framing Sikh youth, especially the poor and this does not portend well for the state.”

 

South Asia director of Human Rights Watch -Meenakshi Ganguly has aptly summed up actions of India saying, “At a time when governments around the world are releasing prisoners because of coronavirus, it is extraordinary that Indian authorities want to jail activists who should never have been arrested.”