strdanger334
The wiki page you quoted for Operation Bluestar. Read the background portion of the page: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Blue_Star#Background
The party which made the separatist demand is called Shiromani Akali Dal: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shiromani_Akali_Dal
The party shifted to a moderate agenda in the 90s. Funnily enough, this party has been working with Modi's Hindutva party or BJP.
In comparison, J&K demands were raised by a party called National Conference. This party has never shifted its agenda and continued with demand for sometimes separatism and sometimes special status for J&K.
Politics runs on supporting specific agendas. J&K agenda is still supported. No one denies that. You will not find any Indian sources claiming that. While there is no popular party supporting the Khalistani agenda. So, Indian sources claim that.
While there are parties in Canada supporting and pushing this. So, you'd surely find facts in the international media saying there is support.
At least that is how things are perceived in India. Racist or not. That is the line which is being toed by Modi.
Consider this - If this whole situation was such a perceived issue, India wouldn't have taken this strong stance. If these online angry people were the majority - India wouldn't have taken this stance.
As for the whole Modi's Hindutva agenda, no one seems to ask a basic question - Why does his populist movement which apparently is so hated online, I mean even Trump's right wing agenda isn't hated as much, is so successful? He won the elections. Twice. Not even Trump's right wingers could do that. Why do the majority still side with him?
There is no introspection at all.
>I made an assumption and it might be flawed. I would love to find some concrete data.
These two together don't compute. You obviously have a tilt that anything coming out of India is "biased source" while international one is unbiased somehow. So, why even pretend that you want some concrete data.
And that basically is the issue. Indian evidence, data and proofs are treated with suspicion. While Western data is somehow clean. If this is not a classist mindset I don't know what is.
You really need to read up on Indian laws and history. In absentia conviction isn't a thing in Indian law.
It is part of a recent proposed change: https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/explained-law/ch....
But this is just smoke and mirrors. People in the West don't care for Indian legal system. Because "freedom of expression", "Hindu nationalists" and what not. So, this isn't going to help anyways.
It seems you are ignorant of the history behind this issue. This whole thing started it had nothing to do with "Hindu nationalists". It was the opposition party - Congress - which had ordered an army attack on the Sikh sacred ground - The Golden Temple in Amristar. When the Air India bombing happened, even then Congress was in charge.
The larger point is that West is ignorant of India's concerns. Previously, it was an issue of "botched" investigation and Indian justice and legal system. Now the garb is "Hindu nationalists".
At the end there is always some story about "freedom of expression" as well. It is nothing new.