I didn't smear anyone. Please check my posts before making that charge
I do not give the protesters much credence because I do not believe they represent the views of even a small fraction of the Sikh population in India. I do care that they have the right to free speech and the right to express their opinions and I do not like to see them arrested for doing that.
You and I both know that Khalistan is a non-starter. I do not defend the role of the Indian government in what happened in the 80s and 90s, nor do I condone what the Khalistanis did. But the fact that the movement died down so completely indicates to me that (a) It had no sustainable mass support, (b)The Sikhs are/were content to be with India, (c)The Khalistani 'leaders' of today are not representative of any mass movement.
You said all the posters there were ACLU types or "Khalistani terrorists." Your words. Then you say that you don't agree with the Inidian governmetn's characterization that whoever supports Khalistan is a terrorist. So on what basis do you describe all the posters as "terrorists" and why do you maintain it is NOT a smear?
I do not give the protesters much credence because I do not believe they represent the views of even a small fraction of the Sikh population in India.
Then why won't the Indian government, whcih says it's democratic, hold a simple vote on the question? If India is a democracy and if there is little or no support for Khalistan, why not simply prove the point the democratic way, by voting?
I do care that they have the right to free speech and the right to express their opinions and I do not like to see them arrested for doing that.
Good. We're in agreement there. It does tend to do damage to India's democrtic image, doesn't it? Why do things like this keep happening, years after the government claims that it has suppressed the Kahlistan movement?
You and I both know that Khalistan is a non-starter.
Is that why former Member of Parliament Simranjit Singh Mann has shifted back to supporting Khalsitan? Seems like an odd thing for a politician to do. Is that why over 30,000 marched with Dal Khalsa through the streets demanding Khalistan? Is that why former Member of Parliament Atinder Pal Singh's seminar on Khalsitan was well-attended? There has been a rising of open Khalistan sentiment in Punjab lately. Perhaps that is what those arrests were for, to keep the Khalsitani sentiment that has been bubbling up suppressed.