Union defence minister Rajnath Singh held a meeting with US Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard on Monday in which he asked the US government to designate ‘Sikhs For Justice’ (SFJ) a terrorist organisation. India-US relations ties came under strain as an Indian citizen and former official of the Research and Analysis Wing was charged by the US under the previous Joe Biden administration for directing a plot to kill SFJ head Gurpatwant Singh Pannun. Here’s what to know about the outfit and what Foreign Terrorist Organisation (FTO) tag on SFJ could mean for its activities. What Is Sikhs For Justice Terrorist Group? The New York-based organisation, founded by US-based attorney Pannun in 2007, advocates for an independent Sikh state called Khalistan to be carved out of India. The SFJ calls itself a human rights advocacy group, with offices in Washington, London and Toronto. Its website states that the outfit was formed “with the express intent of achieving self-determination for the Sikh people in their historic homeland in the region of Indian-held Punjab and establishing a sovereign state, popularly known as Khalistan”. The Indian government banned the SFJ in 2019 under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act for its anti-India activities. The Home Ministry’s 2019 notification that issued the ban says: “In the garb of the so-called referendum for Sikhs, SFJ is actually espousing secessionism and militant ideology in Punjab, while operating from safe havens on foreign soils and actively supported by inimical forces in other countries.” Who is Gurpatwant Singh Pannun? Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, a dual citizen of the US and Canada, works as the general counsel of Sikhs for Justice. He was born in Khankot village on the outskirts of Amritsar and is the son of a former Punjab State Agricultural Marketing Board employee named Mahinder Singh. He graduated from Punjab University in the 1990s and reportedly founded the SFJ in 2007. He was a senior systems analyst at finance firm Merrill Lynch while attending law college in New York from 1997 to 2002, after a master’s in business administration. The pro-Khalistan lawyer has been a key organiser of non-binding referendums that seek a separate Sikh state – held in countries with large Indian diasporas such as Canada, the UK and Australia. Pannun is frequently spotted at pro-Khalistan functions and gatherings in Canada. He is known for his video messages shared on social media, often threatening Indian leaders and the government, mostly pictured in dark formalwear and white-bearded. “Pannun had instigated the protesting Indian farmers to arm themselves and fight the Indian forces and stated that the weapons would reach them from across the border. SFJ has also claimed to have prepared a list of children of police officers and politicians who are studying in foreign countries to take revenge…” the Ministry of Home Affairs submitted to the UAPA tribunal. How SFJ Has Been Threatening National Security SFJ organises various events such as “justice rallies,” “genocide conferences,” and “freedom rallies” to defame India and stir anti-India sentiments within the Sikh diaspora, especially in countries like Canada, the USA, the UK, and Australia. The group operates from the offices of its Legal Adviser, Gurpatwant Singh Pannun (GSP), in New York and California. Additionally, SFJ has been linked to encouraging violence, with GSP inciting Indian farmers to arm themselves and calling for weapons to be smuggled from across the border. The group has also threatened Indian missions worldwide under a ‘Kill India’ campaign and has attempted to disrupt major events, including the Cricket World Cup. SFJ’s actions are supported by several known terrorists who use the Referendum platform to recruit and radicalise Sikh youth into terror activities. The group has also vowed to avenge the deaths of its foreign-based activists, holding the Indian government responsible for the killings. The Union of India also submitted that SFJ has also been inciting Sikh personnel in the army and police forces to desert. SFJ has been colluding with gangsters, terrorists, and other radical elements, including Kashmiri separatists. Besides, SFJ continues to receive support from Pakistan. Of late, SFJ has also been inciting Muslims, Tamils, and Christians from Manipur to secede from India. Currently, around 104 cases have been registered against SFJ activists or sympathizers in India by state or UT police and NIA under various sections of UA(P) Act 1967, IPC, Arms Act 1959, IT Act 2000, and various other applicable laws. How FTO Tag Will Impact SFJ Activities Pannun and SFJ have dozens of cases against him including, three sedition cases in Punjab. But given his foreign citizenship, New Delhi has been unable to impede SFJ’s activities. This is why, the FTO designation by the US could be significant. The FTO status could cripple Pannun’s organisation. It is not only unlawful for a person in the US to provide “material support or resources” to a designated FTO, American financial institutions may be required to block all transactions involving assets held or controlled by an FTO. (with inputs from ANI)