Calgary: Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, leader of the advocacy group Sikhs For Justice (SFJ), announced plans to intensify their Khalistan Referendum campaign on August 15, coinciding with India’s Independence Day, spanning from the Red Fort in Delhi to Ranchi. The campaign aims to mobilize support for the secession of Punjab from India, which the group terms as “liberation from Indian occupation.”

According to Kashmir Media Service, Pannun rallied a large crowd, declaring that the referendum would serve as a metaphorical “bomb” aimed at the Indian governmental system rather than its people. He emphasized that while SFJ promotes voting as their tool of resistance, they accuse Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi of employing violence to suppress their movement. Pannun compared their efforts to historical acts of resistance within India, invoking the memory of Bhagat Singh’s 1929 bombing of the Indian legislative assembly as a form of protest against British colonial rule.

The SFJ’s strategy highlights a stark contrast in tactics, choosing symbolic and non-violent methods of protest through voting to challenge what they claim is a history of violence and economic suppression directed towards the Sikh community by the Indian state. The event marks a significant escalation in the group’s efforts to garner international and local support for their cause.