Corrections & Clarifications: This story has been update to the correct the spelling of Gurpatwant Singh Pannun’s last name.
More than 13,000 ballots were cast by people of the Sikh diaspora in an Aug. 16 global referendum held at Indianapolis’ Richard G. Lugar Plaza to measure support for the creation of an independent homeland for Sikhs within India’s northwestern state of Punjab.
Sikhs for Justice, an international advocacy and secessionist group, organized the vote on the non-binding referendum. The group wants to establish a new nation, Khalistan, and describes its efforts as a democratic campaign for the independence of Punjab, a region of India where a majority of the population are Sikhs.
Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, the organization’s general counsel, said votes will be tallied once the referendum, which is taking place in various cities, is complete.
The process is expected to continue for the next two to three years.
Indianapolis joins a growing list of U.S. cities as voting sites for the controversial referendum which pits Sikh separatists against the government of India and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. IndyStar has reached out to the Indian embassy in Washington, D.C., for comment.
In the months ahead of the vote, the movement’s supporters campaigned to raise awareness about the referendum and their cause, staging a car rally with vehicles waving bright yellow Khalistan flags on Interstate 465 and positioning billboards around the city.
Prior votes took place in cities such as San Francisco, Seattle and Washington, D.C. The next referendum vote will be held in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, in October.
Sikhs for Justice has accused successive Indian governments of carrying out a decades-long ethic cleansing, discrimination and economic subversion of Sikhs in Punjab. They say India’s government has weaponized drug warfare against Sikh youth, created economic conditions leading to the deaths of Sikh farmers and forced youth to move abroad while rewarding non-local labor for moving to Punjab. The Indian government has rejected those characterizations.
“Sikhs are facing existential threats and the only way to survive is to have an independent homeland,” Pannun said.
If a majority of the diaspora votes in favor of a Khalistan referendum, Sikhs for Justice hopes to present their claims to the United Nations. Pannun said support from U.S. President Donald Trump and the west is critical for the movement.
“We are seeking independence democratically,” he said.
Contact IndyStar investigative reporter Alexandria Burris at aburris@indystar..com. Follow her on X, formerly Twitter, at @allyburris.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Indianapolis Sikhs cast more than 13,000 ballots on Khalistan referendum
Reporting by Alexandria Burris, Indianapolis Star / Indianapolis Star
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Alexandria Burris, Indianapolis Star | USA TODAY Network
