• About
  • Advertise
  • Contact
  • Login
NRI Affairs
Youtube Channel
  • News
  • Video
  • Opinion
  • Culture
  • Visa
  • Other
No Result
View All Result
  • News
  • Video
  • Opinion
  • Culture
  • Visa
  • Other
No Result
View All Result
NRI Affairs
No Result
View All Result
Home News

Indian diaspora tensions increase during Federation Square’s pro-Sikh vote

The referendum question, “Should Indian-governed Punjab be an independent country?,” was put to the electorate on Sunday.

NRI Affairs News Desk by NRI Affairs News Desk
January 30, 2023
in News
Reading Time: 4 mins read
A A
0
Indian diaspora tensions increase during Federation Square's pro-Sikh vote

Source: Geo.tv

149
SHARES
1.4k
VIEWS
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
Advertisements

After hundreds of Sikh Victorians cast their votes in a non-binding referendum on the establishment of an independent Sikh state on Sunday, police used pepper spray to break up a minor scuffle between rival demonstrators in Melbourne.

When a group of supporters for India arrived at the polling place in Federation Square at 4.30 p.m., they waved national flags. Five people were pepper sprayed between the pro-India and pro-Sikh groups, and one man was detained and carried away by police.

According to a statement from Victoria Police, the incident at 12.45 pm was connected to a previous dispute. Due to the events of Sunday, two men, ages 34 and 39, were detained and given a penalty notice for riotous behaviour.

Police are still looking into the injuries sustained by the two individuals who were injured at the demonstration—one with a head wound and the other with a hand injury.

The non-binding referendum is being conducted by the US-based Sikhs for Justice organisation, which has proposed a new state called Khalistan that would include the Punjab areas of northern India and Pakistan as well as portions of Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, and Rajasthan.

The referendum question, “Should Indian-governed Punjab be an independent country?,” was put to the electorate on Sunday.

Amritpal Kaur, a 15-year resident of Melbourne, expressed her desire for a homeland for the Sikhs with “good prospects and good job opportunities.”

“We want our religion to be given the respect it deserves, the same as the other religions overall. There’s a lot of people who project [Khalistan] as a negative thing, but it’s not – we’re here for our freedoms and for our kids to have a better future,” she stated.

Since the campaign by local secessionists intensified recently, tensions within Australia’s sizable and expanding Indian diaspora have increased, and there have been a number of graffiti attacks on Hindu temples in Melbourne over the previous two weeks.

The ISKCON Hare Krishna Temple in Albert Park, which serves as the centre of Melbourne’s Bhakti Yoga Movement, was among three Hindu temples throughout the city that had graffiti on them. The Hindu Council of Australia denounced the vandalism.

Advertisements

The front wall of the temple contained graffiti that read “Hindustan Murdabad,” which can be interpreted as “Death to India,” and “Khalistan Zindabad,” which can be translated as “Long live the Sikh homeland,” which was discovered by temple management last Monday.

Many Sikhs present on Sunday claimed that since India’s division in 1947, when Punjab was divided between India and Pakistan, their religion has not been honoured in the country.

Jaswinder Singh, a resident of Melbourne’s south-eastern suburbs, announced that he and his family would return to India right away and permanently if a Sikh independent state was established.

Singh asserted that he did not think the referendum had harmed ties between Hindus and Sikhs in Melbourne and that those opposed to a Sikh state had a right to their opinions.

As the deadline of 5 pm drew near, hundreds of people were still waiting in line to cast their ballots. When it became apparent that not everyone present would have time to cast a ballot, several attempted to cram into the voting booth area. Those barred from entering the room joined in the prayer while removing their shoes as a sign of respect.

Sikhs for Justice, a group that is outlawed in India, according to its coordinator Avtar Singh Pannu, plans to employ the results of the referendums previously held in Canada, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom as well as those in Melbourne to compel the UN into recognising a sovereign Sikh state.

Millions of people, according to Pannu, have already cast votes in favour of Sikhs’ right to self-determination in a separate state.
Approximately 210,000 Sikhs were found in Australia in 2021, an increase from 130,000 in 2016; nearly half of this population resided in Victoria. However, Hindus increased from 440,300 in Australia in 2016 to 684,000 in 2021.

Senator David Shoebridge, Senator for NSW, Australian Greens Justice Spokesperson on 30 January wrote a letter to Australian Federal Police Commissioner, Reece Kershaw and Acting Commander Special Investigations Command, Anita van Hilst regarding the “29 January Altercation Within Indian Diaspora in Melbourne.”

Senator Shoebridge’s letter mentioned the altercation which took place at Federation Square in Melbourne on 29 January 2023 between pro-Sikh and pro-India groups within the Indian Diaspora.He raised his concerns by stating that if the AFP does not act to effectively address these matters it may result in further escalation of offline harm, social discord and violent extremism.

He further stated, “the altercation which took place on 29 January 2023 in Melbourne highlights the fact that this is an issue that the AFP must take seriously and attend to urgently as there is a very real danger of such altercations escalating further, resulting in violence and harm to members of the Indian diaspora as well as innocent bystanders if such alterations take place in public spaces such as they did on 29 January.”

Share60Tweet37Send
NRI Affairs News Desk

NRI Affairs News Desk

Related Posts

Indian Origin, Daniel Mookhey took oath on the Bhagavad Gita as NSW Treasurer
News

Indian Origin, Daniel Mookhey took oath on the Bhagavad Gita as NSW Treasurer

March 29, 2023
India urged to make concrete policy pledges to protect democratic freedoms at the upcoming Summit for Democracy
News

India urged to make concrete policy pledges to protect democratic freedoms at the upcoming Summit for Democracy

March 29, 2023
US Man given 100-year prison term for murdering an Indian girl
News

US Man given 100-year prison term for murdering an Indian girl

March 28, 2023
Next Post
Applications for US H-1B visas to open from March 1

Applications for US H-1B visas to open from March 1

Rejections of Indian VET visas by Australia conveying “mixed messages”

Rejections of Indian VET visas by Australia conveying “mixed messages”

Budget seeks to increase TCS rate from 5% to 20% on foreign travel

Budget seeks to increase TCS rate from 5% to 20% on foreign travel

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recommended

Perth

Community raises funds to help young family of Indian man who died in Perth

2 years ago
Indian farmers

‘Salute to 700 farmers’: NRIs rejoice as Modi announces to repeal farm laws

1 year ago
pexels mentatdgt 937453

हिम्मती लगने वालीं डरपोक लड़कियां

2 years ago
Tokyo Paralympics: Shooter Singhraj Adhana wins Bronze

Tokyo Paralympics: Shooter Singhraj Adhana wins Bronze

2 years ago

Categories

  • Literature
  • Multimedia
  • News
  • nriaffairs
  • Other
  • People
  • Top Stories
  • Uncategorized
  • Views
  • Visa

Topics

Air India Australia california Canada caste CECA COVID COVID-19 cricket ECTA Europe free trade FTA Geeta Germany h1b visa Hindu immigration India india-australia Indian Indian-American Indian-origin Indian Students Khalistan London Melbourne Modi Muslim New Zealand NRI NSW oci quarantine Singapore Sydney travel UAE uk Ukraine US USA Victoria visa women
NRI Affairs

© 2021 NRI Affairs.

Navigate Site

  • About
  • Advertise
  • Contact

Follow Us

No Result
View All Result
  • News
  • Video
  • Opinion
  • Culture
  • Visa
  • Other

© 2021 NRI Affairs.

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In
We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept All”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent.
Cookie SettingsAccept All
Manage consent

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
CookieDurationDescription
cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional11 monthsThe cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-others11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
viewed_cookie_policy11 monthsThe cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
Functional
Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
Performance
Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
Analytics
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
Advertisement
Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.
Others
Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet.
SAVE & ACCEPT