SAN FRANCISCO: Organizers said that thousands of Sikhs in the US state of California are set to vote in San Francisco Sunday (today) on a referendum that is aimed at creating an independent state in Indian Punjab called Khalistan. Known as “The Khalistan Referendum,” the vote calls attention to persecution and torture of Sikhs in India.
The Sikhs for Justice (SfJ) has been mobilizing Sikhs in the US state to make the trip in large numbers to cast their votes during the referendum.
The aim of the vote is to determine how much support the movement has before bringing the matter to the international community and the United Nations.
In California, supporters of the movement have placed signs along highways, adorned their vehicles in stickers, and left pamphlets outlining the cause at many Indian shops.
Thousands of Sikhs in San Francisco Set to Participate in Vote for Khalistan
Voting for the Khalistan referendum has been taking place since 2021 in nations like Australia, Canada, and the United Kingdom. The organizers expressed hope to hold an official referendum vote in India in 2025.
In a statement, the Punjab Referendum Commission (PRC) stated that they believed strongly in the right to self-determination, and accordingly, they encourage all government bodies to allow their citizens to exercise this right through referendums that follow globally recognized standards and protocols.
The commission hoped that the Indian government will allow for voter education efforts to begin on the referendum and stand ready to meet and agree to the rules to be followed for these efforts.
The commission also announced at a press conference in San Francisco the “voter eligibility” for people living in Punjab, India.
“Indigenous Punjabis of any faith living in Indian Governed Punjab are eligible to register and vote in Khalistan Referendum,” the commission announced.
“While outside Punjab only Sikhs are eligible to participate in voting, in Indian Punjab, people of all faith are entitled to vote on the question: “Should Indian Governed Punjab Be an Independent Country?”.
Addressing the news conference, Professor Matt Qvortrup, a well-known referendum expert and member of PRC, stated, “If India is a true democracy as it claims, it must permit voter registration and polling in Khalistan Referendum to be held in Indian Punjab.”
Dr Bakhsish Singh Sandhu, President of the Council of Khalistan said that under India’s rule, Punjab and its people have been suffering from genocide, and econocide, and drug epidemic. The Khalistan Referendum, he said, was the great opportunity for the people of Indian Punjab to express their will on the question of “Punjab’s sovereignty and prosperity”.
