Video: Clashes erupt at Khalistani referendum event in US
Violence broke out at a "Khalistan referendum" event in San Francisco, United States (US), on January 28 (Sunday), per reports. A video shared by journalist Sidhant Sibal on social media platform X shows men attacking each other while security personnel try to intervene. Thousands of Khalistani supporters and activists gathered in the city last Sunday for the crucial vote. However, it turned violent after the opposing groups led by Major Singh Nijjar and Gurpatwant Singh Pannun allegedly exchanged blows.
Watch: Video of violent clashes
Thousands of Khalistanis gather to vote
Thousands of Khalistani supporters and activists gathered in San Francisco on January 28 to cast their vote. Displaying pro-Khalistan placards and flags, the participants came to the city from different parts using various means of transportation. The referendum sought to answer whether Punjab, a primarily Sikh state in India, should secede and establish an independent nation called "Khalistan." This global, nonbinding vote takes place in cities with significant Sikh populations.
Significance of Khalistan referendum
Although the referendum is nonbinding, it carries significant weight for many of California's 250,000 Sikhs. They reportedly see it as a matter of freedom and democracy. Most of these Sikhs live in the Central Valley or Bay Area of the US state. The San Francisco vote followed similar events in cities such as London, Geneva, Rome, Toronto, and Vancouver. However, even if the majority supports independence, it does not guarantee the creation of a new country.
India's displeasure over Khalistan referendum
India has been expressing displeasure over the separatist "Khalistan referendum" in different countries. Last year, the Ministry of External Affairs raised its concerns over the use of Canada's territory for the same in an official complaint to Global Affairs Canada. This comes as Sikhs for Justice (SFJ) General Counsel Pannun called for pro-Khalistan elements to "lockdown" the Indian Consulate in Vancouver, Canada, on September 8, 2023.
