Sikh community staged anti-Indian demonstration

LONDON, Aug 14 (APP):Hundreds of Sikh separatists and their supporters gathered in London’s Trafalgar
Square yesterday demanding a referendum on an independent homeland to be carved out of India.
They brandished banners reading “Free Punjab, End Indian occupation”, “Punjab Referendum
2020 for Khalistan” and “We will re-establish Punjab as an independent country”, Mail On line
reported.
The protest was organised by the US and Canada-based group Sikhs for Justice, and drew
people from all over the world, many of them chanting “Khalistan”.
Gurpatwant S. Pannun, legal advisor to Sikhs for Justice, said: “This is a peaceful,
democratic campaign to give Sikhs the right to determine their own future.”
Jas Singh, 26, a demonstrator from London, told AFP: “In India, anybody who speaks
for a referendum gets picked up and put in jail.”

There was a small counter-demonstration of about a dozen people singing and holding
up signs saying: “We stand for one united India.”,Mail on line said.