The Shameful Smear Campaign Against Sukhi Chahal — A Distorted Attack on a Sikh Pillar

The passing of Sukhi Chahal — a prominent, respected Sikh activist and bridge-builder — should have been a moment of reflection for the community, a time to honor a legacy defined by unity, social service, and fearless truth-telling. Instead, his death has become a pretext for a disturbing, organized campaign of misinformation, led by Khalistan extremist groups determined to tarnish his reputation simply because he opposed their divisive agenda.

Sukhi Chahal: A Legacy of Service and Courage

Chahal, born in Punjab and settled in the USA since 1992, wasn’t just another NRI success story or yet another face in the Sikh diaspora. He was a man who embodied the spirit of “Chardi Kala” — relentless optimism and fearless honesty. Founder and chairman of The Khalsa Today and the Punjab Foundation, Chahal dedicated himself to uplifting underprivileged children, fostering Hindu-Sikh-Jewish ties, and advocating for pluralism in the face of growing extremism. He was equally forthright in denouncing the violence, intimidation, and divisiveness of Khalistan advocacy — not out of allegiance to governments, but from his conviction that Sikhism stands for peace, not separatism or hate.

The Misinformation Machinery

No sooner had news broken of his sudden heart attack, than social media — especially X (formerly Twitter) — was awash with posts branding Chahal an “Indian agent”. The intent was clear: to delegitimize his activism, paint him as a traitor to the Sikh community, and send a chilling message to every Sikh who dares speak against Khalistani extremism. This follows a well-worn script seen repeatedly whenever anti-Khalistan Sikhs — be they activists, journalists, or common citizens — attempt to counter separatist narratives: question their loyalty, call them spies, and target their families.

These attacks are not accidental. Khalistani groups, both on the ground and operating internationally through social media, routinely weaponize misinformation to silence dissent. Trained in using digital propaganda, they distort facts, spread doctored content, and mobilize echo chambers to amplify slander — all in the name of their “cause”. The goal is not honest debate, but fear: making it so costly to publicly oppose them that most remain silent.

Why This Should Concern Every Sikh

There is a tragic irony in Khalistani extremists attacking Chahal — a devout Sikh and champion for the global community — in the same language often used against Sikhs by hostile forces. By smearing those like Chahal, these extremists reveal the emptiness of their rhetoric about justice or Sikh pride. Their intolerance of dissent is profoundly un-Sikh: Sikh teachings prize dialogue, pluralism, and moral courage, not internet lynch mobs.

Chahal understood that the true battle is not just about territory, but about the soul of Sikhism itself. His tireless activism sought to reclaim the Sikh narrative from those who would hijack it for power, profit, or foreign mischief. He stood openly against not just Khalistani groups, but also their enablers within the diaspora and their toxic misinformation campaigns.

A Community’s Test

Sukhi Chahal’s passing should be a moment for introspection. If we allow vested interests to slander a respected man the day after his death, we normalize moral bankruptcy. The Sikh community, and all those who cherish its values, must not remain silent or complicit bystanders. Instead, let us stand up, as Chahal did, for truth over fear, unity over sectarianism, and the Sikh code of justice (“sach di sirte taqdeer”) over mob rule.

In honoring Sukhi Chahal, we defend the dignity not just of one man, but of the Sikh tradition itself. The divisive poison of hate-filled misinformation has no place in our community, nor should we tolerate those who spread it — in life or in death.