MOGA, PUNJAB — Marking the anniversary of the 1921 Saka Nankana Sahib martyrdom, the pro-freedom Sikh organization Dal Khalsa convened a Panthic gathering in Moga, issuing a stern warning to the Union Home Ministry regarding alleged attempts to destabilize Punjab.
Gathering During Panthic Meet
During the event, Sikh leaders accused the Indian security apparatus of executing a dual strategy: orchestrating “transnational repression” against pro-Sikh freedom leaders abroad and utilizing unlawful means—such as fake encounters and harassment—against the youth within Punjab.
Transnational Plots and Demands for Accountability
The gathering highlighted severe concerns over India’s alleged actions on the global stage, particularly in light of recent legal developments in North America. Dal Khalsa leader and Secretary for Political Affairs, Kanwar Pal Singh, pointed to the recent guilty plea of Indian national Nikhil Gupta in a United States federal court regarding the murder-for-hire conspiracy targeting Sikh activist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun.
Bhai Kanwarpal Singh (Dal Khalsa)
The organization also sharply criticized the Canadian government’s recent move to potentially withhold sensitive information during the trial of those accused of murdering Sikh leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar. The Dal Khalsa leadership characterized this as an attempt to hold an “in-camera” trial to appease the Indian government, warning that sacrificing truth for international trade relations subverts justice and shields those responsible.
With Union Home Minister Amit Shah expected to visit Moga in the first week of March, Kanwar Pal Singh publicly demanded that Shah “come clean” and provide answers to the following questions on behalf of the Sikh community:
- Who conspired and directed the operation to target Gurpatwant Singh Pannun in the US?
- Who coordinated the cold-blooded execution of Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Canada?
- Who approved these extrajudicial acts at the highest levels of government?
- Who ensured protection or impunity for the individuals involved?
Singh further expressed fears that agencies might be utilizing gangsters and rogue groups to target pro-freedom activists under the guise of gang warfare.
State-Level Concerns: Encounters and “Police State” Allegations
Addressing domestic law and order, speakers expressed deep alarm over the reported 34 extrajudicial police encounters that have occurred in Punjab over the last three months.
“Though targets of police encounters were either infamous gangsters or drug smugglers, police can’t violate the rule of law and get no justification to adopt unlawful and unconstitutional methods,” leaders stated at the event.
Emaan Singh Mann, acting president of the Shiromani Akali Dal (Amritsar), echoed these sentiments, describing Punjab as a “police state.” He argued that indiscriminate killings and the inhumane barricading of protesting farmers have culminated in a complete erosion of public trust, inflicting long-lasting trauma on local communities.
Future Resolutions and Call to Action
Highlighting the need for a political resolution to Punjab’s decades of instability, Dal Khalsa leader Paramjit Singh Mand asserted that durable peace can only emerge through the decriminalization of dissent and the granting of rights, including the right to self-determination.
Paramjit Singh Mand (Dal Khalsa)
Drawing parallels to historical struggles, Narien Singh of the Akal Federation noted that the Saka Nankana Sahib serves as a powerful reminder to stay united and fight to win back legitimate rights from “autocratic rulers.”
Concluding the meet, Mand issued a major call to action, exhorting the Sikh Sangat to gather in the thousands at the Akal Takht Sahib on April 29, 2026, to “rekindle and reinforce our call for the sovereignty of the people of Punjab