Dear Friends,

Though I have traveled fairly well abroad, I am not an expert on the Diaspora. Even lesser on Sikh Diaspora because my travels were official, private, fellowship, never to interact with and understand the Diaspora.

However, when media contacts, given spaces are so shrunk – active ongoing censorship – I feel it becomes imperative to speak. Most of what I understand is how it would be if you look at people, traumas, questions of justice and am informed from books, social media, and interactions with members of the Diaspora.

A few days back, Nachiket Deuskar from Scroll spoke to experts and me on how the Sikh Diaspora thinks of issues in Panjab and about Indian government and Khalistan.

Note: there are issues I mentioned that the article did not capture: effect of racism on brown folks in the white world; post 9/11 antipathy towards Sikhs (called towel heads, shootings); black lists back home. Front blocked, back blocked, where would people go? Arbitrary response of Indian government. For example, Darshan Singh Dhaliwal, first deported and then awarded.

Please read here …

Dear Friends,

Immediately after the Ajnala incident, Vaishna Roy, Editor Frontline, comissioned me a story on Panjab present and past. Since the term Khalistan is bandied so often, I took the opportunity to flesh out the word a little bit. I also sought to explain that Panjab’s crises, is because the state – Central and State governments, all parties Akali Dal-BJP, Congress and now AAP – have failed in healing Panjab’s wounds, in delivering justice and development.

Magazine cycles are longer. After I submitted the story, Lawrence Bishnoi gave his interviews from prison, the police have launched a hunt for Amritpal Singh. I updated the story a bit but one can literally not keep pace with Panjab.

Anyway, here it is. I have requested Frontline to keep it out of paywall. Thank you to the edior, the magazine for both commissioning the story and making it accessible.

Please see here …

Dear Friends,

Two days back, Pheroze Vincent from The Telegraph spoke to me about what is going on in Panjab. It is increasingly clear the whole action is designed to create anxiety and instill fear in society.

Please read here…