Khalistani activists create ruckus in failed bid to disrupt Independence Day celebrations in Australia
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "Khalistani activists create ruckus in failed bid to disrupt Independence Day celebrations in Australia")
Pro-Khalistan activists try to disrupt the Independence Day celebrations at the consulate in Melbourne, Australia. Photograph: (Screengrab from video on X)
The members of the separatist group raised pro-Khalistan slogans but were effectively countered by the Indians, who sang patriotic songs loudly and drowned out their noise, besides targeting them with their own slogans.
Indian nationals in Australia gathered outside the consulate in Melbourne for an event marking India’s 79th Independence Day were disrupted by some members of a pro-Khalistani group. Indian nationals were peacefully celebrating Independence Day when “goons” carrying Khalistani flags interrupted the event, said a report in The Australia Today. The Indians countered with some slogan shouting that ruffled the Khalistani activists. Several videos of the incident are doing the rounds on social media.
One video circulating on social media shows a verbal altercation between the two groups. The separatist group raised pro-Khalistan slogans, and Indians countered by singing patriotic songs and drowning out their noise.
The Australian authorities reached the spot and prevented the situation from escalating into a physical confrontation.
The tricolour was later hoisted at the consulate amid loud cheers of “Vande Mataram” and “Bharat Mata ki Jai”.
Pro-Khalistan activism and violence on rise in Australia
The attempted disruption of India’s Independence Day celebrations comes amid increasing activities of pro-Khalistanis in multiple cities of Australia and a worrisome rise in targeted hate crimes.
In July, pro-Khalistan separatists had defaced the Swaminarayan Temple in Australia’s Boronia, with hateful slurs spray-painted on its wall. The nearby Asian-run restaurants were also defaced with a similar message and portrait of Adolf Hitler.
Khalistanis stage protests at India-centric events in a bid to grab the limelight and some place in headlines.
The Indian government has already urged Canada, the UK, and Australia not to give space to Khalistani extremists, as such incidents are on the rise in these countries.
“These radical extremist ideologies aren’t good for us, them, or our ties,” Foreign Minister S Jaishankar had said.
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In December 2024, a group of pro-Khalistani supporters clashed with Indian cricket fans during the fourth test between India and Australia.
The Khalistani supporters had barged into the stadium without tickets and raised anti-India slogans.
