On the May 2, 2025 episode of Gurudwara Miri Piri Live (GMPL), anchors Jaswant Singh Thekedar (JST) and Dharminder Singh Grewal (DSG) pulled back the curtain on a growing menace to the Sikh community: the exploitation of Sikh identity by fake Khalistani elements like Gurpatwant Singh Pannun (GSP) of the so-called “Sikhs for Justice” (SFJ) and his ilk. Their searing critique deserves wider attention because it exposes the hypocrisy and danger of those who claim to champion Sikh causes while actually undermining them.
JST rightly pointed out that, at a time when tensions between India and Pakistan are high, nobody desires a return to violence. Yet Pannun — acting like a modern-day Jai Chand — actively works to destabilize Punjab and the Sikh community for personal gain. His ludicrous claim that Pakistani soil is “pure” because Guru Nanak Dev Ji was born there insults the nine other Gurus who were born in India. How can one side be “paak” and the other “napaak” when the spiritual lineage is one?
Pannun’s antics are not rooted in principle but in profit. JST highlighted the absurdity of Pannun portraying himself as a savior of Punjab while he himself is too scared to even visit the land he claims to represent. He raises a hue and cry over incidents like the death of Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Canada, pressuring foreign leaders like Justin Trudeau to make unfounded accusations against India without providing a shred of evidence. Compare this to the thousands of Sikhs who suffered during the militancy of the 1980s and 1990s—none of whom cried and cowered like Pannun. His cowardice betrays the memory of real martyrs who gave their lives without asking for pity.
Equally damning is JST’s expose of Simranjit Singh Mann (SSM), another self-styled Khalistani leader. Mann, despite his repeated oaths to the Indian Constitution and decades of benefiting from Indian pensions, absurdly claims allegiance to Pakistan. JST reminded viewers that Mann’s past includes the grisly murder of three Amritdhari Sikhs in a Gurdwara — an act of violence against his own faith. Far from being a true leader, Mann is described as a greedy opportunist who exploits young Punjabi boys by selling them fake promises of asylum abroad. Worse, he fuels anti-India sentiment with baseless claims about foreign intelligence operations in Amritsar and promotes communal hatred under the guise of Sikh nationalism.
DSG made an important point about how Khalistani propagandists misguide the youth of Punjab. While they make fiery speeches about “freedom,” it is the young men and women of Punjab who land in jails — abandoned by these so-called leaders who offer no legal or financial help.
Moreover, the charade of Pakistan’s “love” for Sikhs was sharply debunked. JST and DSG called out the farce: Pakistan, while creating Muslim-only Waqf Boards, has never genuinely supported Sikh rights. In fact, history shows that Sikhs invited into Pakistan during Benazir Bhutto’s time were betrayed and killed. Today, Pakistan profits off Sikh religious tourism, spending token amounts on Gurdwara maintenance while siphoning massive sums with no transparency.
Perhaps the most telling exposure was of Pannun’s hypocrisy regarding Dr. B.R. Ambedkar. Pannun urged the demolition of Ambedkar statues in India but didn’t dare lift a finger against the Ambedkar statue in Maryland, USA, just kilometers from his own home. His cowardice is as transparent as his ulterior motives.
The Sikh community must wake up to the reality that fake Khalistanis are not our saviors — they are our exploiters. They play with our emotions, distort our history, and endanger our youth, all while enriching themselves and serving the interests of hostile powers. True Sikh values call for bravery, justice, and truth — not cowardice, deceit, and self-serving propaganda.
It’s time to reject these self-proclaimed messiahs and recommit to the principles of our Gurus: unity, dignity, and loyalty to truth.
