NeverForget84.com

Last updated
NeverForget84
NeverForget84.com logo from early 2005.jpg
NeverForget84.com logo from early 2005
Founded15 January 2005;19 years ago (2005-01-15)
Dissolved June 2018
Key people Jagtar Singh Johal
URL neverforget84.com (defunct)

NeverForget84.com, written-out in prose as Never Forget '84, was a Khalistani-affiliated Sikh website that covered the 1984 Operation Blue Star military operation and the personal stories of Sikh militants. [1] [2] Indian media outlets had described the website as being "a popular hub of radical Sikh voices". [3]

Contents

Name

"Never Forget 1984" is one of the most commonly used slogans related to the Khalistan movement at diasporic Sikh events, such as at Yuba City, California. [4]

History

The website claimed to have been launched on 15 January 2005. [5] The website covered the biographies of Sikh militants that were involved in the Punjab Insurgency. [6] It contained a media library that contained exclusive photographs and videos related to the Khalistan movement. [6] It was reported that NeverForget84 had been involved in rehabilitation projects in the Punjab, such as helping the families of slain Sikh militants, by rebuilding familial homes "Sikh shaheeds" and claimed "victims of state-oppression". [7] [6] [3] The website contained content related to 8,000 Sikh victims of the 1984 anti-Sikh pogroms. [8]

In May 2015, it was reported that the Facebook page of the website had been banned. [7] [6] However, the main website was still accessible in India at the time of the Facebook page's banning. [7]

The Print reported in December 2017 that the website was operated by Jagtar Singh Johal, a British-Sikh currently incarcerated in India. [3] Dinkar Gupta (DGP intelligence, Punjab) claimed that after creating NeverForget84.com, Johal would launch another pro-Khalistani website called 1984Tribute.com. [3] Ananya Gautam (IG, counter intelligence, Punjab Police) claims that Jaggi was being assisted by a relative of Gursharan Bir to operate his websites. [3] Gursharan Bir is a wanted-suspect of the murder of Rashtriya Sikh Sangat leader Rulda Singh in Patiala in 2009. [3]

Gurpreet Singh Johal, brother of Jagtar Singh Johal, reported to the BBC that Jagtar had conducted research and provided translations on behalf of the website. [1] Jaggi's lawyer Jaspal Singh Manjhpur claims Jaggi was arrested because he operated a website covering the anti-Sikh riots and that he translated Punjabi content into English that was "exposing the deeds of the Punjab Police" globally. [3] Sikh activities claim that Jagtar was spreading awareness amongst the Sikh youth about the events of 1984 through the website, which is why he was targeted by the police. [8] [9]

The website is now defunct and has been no-longer operational since June 2018. [2] [10]

Scholarly analysis

According to Conner Singh VanderBeek, Khalistani-affiliated websites like NeverForget84, such as Khalistan.net, could be found in the early decades of the Internet but are increasingly rare due to being buried or wiped-off the Internet since then, with many former websites shutting-down since then. [2] Thus, openly pro-Khalistani voices on the Internet are increasingly overtaken by anti-Khalistani ones. [2] Canadian and Indian media outlets criticize pro-Khalistani Internet content. [2]

Axel Brian describes that these Khalistani websites were responsible for distributing images of Sikhs allegedly tortured by the Indian state across the Internet. [2] However, VanderBeek observes that the images circulated by Khalistani websites can be found in the Central Sikh Museum of the Golden Temple complex in Amritsar, throughout the langar halls of gurdwaras worldwide, and are displayed at pro-Khalistani nagar kirtan processions held in the U.K. and North America. [2] As a result, Khalistani imagery has migrated off of the Internet into the real-world and have reached popular Sikh conscience. [2]

Furthermore, these websites distributed the testimonies of survivors. [2] Axel describes the ecosystem of the early Internet's Khalistani websites as a "mediascape" which "circulates photographs of tortured Sikh male bodies." [2] This has an effect of creating an image of a "basic Sikh subject" (typically a Punjabi Sikh male with a turban and beard) who is denied their homeland (a "Khalistan"), with the body of the Sikh being violated serving as symbolism for the "violent oppression" of Sikhs allegedly carried out by the Indian government and its security agencies. [2] Axel gives credit to the Internet for the proliferation of Khalistan-related image repertoires and ideology. [2]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Khalistan movement</span> Sikh separatist movement in the Punjab region

The Khalistan movement is a separatist movement seeking to create a homeland for Sikhs by establishing an ethno‐religious sovereign state called Khalistan in the Punjab region. The proposed boundaries of Khalistan vary between different groups; some suggest the entirety of the Sikh-majority Indian state of Punjab, while larger claims include Pakistani Punjab and other parts of North India such as Chandigarh, Haryana, and Himachal Pradesh. Shimla and Lahore have been proposed as the capital of Khalistan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shiromani Akali Dal (Amritsar)</span> Indian political party

Shiromani Akali Dal (Amritsar) is a hard-line Sikh nationalist political party led by Simranjit Singh Mann, it is a splinter group of the Shiromani Akali Dal in Punjab, India. They use 'Balti', the Punjabi term for bucket as their official election symbol. Shiromani Akali Dal (Amritsar) was formed on 1 May 1994. The party has seen a resurgence in support after the deaths of Deep Sidhu and Sidhu Moose Wala who were supporters and seen as sympathetic to the cause of Simranjit Singh Mann. Their 2022 Lok Sabha victory after more than two decades has been viewed as a resurgence in a political vacuum due to collapse of other traditional political parties in Punjab. The last major victory for Shiromani Akali Dal (Amritsar) was in the 1989 Lok Sabha elections, where the party and their allies won 10 out of 13 seats from Punjab.

Talwinder Singh Parmar Sikh militant from India (1944–1992)

Talwinder Singh Parmar was a Sikh militant and the mastermind of the 1985 Air India Flight 182 bombing, which killed 329 people. It was the worst single incident of aviation terrorism in history until the September 11 attacks in the United States. In addition, another bomb was meant to explode aboard Air India Flight 301 in Japan the same day, but it exploded while the plane was still grounded, killing two people. Parmar was also the founder, leader, and Jathedar of Babbar Khalsa International (BKI), better known as Babbar Khalsa, a Sikh militant group involved in the Khalistan movement.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dal Khalsa (organization)</span> Radical Sikh outfit

Dal Khalsa is a radical Sikh organisation, based in the city of Amritsar. The outfit was formed in 1978 by Gajinder Singh, the hijacker of Indian Airlines Flight 423. It came to prominence during Insurgency in Punjab along with Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale in 1981. Members of the Dal Khalsa have also been accused of the assassination of Lala Jagat Narain. The primary aim of Dal Khalsa is to form a Punjabi Sikh nation state called Khalistan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Khalistan Commando Force</span> Sikh Khalistani organisation

The Khalistan Commando Force (KCF) is a Sikh Khalistani militant organisation operating in the state of Punjab, India with prominent members based in Canada, United Kingdom and Pakistan. Its objective is the creation of a Sikh independent state of Khalistan through armed struggle. KCF is also responsible for many assassinations in India, including the 1995 assassination of Punjab Chief Minister Beant Singh. It is designated as a Terrorist Organisation by the Government of India.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Khalistan Zindabad Force</span> Indian Sikh militant group

The Khalistan Zindabad Force (KZF) is a militant group and is part of the Khalistan movement to create a separate country Sikh homeland called Khalistan by carving Punjab and some parts of neighbouring states of Haryana, Rajasthan and Himachal Pradesh out of Indian union.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Khalistan Liberation Force</span> Sikh militant group

The Khalistan Liberation Force (KLF) is a Khalistani militant organisation operating in the Punjab with prominent members based in Canada, United Kingdom and Pakistan. Its objective is the creation of a sovereign Sikh nation‐state of Khalistan through armed struggle. It is responsible for numerous assassinations, abductions, and military engagements with the Indian Armed Forces during the Insurgency in Punjab. The KLF is also listed as a designated terrorist group by India.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jagjit Singh Chohan</span> Sikh separatist leader (1929–2007)

Jagjit Singh Chohan was a major Sikh leader of the Khalistan movement that sought to create a sovereign Sikh state in the Punjab region of the Indian subcontinent. Chohan established the Council of Khalistan at Anandpur Sahib on 12 April 1980 and became its first self‐styled president.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sukhdev Singh Babbar</span> Founding leader of Babbar Khalsa

Jathedar Sukhdev Singh Babbar was the militant and co-leader of Babbar Khalsa (BK), a Sikh militant organisation involved in the pursuit of creating a Sikh nation named as "Khalistan" and generally believed responsible for the 1985 bombing of Air India Flight 182, although Sukhdev was never named as being involved. BK was founded by Talwinder Singh Parmar, himself, and Amarjit Kaur. He commanded BK continuously for 14 years until he was killed in 1992. He was a member of the AKJ.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Darshan Singh Canadian</span> Indian politician

Darshan Singh Canadian was a Sikh trade union activist and communist organizer in Canada and India.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sikh diaspora</span> Sikh migration from historical homeland

The Sikh diaspora is the modern Sikh migration from the traditional area of the Punjab region of South Asia. Sikhism is a religion native to this region. The Sikh diaspora is largely a subset of the Punjabi diaspora.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Labh Singh</span> Leader of Khalistan Commando Force

Sukhdev Singh Dhillon, best known as General Labh Singh and also known as Sukha Sipahi and just Labh Singh, was a former Punjab police officer turned militant who took command of the Khalistan Commando Force after its first leader, Manbir Singh Chaheru, was arrested in 1986.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gurjant Singh Budhsinghwala</span> Chief of the Khalistan Liberation Force

Gurjant Singh Budhsinghwala was a Sikh martyr and the third Jathedar of the Khalistan Liberation Force. Budhsinghwala's organization, KLF, was one of the most active Sikh militant groups of the time. Budhsinghwala had KLF join the Sohan Singh Panthic Committee and partnered with Khalistan Commando Force (Panjwar), Babbar Khalsa, Bhindranwale Tiger Force (Sangha), and Sikh Student Federation (Bittu) in militant actions. Budhsinghwala is also credited with making KLF one of the strongest and most lethal militant groups.

Paramjit Singh"Pamma" is a Khalistani activist and alleged militant from the state of Punjab, India. He is a member of the Khalistan Tiger Force and is on the NIA Most Wanted list.

The arrest of Jagtar Singh Johal is a detainment that occurred in November 2017 in Punjab, India. According to the human rights organisation Reprieve, UK spy agencies tipped off their Indian counterparts about a key man, "Johal", who was currently in India.

During the years of 2016 and 2017, multiple attacks on political activists and mostly Hindu religious leaders in the northern Indian state of Punjab were perpetrated by individuals who were allegedly affiliated with the Sikh militant group Khalistan Liberation Force which is a designated terrorist group by India. Those culpable for the attacks were also arrested. The Pakistani agency ISI was allegedly held responsible by India for financing and aiding the militant acts to foment religious disturbances in the state.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sikhs for Justice</span> US-based Sikh separatist group

Sikhs for Justice (SFJ) is a US-based secessionist group that supports the formation of Khalistan. Founded and primarily headed by lawyer Gurpatwant Singh Pannun in 2009, the organization was created in response to the lack of litigation to convict the murders and massacres of Sikhs after Prime Minister Indira Gandhi was assassinated by her Sikh bodyguards in 1984.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Amritpal Singh</span> Indian Sikh leader (born 1993)

Amritpal Singh Sandhu is a radical Indian pro-Khalistan separatist, a self-styled Sikh preacher and politician. He is a Member of Parliament in the Lok Sabha representing the constituency of Khadoor Sahib since 2024.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Khalistan Tiger Force</span> Organisation for the Khalistan movement cause

Khalistan Tiger Force (KTF) is a militant outfit of the Khalistan movement. In February 2023, it was designated as a terrorist organization by the Government of India.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Harmeet Singh (militant)</span> 8th Chief of Khalistan Liberation Force

Harmeet Singh also known as PhD or Happy was the 8th chief of Khalistan Liberation Force.

References

  1. 1 2 Taneja, Poonam (24 January 2018). "Detained Sikh activist's family speak out". BBC News. Retrieved 6 July 2024.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 VanderBeek, Conner Singh (2023). "The Sikh Internet". In Mandair, Arvind-Pal Singh; Singh, Pashaura (eds.). The Sikh World. Routledge. pp. 507–509. ISBN   9781032488110.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Sethi, Chitleen K. (5 December 2017). "Jaggi in #SaveJaggi campaign is Briton who was in touch with Khalistanis: Punjab Police". The Print. Retrieved 6 July 2024.
  4. ↑ Singh, Shaminder Kaur (Fall 2018). The diffusion of ideas in Punjab, India: a failed social movement (PDF). California State University, Sacramento. p. 20.
  5. ↑ "Never Forget 1984!". NeverForget84. Archived from the original on 10 February 2005. Retrieved 6 July 2024.
  6. 1 2 3 4 "NeverForget84: Another Sikh Group Alleges Page Blocked in India". Sikh24. 19 May 2015. Retrieved 6 July 2024.
  7. 1 2 3 "India bans Facebook page of Sikh website NeverForget84.Com". Sikh Siyasat News. 21 May 2015. Retrieved 6 July 2024.
  8. 1 2 Paterson, Kirsteen (15 November 2017). "Scottish activist 'tortured with electric shocks' in Indian prison". The National. Retrieved 6 July 2024.
  9. ↑ Gill, Monique (20 June 2020). "The 1984 Sikh Genocide - 36 Years On". Human Rights Pulse. Retrieved 6 July 2024.
  10. ↑ "WWW.NEVERFORGET84.COM - THIS WEBSITE IS NO LONGER ACTIVE". NeverForget84. June 2018. Archived from the original on 10 June 2018. Retrieved 6 July 2024.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.