Will Trump ban anti-India ‘Sikhs for Justice’ Biden turned a blind eye to?

Will the Trump administration act upon India’s request to ban separatist groups such as the Sikhs for Justice (SFJ) operating from American soil?Addressing the Raisina Dialogue, an annual multilateral conference held in New Delhi, US Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard recently said Indian officials had apprised her about the “very serious concerns” pertaining to India’s security.However, she did not specifically mention the threat to Indian interests from pro-Khalistan outfits.In his meeting with Gabbard on March 11, defence minister Rajnath Singh shared India’s concerns over the activities of SFJ and urged her to declare it a designated terrorist entity.Singh reportedly informed her of SFJ’s alleged links with the Pakistani spy agency, the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), as well as its “collaboration” with the terrorist organisation, Babbar Khalsa International, and pressed for action against it.India pins hope on Trump to rein in pro-Khalistan organisations as the previous Biden administration seemed to have turned a blind eye to anti-India activities on American soil despite repeated pleas from New Delhi. medium nocaptionhttp://youtu.be/6KWNtVdbZY4?si=V0EMFSBVELbYPC1ZWhat is Sikhs for Justice?SFJ is a US-based organisation that holds referendums to advocate for Khalistan, a separate Sikh homeland to be carved out of India.Founded in 2007 by Canadian-American lawyer Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, SFJ primarily focuses on legal activism and lobbying to advance its separatist objectives.In 2019, India banned this outfit under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), designating it as a separatist group. The SFJ allegedly plays a significant role in attempting to revive the Khalistan movement, which peaked in the 1980s and led to violent insurgency in Punjab.The group is reportedly supported by foreign entities, including ISI, which allegedly backs its efforts to destabilise India by fuelling Sikh discontent.In response, India has pursued diplomatic and legal actions to contain SFJ’s influence. New Delhi has repeatedly urged countries like the US, Canada and the UK to take action against the group, especially its leader, Pannun, who is a designated terrorist facing multiple charges in India.Additionally, India has blocked SFJ’s online platforms, confiscated assets of key members, and implemented other measures against individuals linked to the group’s anti-India activities.As many as 104 cases have been registered against SFJ members, including 96 by various state police forces and eight by the National Investigation Agency (NIA). medium119252520What are the charges against SFJ?In January, a UAPA tribunal headed by Delhi high court judge Justice Anoop Kumar Mendiratta upheld the ban on SFJ.The tribunal constituted by the Centre ruled that SFJ is a frontal organisation of Pannun, who as the outfit’s legal adviser is using his “juristic identity” as a cover to perpetrate war upon India in league with other agencies and state and non-state actors of foreign countries.“Vitriolic speeches made by Gurpatwant Singh Pannun glorifying [slain] militants such as [Jarnail Singh] Bhindranwale and [Hardeep Singh] Nijjar, making calls to assassinate constitutional functionaries of the country, calling for a referendum which is nothing but a plebiscite, taken jointly or individually... constitute ‘sufficient cause’ for confirming the decision of the Union of India to extend the declaration of SFJ as unlawful association for a further period of five years,” the tribunal said in its order.A long dossierThis is what the government told the tribunal about SFJ’s activities:SFJ has threatened high-ranking Indian officials, including PM Narendra Modi, home minister Amit Shah, foreign minister S Jaishankar, national security adviser Ajit Doval, and the chief of the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), India’s spy agency.SFJ organises protests and files baseless legal cases against visiting Indian dignitaries in countries like the US, Canada as well as Europe, aiming to defame them and incite anti-India sentiments within the Sikh diaspora.It holds protests outside Indian embassies or consulates, where its activists raise Khalistan flags, dishonour the Indian flag, and engage in violence and vandalism.Many of these protests are supported by Pakistani missions and are aligned with ISI-backed Pakistani diaspora groups.Hindu temples in Canada and Australia have been defaced with Khalistani graffiti, and SFJ encouraged ISIS to target Indian embassies rather than gurdwaras after the attack on Gurdwara Karte Parwan in Kabul.Pannun urged Indian farmers protesting against the farm bills to arm themselves and fight security forces with weapons smuggled from Pakistan.Pannun conspired with other Khalistani leaders like Nijjar and Paramjit Singh Pamma to revive terrorism in Punjab.SFJ has incited Sikh personnel to desert the Indian Army and police forces, offering them money to join their movement, and attempted to provoke Sikh soldiers in Ladakh not to fight against Chinese aggression.SFJ has allied with gangsters, terrorists and radical groups, including Kashmir separatists, and has been encouraging various non-Sikh communities (Muslims, Tamils and Christians in Manipur) to seek secession from India.How Pannun murder plot tested India-US tiesIn November 2023, the Biden administration went public about a plot to assassinate Pannun, who holds dual citizenship of Canada and the US.Months later, US federal prosecutors accused a former RAW officer of directing the plot against Pannun, an episode that tested growing India-US ties. The Federal Bureau of Investigation subsequently identified the suspect as Vikash Yadav and levelled murder-for-hire and money laundering charges against him in the Pannun case. medium nocaptionhttp://youtu.be/tClI-HxOBro?si=TT-YinATl9pYH_3_India initially denied any official link to the case. Later, the government said Yadav was no longer employed by it and set up a probe panel which recommended legal action against him.The panel “conducted its own investigations, and also pursued leads provided by the US side. It received full cooperation from US authorities and the two sides also exchanged visits. The committee further examined a number of officials from different agencies and also scrutinised relevant documents in this connection”, the Union home ministry said in a statement.With inputs from agencies