‘Khalistan A Religious Term': Decoding UK Body's Nod To Separatist Signage At Gurdwara
The UK charity regulator's clean chit to the display of 'Khalistan' boards at a prominent gurdwara in southeast England is being seen as biased and inconsistent, said intelligence sources.
Disregarding security intelligence from India concerning Khalistani radicalisation, the Charity Commission on Thursday said that while its wider probe into Gurdwara Sri Guru Singh Sabha in Slough remains ongoing, the specific issue of the Khalistan signage does not amount to a breach of its political campaigning guidelines.
Based on a 2019 complaint and as as part of governance concerns, the independent watchdog was asked to review the 'complex and sensitive" issue of Khalistan banners or plaques being displayed at the gurdwara. Five years after the issue was flagged, the UK's commission has decided that the boards can stay, noting that the word 'Khalistan" has an important religious meaning, while it is a political term for some. The panel concluded that the charity was acting within its religious objectives, as the Khalistan boards did not promote material calling for a political state.
Sources said the ruling overlooks global precedents on political extremism.
How have other countries handled such cases?
Europe and the USA have firmly handled similar or less significant cases of Islamist or pro-Palestinian activism. In Berlin and other cities, police prohibited multiple pro-Palestinian marches in 2023, citing fears of inciting violence. The French Interior Ministry suspended all pro-Palestinian protests nationwide in October 2023, citing public order concerns
Nearly 100 activists were arrested in 2024 for targeting companies linked to Israel, including 55 in London alone.
Police in Amsterdam arrested over 210 protesters from a pro-Palestinian university occupation, citing property damage and public safety. Around 17 pro-Palestinian students were arrested for occupying administrative offices.
At the University of Texas at Austin, 79 protesters were arrested for a sit-in demanding a Gaza ceasefire.
Spanish authorities blocked pro-Palestinian demonstrations in sensitive areas, citing risks of extremist infiltration. Belgian police disrupted Islamist-linked rallies based on intelligence inputs during festival times
Italian municipalities restricted public Islamic gatherings due to foreign funding concerns
Canadian police charged individuals for waving ISIS flags or displaying extremist Islamist symbols in public rallies but ignored Khalistanis. The German government ordered a raid and shutdown of the Islamic Centre in Hamburg known as the Blue Mosque in February 2025, accusing it of promoting Iranian-influenced Islamism
A town council in Spain passed an ordinance in August 2025 banning Muslim rituals like Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha from public facilities, allowing celebrations only when organized by local authorities
Germany banned Arabic slogans at pro-Palestinian protests in February 2025.
With Agency Inputs
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Manoj Gupta
Group Editor, Investigations & Security Affairs, Network18
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