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Between Two Flags: Strategic Lessons for Sikhs in the Wake of the Latest India-Pakistan Tensions

sarblohinstitute.substack.com · 743 words · saved by 1 readers

The latest flare-up between India and Pakistan — though brief and geographically limited — has once again drawn Sikhs into the theatre of South Asian geopolitical competition. While the tactical exchanges between the two nuclear neighbours followed a now-familiar pattern of cross-border strikes and retaliatory rhetoric, what stood out this time was the overt targeting of Sikh sacred sites and the competing efforts from both sides to sway Sikh sentiment. Shelling near the Kartarpur Sahib corridor shocked the global Sikh community. Whether accidental or deliberate, it signaled a worrying truth: even our holiest sites are no longer safe in regional conflicts. Meanwhile, India increased surveillance on Sikh institutions in Punjab under the guise of national security. Both sides framed themselves as defenders of Sikh interests — while using our heritage to score points. The Kartarpur Corridor — inaugurated in 2019 — was once again paraded by Pakistan as proof of its goodwill towards Sikhs.

The latest flare-up between India and Pakistan — though brief and geographically limited — has once again drawn Sikhs into the theatre of South Asian geopolitical competition. While the tactical exchanges between the two nuclear neighbours followed a now-familiar pattern of cross-border strikes and retaliatory rhetoric, what stood out this time was the overt targeting of Sikh sacred sites and the competing efforts from both sides to sway Sikh sentiment. Shelling near the Kartarpur Sahib corridor shocked the global Sikh community. Whether accidental or deliberate, it signaled a worrying…

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