Thousands of UK Sikhs vote in second phase of Khalistan Referendum

LONDON: More than 10,000 British Sikhs took part in the second phase of Khalistan Referendum voting held in two corners of London -- Gurdwara Singh Sabha in Southall located in the West end of the town and Guru Nanak Marg Gravesend, located in the East side of London.

The voting in Khalistan Referendum was kickstarted on 31st October, 2021 in the Queen Elizabeth II Hall next to British Parliament and Westminster, which attracted more than 30,000 Sikhs from across the UK.

After the October 31 voting in London, Indian authorities revealed that they have threatened British Sikh NRIs of strict actions such as cancellation of cards and visas to India, to keep them from taking part in SFJ’s Khalistan Referendum.

Southall and Gravesend, where the second phase of Khalistan Referendum voting took place, are among the neighborhoods of London with significant Sikh population. Southall notably is home to the largest Sikh Gurdwara in Western Europe. Sikh political prowess in the UK is aptly demonstrated and exercised in Southall which is consistent with the massive turnout for Khalistan Referendum voting on Sunday, the 7th November.

The second phase, as well as all the subsequent phases, of voting in Khalistan Referendum were held under the guidance and supervision of a panel of non-aligned direct democracy experts -- The Punjab Referendum Commission – for the people who could not cast their votes on 31st October.

Large queues started to form from early morning as local Sikh men and women came out to take part in the voting organized by the human rights group Sikhs For Justice (SFJ) which aims to organise and hold voting in Khalistan Referendum across the UK, Europe, North America, Australia and homeland – the Indian governed Punjab.

Paramjeet Singh Pamma, UK Coordinator for Khalistan Referendum, was managing the polling station at Southall Gurdwara along with other community leaders and activists. He told this reporter that “continued zeal and response of the Sikhs to vote in Khalistan Referendum is the testament of Sikh people’s aspiration for liberation of Punjab from India”.

According to the organizers, under the guidance of PRC, a special eligibility clause and screening has been added for registration to ensure that no duplication of votes takes place.

Dupinerjit Singh, SFJ-UK coordinator who was managing the Gravesend Polling Station stated that “Indian government has been rattled by the outcome of Sikhs in large numbers to vote for Khalistan and is using scare tactics against British Sikhs but the community, specially turn out of youngsters, has proved that Sikh people will not forgo their democratic right to vote on the issue of Khalistan.”

The 31st October marks the 37th year of the assassination of Premier Indira Gandhi by her Sikh bodyguards for ordering infamous military attack - Operation Blue Star – at the holiest Sikh shrine – the Golden Temple of Amritsar.

Indira Gandhi’s assassination triggered anti-Sikh violence in which thousands of Sikhs were lynched unabated across India within few days while police and officials either watched quietly and in many instances facilitated the attackers by supplying arms and voters list to identify Sikh homes and properties. Names of many Indian politicians and parliamentarians ring among those who led the mobs to attack the Sikhs during November 1984. The relevance of the October 31 date is paramount for the Sikh community across the globe, when 37 years ago their names and in voter lists caused them to suffer at the hands of state backed attackers and today they are using the same tool of voter lists, albeit, for justice and freedom.