India on July 9, 2024, extended the ban on the Khalistani group Sikhs for Justice (SFJ) by another five years. The decision came after an investigation by the country’s anti-terror National Investigation Agency revealed new findings. The SFJ is a US based group that is managed by the Khalistani leader Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, who is a designated terrorist under India’s Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) since July 1, 2020.
Earlier, India’s Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) imposed a ban on the SFJ in 2019 for five years under the UAPA for separatist activities. “In the garb of the so-called referendum, the SFJ is actually espousing secessionism and militant ideology in Punjab, while operating from safe havens on foreign soils and actively supported by inimical forces in other countries,” a 2019 notification by the ministry read.
In a notification issued on July 8, 2024, the MHA warned that the SFJ without immediate curbs on its lawful activities may escalate the its attempts to carve out a Khalistani nation out of Indian territory by destabilising the government established by law and continue advocating secessionism of Punjab from the Union of India and escalate secessionist movements, support militancy and incite violence in India.
Now, the NIA has registered fresh cases against both Pannun and the SFJ. Last year, Pannun’s properties in India were confiscated as well. The Indian government issued a fresh notification on July 9, 2024, which said that the group continues to engage in “activities that are prejudicial to the integrity and security of the country and is involved in anti-national and subversive activities in Punjab and elsewhere intended to disrupt the sovereignty and territorial integrity of India.”
“Now therefore, the in exercise of the powers conferred by sub sections (1) and (3) of the 3rd Section Unlawful Activities (Prevention Act) 1967, the central government hereby extends the declaration of Sikhs for Justice as an unlawful association and directs that this notification shall subject to any order that may be made under Section 4 of this said act have effect for a further period of five years from 10th day of July 2024,” it said.
The anti-India, pro-Khalistani organisation was founded in 2007 by Gurpatwant Singh Pannun. The group seeks to achieve self-determination for the Sikh people in their historic homeland in Indian held Punjab and establish a sovereign state popularly known as Khalistan, according to the group’s website. The group’s head Pannun has dual citizenship of Canada as well as the USA.
