Gurpatwant Singh Pannun is a prominent figure in advocating the establishment of a separate homeland for Sikhs — Khalistan. Despite holding dual citizenship in the US and Canada, he remains a ‘proclaimed offender’ for his secessionist ideology before the Indian jurisdiction. In 2020, the pro-Khalistan leader was designated as a terrorist by India.
Born to an agricultural department employee, Mahinder Singh, in Khankot village on the outskirts of Amritsar, Pannun graduated from Punjab University and became a lawyer at the Punjab and Haryana High Court. His family had migrated from Pakistan during the partition. After he was allegedly found involved in the assassination of a Hindu leader in 2007, he fled to the US. He formed a pro-Khalistan group called SFJ (Sikhs For Justice).
Rise to prominence
In 2018, Pannun organised a huge pro-Khalistan rally in London’s Trafalgar Square. The rally sought the establishment of a separate country for Sikhs in India’s Punjab, and it was called the 2020 referendum. Through this referendum, Pannun and SFJ wanted to raise a demand for a plebiscite in Punjab and wanted the United Nations to intervene in the matter. Subsequently, Gurpatwant Singh Pannun was declared a terrorist.
Pannun is infamous for instigating the Sikh population abroad. In 2022, he announced big rewards for those who would hoist the Khalistan flags at key places. In response, India had requested Interpol to issue a red notice against him. However, the request was denied twice. Currently, he is facing 22 criminal cases including three charges of sedition in Punjab.
Involvement in Khalistan activity
The SFJ chief, Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, also worked closely with Hardeep Singh Nijjer, a Canadian Sikh separatist leader, whose murder triggered the India-Canada diplomatic standoff. It had started protests in Canada, the United States of America, and Australia accusing New Delhi of abetting his assassination. Nijjer was shot dead by two unidentified masked men in June 2023.
The pro-Khalistan made headlines when he threatened the Indian leadership for allegedly killing the Canadian separatist. He even threatened the Hindus in Canada and told them to leave. During an interview, he claimed that Nijjer was like a “younger brother” to him and that they had been “close associates” for over 20 years.
Row over bid to ‘assassinate’ Pannun
Earlier this month, Pannun’s video went viral in which he threatened Air India with a global blockade and warned people against travelling with the airline. “We are asking the Sikh people not to fly via Air India from November 19. There will be a global blockade. Air India won’t be allowed to operate. Sikh people, don’t travel by Air India after November 19. Your life can be in danger.”
Pannun also asserted that the Indira Gandhi National Airport in New Delhi would remain shut and would be renamed on November 19.
Recently, the American authorities confirmed that they averted a plot to assassinate the Sikh Separatist leader on US soil. The White House also confirmed that the matter was taken with the Indian authorities “with utmost seriousness.”
National Security Council spokeswoman Adrienne Watson said, “We are treating this issue with utmost seriousness, and it has been raised by the U.S. Government with the Indian Government, including at the senior-most levels. Indian counterparts expressed surprise and concern,” while demanding accountability on the part of India.
Meanwhile, New Delhi issued a statement in which they said that the US side had “shared some inputs” regarding terrorists and organized perpetrators that were a “cause of concern” for both nations. They said that they had “decided to take necessary follow-up action.”
