The most active protest in Punjab, the blockade of a road in Mohali, paled in front of the singular act of vandalism by pro-Khalistan supporters at the Indian High Commission in London as well as the Indian Consulate in San Francisco, and the strident protests in Canada, apart from the outrage on social media.
While some argued that the suspension of Internet and tight security accounted for the muted reaction, a police officer points out that if this was the reason, crowds should not have gathered for singer Sidhu Moosewala’s death anniversary a day after Operation Amritpal.
Amritpal too made his first forays into the separatist sphere on foreign soil, in Dubai. He was there for 10 years before returning to India in August 2022 to get baptised and start a three-pronged programme – return to a pure form of Sikhism, freedom from drugs, and formation of a separate state.
The Punjabi diaspora has always taken a keen interest in the affairs of the state. When the Aam Aadmi Party first came to the state, it was warmly embraced by Punjabis abroad before it could find acceptance at home. The 2017 elections saw chartered planes from Canada, with many an NRI driving the social media as well as the on-ground campaign of the party. This also gave rise to allegations of party supremo Arvind Kejriwal hobnobbing with radical forces.
It’s no secret that the Khalistan agenda has also been largely kept alive from foreign soil. A top police officer, formerly posted in Punjab, points out how several targeted killings in 2016-17 including that of RSS leader Brig Jagdish Gagneja and earlier of Rashtriya Sikh Sangat president Prof Rulda Singh in 2009 were plotted abroad. In the Rulda Singh case, three British NRIs were held in 2010.
“The commissioning of terrorist violence and secessionist activity, all emanates abroad. There is a concerted attempt to push Punjab back into the vortex of violence, but fortunately there is no groundswell of support in the state as again demonstrated following the recent crackdown,’’ the officer said, adding that Amritpal too had received a lot of foreign backing in terms of paid social media handles and literature.
In his 2021 book Blood for Blood: Fifty Years of the Global Khalistan Project, Canadian journalist Terry Milewski wrote how the Khalistan movement in Canada, the United Kingdom and India has been sustained for decades by Pakistan.
There are outfits in the state that demand more autonomy for Punjab or even separate nationhood, but they do so under the ambit of the Constitution and have not espoused violence. Prof Jagroop Singh Sekhon, a political scientist, says, “We have always had a fringe but it has existed peacefully with the mainstream and performs a function of democracy.”
Sekhon points out how most people in the Punjab countryside have not heard of the Khalistan referendum, a brainchild of Gurpatwant Singh Pannu, an American lawyer and founder of Sikhs for Justice (SFJ). “Pannu, who claims to be striving for Khalistan, has no support here in Punjab, he draws it from the diaspora. Which is why the first referendum was held in London and then in Canada.’’
Experts attribute this support to the search for identity. Prof Manjit Singh from Panjab University says the generation that migrated to the West in the 1980s was quick to attain financial independence but it could never assimilate into the foreign culture. “They wanted to belong, so it led to a mushrooming of gurdwaras, which at times got hijacked by weekend Khalistanis. So, they are always part of some movement or the other related to Punjab. It could be for a stronger Punjab or for a separate Khalistan. It’s here that they find a sense of purpose and identity.’’
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Ashutosh Kumar, a political scientist at Panjab University, says the Punjabis in the state are more pragmatic. “They have suffered the fallout of militancy. Even drugs are its byproduct. That is why you see little support for wannabe ideologues like Amritpal. People don’t want a return to violence.’’
Agreeing with this, a former officer with the Punjab Police says this is the reason that the huge cache of weapons sent by Pakistan have been largely unused. “From hand grenades and tiffin bombs to IEDs, we recovered a lot of weaponry in 2021. I believe the drops have only got bigger but we have not seen these weapons being used in Punjab. That shows there is no support for violence or a separatist agenda on the ground.’’
Manraj Grewal Sharma is a senior journalist and the Resident Editor of The Indian Express in Chandigarh, where she leads the newspaper’s coverage of north India’s most politically and institutionally significant regions. From Punjab and Haryana to Himachal Pradesh and the Union Territory of Chandigarh, she oversees reporting at the intersection of governance, law, politics and society. She also reports on the diaspora, especially in Canada and the US.
With a career spanning journalism across several countries, academia and international development, Manraj brings a rare depth of perspective to regional reporting. She is widely regarded as a leading chronicler of Punjab’s contemporary history and socio-political evolution, particularly its long shadow of militancy, federal tensions and identity politics. Her book, Dreams after Darkness, remains a definitive account of the militancy years and their enduring aftermath.
Professional Background & Expertise
A gold medalist in mass communication and a post-graduate in English literature, Manraj has a multifaceted career spanning journalism, academia, and international development. She was also awarded a fellowship by National Foundation of India and did several in-depth pieces on Manipur. Internationally, she has reported from Israel, US, UK, Myanmar, and Mauritius
Her key focus areas include:
Regional Politics, History, Agriculture, Diaspora, and Security. Of late, she has started focusing on Legal & Judicial Affairs: Much of her recent work involves reporting on high-stakes cases in the Punjab and Haryana High Court, ranging from environmental policy to civil rights.
International Consulting: She previously served as a consulting editor for the Asia Pacific Adaptation Network and a publishing consultant for the Asian Development Bank (ADB) in Manila.
Academia: For five years, she was the managing editor of Gender, Technology and Development, a peer-reviewed international journal at the Asian Institute of Technology, Bangkok.
Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025)
Her recent reportage focuses heavily on judicial interventions and regional governance:
1. Environment & Governance
"‘NGT can’t test legality of policy’: HC hears challenge to Punjab’s ‘Green Habitat’ plan" (Dec 22, 2025): Covering a critical legal battle over whether the National Green Tribunal has the authority to strike down a state policy regularizing farmhouses on delisted forest land.
"High court pulls up Punjab poll panel over audio clip probe" (Dec 10, 2025): Reporting on judicial concerns regarding the transparency and fairness of local body elections.
2. Legal Rights & Social Welfare
"HC issues notice to Punjab, Haryana over delay in building old age homes" (Dec 22, 2025): Reporting on a contempt petition against top officials for failing to establish government-run homes for the elderly as promised in 2019.
"Victims can appeal acquittals in sessions court without seeking special leave" (Dec 19, 2025): Highlighting a significant procedural shift in criminal law following a Supreme Court ruling.
"HC upholds benefits for Punjab FCI officer acquitted in 20-year-old bribery case" (Dec 19, 2025): A report on the concept of "honourable acquittal" and its impact on employee benefits.
3. Human Rights & Identity
"As Punjab denies parole to MP Amritpal Singh, HC asks it to submit ‘foundational material’" (Dec 1, 2025): Covering the legal proceedings regarding the radical preacher and sitting MP's request to attend Parliament.
"Protecting life paramount: HC backs Muslim woman in live-in after verbal divorce" (Nov 6, 2025): Analyzing judicial protections for personal liberty in the context of traditional practices.
Signature Beats
Manraj is recognized for her ability to decode complex judicial rulings and relate them to the everyday lives of citizens. Whether it is a 30-year-old land battle in Fazilka or the political implications of Kangana Ranaut’s candidacy in Mandi, her writing provides deep historical and regional context.
Contact
@grewal_sharma on X
manrajgrewalsharma on Instagram ... Read More
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