International political rifts are making a mark in Melbourne as tensions between Victoria's Sikh and Hindu communities escalate.
abc.net.au/news/sikh-hindu-khalistan-tensions-religious-leaders-call-for-unity/101910030Tensions that have been bubbling for weeks between parts of Melbourne's Sikh and Hindu communities culminated in a brawl in the city's CBD at the weekend.Australia has become a staging point in a campaign for an independent Sikh state in India's Punjab region
Tensions have escalated over a movement that seeks to create a homeland for Sikhs in northern India's Punjab region. Members of the Sikh community lined up in Melbourne's Federation Square to cast their votes on Sunday.US-based group Sikhs for Justice formed in 2007 in an effort to campaign for an independent Sikh nation called Khalistan, following decades of unrest in India.Many in the Sikh community say tensions date back to 1947 when Punjab was split between India and Pakistan.
"The Sikhs have been expelled, we have been forced to leave Punjab and areas of India due to persecution, genocide and extrajudicial killings of Sikhs." Mr Sandhu said people from across Australia had come to the city to take part in the unofficial vote, adding to a total tally of over 700,000 votes claimed by the organisation.
"The potential for this was something that we had repeatedly raised with the Australian authorities." Melbourne's Hindu community was left reeling in the weeks prior to Sunday's vote, with three temples around the city vandalised with pro-Khalistan graffiti.
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