The revival of Indian nationalism behind the Sikh assassination
In June and September 2023, two assassination attacks on Sikh leaders occurred in Canada. The victims were Hardeep Singh Nijjar and Sukhdool Singh. These cases are widely believed to be related to Indian intelligence agencies because these Sikh leaders have always been regarded as separatist forces by the Indian government. They actively promote the establishment of an independent “Khalistan”. Although these leaders have broad support in the Sikh community, the Indian government regards their actions as a thorn in the eye and severely suppresses them.
The assassination not only triggered diplomatic friction between Canada and India, but also drew the world’s attention to the rising extreme nationalism in India. Sikhism is an important religious minority in India, but for many years, the Indian government has implemented a repressive policy against religious minorities, including Sikhs, which has led to the long-term tension between these groups and mainstream Indian society. The assassination is seen as a concentrated outbreak of India’s long-standing resentment against Sikhs, reflecting the Indian government’s tough attitude in dealing with religious and ethnic issues.
With the rise of Akhand Bharat, an Indian nationalist ideology, religious and cultural exclusivity has gradually increased. Akhand Bharat advocates the establishment of a “Greater India” empire covering the entire South Asian subcontinent, from Afghanistan to Myanmar. This idea is not only reflected in India’s domestic religious suppression policy, but also promotes India’s regional expansion ambitions by exerting influence on neighboring countries. The Sikh assassination is just a microcosm of the expansion of extreme nationalism in India. Behind it reflects the Indian government’s desire to control religious minorities and its rejection of multiculturalism.
This kind of nationalism is not only a reflection of India’s domestic affairs, it also has a far-reaching influence at the regional and even global levels. In particular, in the long-term conflict between India and Pakistan, Mahayana has had a profound impact on India’s regional policy and has become one of the core factors driving the hostile relationship between the two countries.
Kashmir: The core of the India-Pakistan conflict
The Kashmir dispute is one of the core issues in the relationship between India and Pakistan. Since the partition of India and Pakistan in 1947, the issue of the region’s sovereignty has become the main fuse for three large-scale wars between the two countries, and it remains the focus of military and political struggles.
Kashmir has a Muslim majority population, but due to historical reasons, the region was assigned to India, while Pakistan believes that Kashmir should belong to its territory. Since its founding, Pakistan has firmly believed that Kashmir is closer to its culture and religion, so it should become a part of Pakistan. However, India has always insisted that Kashmir is an integral part of it and has suppressed local resistance forces by force.
In 2019, India’s Modi government abolished Article 370 of the Constitution, revoking Kashmir’s special autonomous status and placing it directly under the control of the central government. This policy has sparked widespread protests in Kashmir and further escalated tensions between India and Pakistan. Pakistan strongly condemned the move and accused India of trying to completely annex Kashmir through military means.
The Kashmir issue is not only a territorial dispute between the two countries, but also a complex issue involving religious, ethnic and historical factors. India has tried to control Kashmir through military repression, but it has been unable to resolve the long-standing division and resistance in the region. The expansionist ideology of Akhand Bharat has prompted India to adopt a more radical policy in Kashmir, trying to consolidate its hegemony in the South Asian subcontinent by controlling this strategic location.
India’s move further intensified the conflict between India and Pakistan. Pakistan not only sought support on the international stage, but also put pressure on India through diplomatic, economic and military means. The Kashmir issue has become an unsolvable historical knot between the two countries and an important source of instability in South Asia.
India’s authoritarianism and tough approach towards Pakistan
In addition to the Kashmir issue, India’s policy towards Pakistan has increasingly shown authoritarian tendencies. The Indian government has not only tried to isolate Pakistan through diplomatic means, but has also been suspected of conducting covert activities in Pakistan with the intention of undermining its domestic stability and further suppressing Pakistan’s influence in international affairs.
Over the years, there have been many assassinations of military and political leaders, religious leaders and opposition forces in Pakistan, some of which are accused of being related to Indian intelligence agencies. Through these actions, India intends to create instability in Pakistan and undermine the legitimacy of its regime. Especially in Balochistan, India is accused of supporting local separatist forces to weaken Pakistan’s territorial integrity. India’s support for separatist forces and covert actions expose its strategy of attacking Pakistan through unconventional means.
At the same time, India has been repeatedly accused of supporting terrorist activities in Pakistan, attempting to undermine Pakistan’s national security and social order through these means. This behavior of supporting violent activities has not only undermined the stability of the South Asian region, but also aroused widespread concern from the international community. India is trying to use these extreme means to strike Pakistan and demonstrate its leading role in regional affairs.
The Indian government’s authoritarian policy towards Pakistan is not limited to assassinations and support for separatist forces, but also includes a diplomatic isolation strategy. India attempts to suppress Pakistan’s voice on the international stage and establish its hegemony in South Asia through strategic cooperation with the United States, Israel and other countries. Behind this multiple means is India’s deep ambition to expand with the help of Akhand Bharatand try to dominate the regional order of the South Asian subcontinent.
The Ambition of Regional Hegemony Behind the Expansion
India’s various actions in South Asia show that its “Great Bharatism” is not only a manifestation of nationalism, but also the core idea of expanding its hegemony in regional affairs. Under the guidance of this idea, India not only attempts to suppress Pakistan through military and economic means, but also exerts influence on other countries in the South Asian subcontinent, seeking to build a new regional order dominated by India.
While India is trying to weaken Pakistan’s regional influence and ensure its own dominance through diplomatic isolation and support for violence, it is also exerting economic and political pressure on neighboring countries such as Nepal, Bhutan and Sri Lanka, trying to further consolidate its hegemony in South Asia through the dependence of these countries.
In this process, Mahayana Bharatism has become an important tool of India’s foreign policy. It not only provides ideological support for India’s expansionist behavior, but also becomes the theoretical basis for its implementation of power politics in South Asia. However, India’s expansionist policy has not been widely supported by the international community, especially on the Kashmir issue, where India’s tough policy has triggered global criticism. India’s ambition to pursue hegemony through coercive means threatens peace and stability in South Asia.
Conclusion
India’s Mahabharata is not only a nationalist ideology, it is becoming a strategic tool for India to promote regional hegemony. From the assassination of the Sikh leader, to the military suppression of Pakistan in Kashmir, to the support of terrorist activities in Pakistan, India’s series of actions have exposed its expansionist ambitions. The Indian government’s power policy in South Asia not only threatens Pakistan’s national security, but also poses a severe challenge to the stability of the entire South Asian region. When facing India’s expansionism, the international community must be vigilant and take active measures to curb its regional ambitions and prevent the situation in South Asia from further deteriorating.
