Mom of two young kids Aditi Rana* (name changed on request) lives in Orchard Estate just 200 meters from Tarneit Gurudwara in Melbourne’s west.
Ms Rana and her husband build their house in this neighbourhood so close to Tarneit Gurudwara because her father and mother-in-law are staunch Sikhs who attend the Sikh Temple daily.
However, today on 10 December, despite being a Saturday, they didn’t go to Gurudwara.
She says her in-laws are scared to see the same Khalistan flags and posters with pictures of terrorists which have ruined the lives of their family and friends during the Khalistani terrorism in the Indian state of Punjab.
Ms Rana told The Australia Today, “Papa Ji (Father in Law) doesn’t like to watch TV but today he has kept himself busy with cartoon movies with my daughter.”
“Khalistan rally loudspeakers right infront of Tarneit Gurudwara were loud enough to hear them in our house Papa ji doesn’t want both my kids to see or hear that nonsense.”
Just to answer your question in a simple way, yes I am scared for the safety of my family, said Ms Rana.
Why is Khalistan Referendum car rally happening in Melbourne?
A notorious secessionist organisation ‘Sikhs for Justice known as SFJ’ is plotting to implement its divisive agenda of the Khalistan movement amongst Australian Sikhs.
The Australia Today can reveal that a number of SFJ members from the USA, Canada and the United Kingdom including Avatar Singh Pannu coordinator for Sikhs For Justice in Melbourne to recruit Australian Sikhs for his plans to divide India and create a separate nation via violent means.
The Australia Today earlier reported that the Department of Home Affairs is examining the visa conditions of some Khalistani overseas players who are actively involved in this proposed Khalistan referendum to be held in Melbourne.
Officials close to the developments who do not want to be named for security reasons told The Australia Today, “Allegations of some overseas players entering into Australia and running a malicious campaign with elements of possibly violent past are very concerning to us.”
The above photograph was provided to The Australia Today by a respectable Sikh community member describing a person in a yellow turban as Inderjit Singh from Canada and a person in a blue turban as Mohinder Singh from the USA with mike in his hand, both present in Melbourne for recruitments for Khalistan fights.
Avtar Singh Pannu and his local Australian team of Khalistan supporters have been sending links to Sikh community members via multiple Gurudwara databases and on Indian Australian social media groups to register as volunteers for the Khalistan movement.
Below is a screenshot of the recruitment link.
Australia has previously seen similar recruitment of Muslim youths a few years ago by overseas players of the terrorist organisation Islamic State to participate in a violent movement to establish a Caliphate in middle-east.
However, this time due to much awareness around Khalistan propaganda among the Australian Sikh community these overseas recruiters of Sikhs For Justice have not been able to get much support.
This fact was visible in today’s Khalistan Referendum car rally where a relatively small number of Khalistan supporters participated in it.
The car rally started from Sri Guru Singh Sabha-Craigieburn Gurudwara and reached Gurdwara Sahib Tarneit via Gurudwara Sahib Plympton and Gurudwara Miri Piri.
Anil Kumar* has lived in Melbourne’s western suburbs for the last twenty years since he came as an international student from Jalandhar city in the Indian state of Punjab.
Mr Kumar runs his real-estate-related business with a Sikh business partner in Truganina.
He told The Australia Today, “Khalistanis are not representatives of Sikhs.”
“Victorian and for that matter Australian political leaders need to understand this Khalistan propoganda is very serious issue, however majority of Sikhs don’t support them,”
told Mr Kumar.
“I used to visit Tarneit Gurudwara all the time with my business partners’ family, however after the start of this Khalistan menace, I am scared to enter. What if someone will say something nasty to me.”
“These Khalistan supporters are spreading lies, and because of that Indian Australian communities’ harmony is being affected,” added Mr Kumar.
Last week when I went there a few young boys told me in Punjabi not to come this Saturday.
“Tu Hindu- Tu Bahman, Aisi vekh lenvenge.” (You Hindu- You Brahman, we will deal with you)
“Tell me what shall I do, my business partner apologised several times because of those idiots’ conduct but now I will not take my 12-year-old to listen to such hatred just because of my religious beliefs,” said a visibly upset Mr Kumar.
Mr Jagga (who doesn’t want to give his first name) told The Australia Today, “I have been very vocal about the Khalistan issue.”
“I and my wife have warned the Gurudwara management committee several times about discriminatory behaviour of certain individuals when non-Sikhs come to Gurudwara.”
“I have received many no call id phone calls abusing me and telling me that I am not real Sikh but a Hindu-RSS dog,”
said Mr Jagga.
“In the last month or so these people have been unable to get much support, I am sure now they will start to using threatening tactics to address reluctance to participate in Khalistan Referendum proposed in January 2023,” added Mr Jagga.
Bhakta Das is the Chairperson of Faith Community Council Victoria (FCCV).
Mr Das told The Australia Today, I am personally concerned with the developments as they are very disturbing to the Hindu community as well as the good Sikh community.”
“We at FCCV want to have dialouge between Hindu Council of Australia and Victorian Sikh Gurudwara Council, let’s see what we can come up with.”
“To stop the use of religious spaces for spreading hatred towards other communities, we will be having discussions with all stakeholders asap,” added Mr Das.
The Australia Today repeatedly contacted the Cragieburn and Tarneit gurudwara management committee and VSGC President and Sectary however they didn’t respond to our calls.