Senior leaders of the opposition Labour Party in Britain have supported the Khalistan movement for vote bank reasons.
NEW DELHI: The Indian government has expressed serious concern over an attempted attack on External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar by a Khalistan supporter group in London. Some terrorist groups are not only active in countries like Britain, Canada, and the United States under the name of alleged Khalistan, but certain international organisations and political party leaders also support them under the guise of human rights. Senior leaders of the opposition Labour Party in Britain have supported them for vote bank reasons or to see India weakened. Now that the Labour Party is in power and is trying to establish good relations with India, a strong protest from India is necessary.
However, even in India, alleged Khalistani terrorists and Naxals, who receive funding from Pakistan and other countries, still attempt attacks from time to time in some areas. This week, a joint operation by the Uttar Pradesh and Punjab police led to the arrest of Lazer Masih, a member of the Khalistani terrorist organisation Babbar Khalsa International and Pakistan’s ISI, with evidence of a plot to carry out a terrorist attack at the Mahakumbh. The worrying aspect here is that under the guise of human rights, some political parties also support those accused of terrorism and those actively or indirectly involved in Naxal activities.
In this context, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has drawn the nation’s attention to the fact that the government and security forces have achieved significant success in controlling and encouraging the surrender of Naxals active in some states’ forests. While Naxal terror previously spread across nearly 100 districts, it is now limited to around two dozen districts. However, the threat of urban Naxals has increased significantly. Elements involved in terrorist and Naxal activities are receiving support from political parties that have themselves been victims of such activities. These parties once held Mahatma Gandhi’s ideology as an ideal but now support violent elements. Even leaders of such political parties or groups of so-called progressive intellectuals are showing sympathy toward them. However, those involved in violence and separatism are strongly opposed to development and heritage.
The Prime Minister’s concern is justified because countries like the United States and others want to see India as a model land in the global campaign against terror and violence. Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s role in international peace efforts is considered important.
The issue of concern over urban Naxals is not being raised for the first time. During the Congress regime, after a deadly attack on a security camp by Naxals in West Bengal, former Home Minister P. Chidambaram had himself said, “Human rights activists should condemn such Naxal violence. Not a single word of criticism has been said about this serious act of murder by any civil rights organization or leftist intellectual group.” From this perspective, the Congress party, while in opposition, is now supporting such elements.
Recently, Home Minister Amit Shah also made it clear that the Indian government is committed to completely eliminating Naxal terror by 2026. On the other hand, Rahul Gandhi is not only accusing the Indian government of human rights violations and constitutional breaches within India but also during his visits to America and Europe. He has even made baseless accusations on such platforms about threats to Sikhs wearing turbans or the kara (a Sikh bracelet) in India. Such statements benefit anti-India terrorist organizations active in countries like Canada, the United States, Britain, and Australia.
Meanwhile, some writers, lawyers, and journalists in India have openly or indirectly objected to the arrest of individuals involved in violent activities. Funds and legal aid are being raised for them. Courts ultimately decide on such allegations, but legal proceedings take months and years to conclude.
Terrorist organizations are taking advantage of this sympathy and have started setting up their bases in cities. While Maoists previously used printed material, they are now justifying anti-India activities on TV channels and social media. Years ago, senior journalist Amulya Ganguly remarked that “such intellectuals can be defined by Lenin’s term ‘useful idiots’—those who, despite knowing the communist goals, remain sympathetic because their objective is to overthrow the so-called rotten bourgeois system.”
Unfortunately, urban Naxals spread across Delhi, Mumbai, Punjab, and Himachal do not even consider armed violence as terrorist activity. They label this violence as “khaki terrorism” by the security forces. Support and shelter for urban Naxals enabled them to target former associates who became government witnesses, police, and security forces, labelling them as class enemies.
Urban Naxal groups are not only opposed to Indian culture and heritage but also to development. That is why movements against industrial development have been encouraged in states like Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Uttarakhand, and Himachal Pradesh. Protests and demonstrations have been held against nuclear power plants in Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu.
Those claiming to advocate for the interests of tribal women possibly overlook the fact that Maoist Naxals or Khalistani terrorists lure some innocent women into their gangs and later subject them to rape. A few years ago, surrendered tribal youth in Chhattisgarh shared horrifying accounts of these atrocities with me during an interview.
While the government is still appealing for Naxal surrender, efforts to control funding under the name of NGOs are being challenged in courts. Over the past two to three years, urban Naxals have also started questioning the Indian electoral system, and even defeated politicians have begun speaking their language.
Former Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh had also described Naxals as the biggest threat to the country’s internal security. Ironically, the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha was once troubled by Naxal violence and advocated for strict action, but after coming to power, Shibu Soren and Hemant Soren’s family and party have stated that Naxals cannot be confronted with mere force. They have declared that no action will be taken against Naxals. In West Bengal and Jharkhand, Naxals have even become part of the government.
Despite Naxal attempts to boycott elections and urban Naxal propaganda, there was heavy voter turnout during elections in states like Chhattisgarh and Jammu and Kashmir.
Nevertheless, this battle is long, and the government and society must launch every possible campaign to control it.