It is generally repeated in mainstream Indian media that so-called “radical” Sikhs have been reduced to small numbers and that the idea of Khalistan has almost died. A few years ago, Zee News, a Hindi news channel, broadcasted a special report entitled “Desh dhroh”—a sensationalized programme in which the anchor uttered the words repeatedly that the people who demand Khalistan are very few in numbers. In that programme, former Sikh freedom fighter Bhai Daljit Singh Bittu had clarified in an interview that the concept of Khalistan is not dead as Sikhs around the world say “Raj Karega Khalsa” while performing Ardas two times a day and the idea of a sovereign Sikh state prevails in their conscious. But still a propaganda campaign is being run to convince people that the community does not support alleged radical thought amongst Sikhs.
Sikh24 has conducted a random survey on Facebook, a leading social networking site, to know whether the claim by Indian nationalists is reality based or not. The survey has been conducted among the Punjabi community all around the world using social media. In this survey, Facebook users were asked questions about which ideology is dominating or in other words which ideology is widely discussed on Facebook.
The survey was not only conducted amongst Sikhs but also amongst Punjabi leftists and Hindus.
A total of 90 percent of users responded with their views on the issue, whereas 10 percent remained silent. Out of all those who answered, around 98 percent agreed that Khalistani ideology is dominating on social media. Thus the ideology is proved to be the largest discussed ideology for Punjabi Facebook users.
Some users expressed their valuable views on the issue.
A user with a liberal background who runs a renowned blog in Punjabi said, on the condition of anonymity, that amongst the Hindi speaking community, communism is dominating while on the other side Khalistani ideology dominates amongst Punjabis.
Gurpreet Singh Sahota, a US based Punjabi journalist speculated, “For well being of Punjab, most Sikhs on Facebook think Khalistan is the only solution to their problems.”
Baljinder Chahal, student of Law at Punjabi University Patiala observed that the Punjabi world on Facebook is full of Khalistani and anti-Badal remarks.
Advocate Jarman Singh agreed upon the fact like this, “Definitely Khalistani ideology is dominating everywhere, be it social sites or elsewhere.”
“Although many Sikh guys don’t have Sikhi Saroop, they have attachment with their religion and they support Khalistani idea on Facebook,” said Papalpreet Singh, a Sikh activist.
However, some experts say that in the normal life of Sikhs, no sizable support for Khalistan exists as much as is seen on social media. They say that the reason behind it is that in normal life, especially in Punjab, Sikhs enjoy no freedom to express their inner feelings openly about Khalistan and social media is the only means to express such feelings. This reason is proved from the fact that in foreign countries, Sikhs are free to raise their inner voice.
A few days ago, Indian Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde objected to the promotion of Khalistani ideology on social sites which irked Sikhs—Panthik organizations lashed out at Shinde for his statement. The statement also proved that the Khalistan movement on social media is growing.
The Punjab government has caught on to this and is actively tracking Sikh youth who are active on Facebook and who support Khalistani ideology. Many observers believe this will lead to a new blacklist and new wave of oppression against Sikhs.