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Soriek  11mo ago (text post)   1315 thread views

Transnational Thursdays 28

Apologies if this is a double post. I posted the original earlier but was told it appears as deleted to other users. Here's hoping it works this time.

This is a weekly thread for people to discuss international news, foreign policy or IR history. I usually start off with coverage of some current events from a mix of countries I follow personally and countries I think the forum lives in or might be interested in. Feel free as well to drop in with coverage of countries you’re interested in, talk about ongoing dynamics like the wars in Israel or Ukraine, or even just whatever you’re reading.

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India & the West

Reportedly the United States apparently stopped India from assassinating another Sikh separatist in June, this time not in Canada but actually on US soil.

An Indian government employee who described himself as a “senior field officer” responsible for intelligence ordered the assassination of a Sikh separatist in New York City in May, U.S. prosecutors alleged Wednesday.

The government employee, who was not named in the indictment filed in a federal court in Manhattan, recruited an Indian national named Nikhil Gupta to hire a hit man to carry out the assassination, which was foiled by U.S. authorities, according to prosecutors.

The court filing did not name the victim, but senior Biden administration officials say the target was Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, general counsel for the New York-based Sikhs for Justice, a group that advocates the creation of an independent Sikh state called Khalistan within India.

I remain wildly uncertain of how to think about all this. It seems so out of character for the Modi government to be placing hits in allied countries, but I can’t think of much reason why the US would lie here. In every other sense the US has bent over backwards to pull India into its orbits, giving them no strings attached weapons, GE engines, and so on, without even a promise to shift position towards Russia at all. Why jettison all that now? (a question for both sides).

I sadly don’t have much to add, but want to commend you for taking the time to do these informative and helpful write ups. It’s really nice to get insight into things happening across the world and I’m grateful to you for it.

To whatever mods may see my post and think it’s low effort—I plead (somewhat) guilty. I’m not posting a top-level comment for a reason. However, I want to encourage the excellent @Soriek to continue his work, and I think an occasional comment speaks more loudly than an upvote.

In actual transnational news, I recently became aware of a Russian program to try and improve their fertility rate by offering a large sum of money (enough to buy an apartment) to young couples who have multiple kids. I do not speak Russian, but if there’s interest I could try to understand what’s happening and post about it?

Many thanks, it can definitely be time consuming prepping these so it's good to here people are enjoying them. I would definitely be interested in the Russian program; in general I feel like this place could benefit from regular updates on Russia (and China for that matter) from people more knowledgable than me.

I'm interested in learning more about the program. Sounds similar to a Hungarian program. https://www.euronews.com/2019/07/29/hungary-offers-30-000-to-married-couples-who-can-produce-three-children

However I do not think I would be able to relocate, but good luck on your (re)searching!

if there’s interest I could try to understand what’s happening and post about it?

I'm interested.

I am on the fence about whether India is actually behind this or its a opposing gang member trying to settle score, just because how grossly incompetent the so called "senior field officer" is. Intelligence agencies just don't operate so recklessly, especially when you are trying to execute a hit on US soil. The way US handled this affair is commendable and I especially appreciate the indictment they submitted(Canada please take notes). Here's a really great video explaining it- https://youtube.com/watch?v=MWco9Tjq-SI

Now for India both public and the government, tackling the Sikh separatism is very high priority and perceived as major threat. You need to take account that just last year we had an RPG shot at Police intel Headquarters in the Capital of the Sikh State of Punjab, then an arrested Sikh Separatist leader connected to this was freed by the mob and this then culminated in a nation wide manhunt for the said leader. Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, the said target, was the one who claimed responsibility for the attack(https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chandigarh/sfjs-gurparwant-pannu-claims-responsibility-for-rpg-attack-in-mohali/articleshow/91462544.cms).

The question attached to the much bigger issue of India allegedly targeting US/Canadian citizen/asylee is what should US and Canada do about active Sikh separatist operating from their soil?

what should US and and Canada do about active Sikh separatist operating from their soil?

For start: are they assassinating people or publishing texts and images disliked by India?

is what should US and Canada do about active Sikh separatist operating from their soil?

A country that can't protect its citizens is no country at all. This goes for Canada as well as the US- if some fucking foreign nation thinks they can send assassins to summarily execute citizens for activity that's perfectly legal in their country, they have another thing coming.

Now, if Canada or the US doesn't want citizens that are active Sikh separatists, maybe they should start screening them on the way in or pass laws to make it so that immigrants that agitate for separation lose that citizenship. As it is, they took them in, any attack on the citizens is [on its face] an attack on the sovereignty of the nation, and it's troubling as to why "this is a blatant and clear attack on our nation's security" wasn't the first thing out of anyone's mouth (in the former's case, guess that's the cost of being a "post-national" nation).

I completely agree with your logic. The thing you're missing though is dismissing Sikh Separatists as something minor. It's understandable since US and Canada both don't face any perceptible threat from them. Sadly India does and sees US and Canada's indifference as facilitation of these groups. That said I am not taking lightly the seriousness of a foreign power interference. Though how situation will change depends on realpolitik, we can be sure that the US court will examine the details of it and the facts would be aired.

The question attached to the much bigger issue of India allegedly targeting US/Canadian citizen/asylee is what should US and Canada do about active Sikh separatist operating from their soil?

Surely the answer is “nothing,” right? If they’re US citizens, they get to enjoy US freedom of speech, no matter what India thinks of the matter.

There's a lot of difference in freedom of speech and shooting an RPG.

Then question should be "active Sikh separatist organising terrorism/uprisings from their soil?"

"active Sikh separatist" covers also entirely peaceful and legal (under USA or Canadian law) actions

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