ISIS-Khurasan on Indian Frontyard

Afghans awoke on last week to a country with absent U.S. forces. The future of the country is uncertain with Taliban's harsh ideology — one that restricts women from education and employment, and metes out swift justice to anyone who breaches the group's harsh interpretation of Islamic law.

ISIS-Khorasan

Rise of ISIS-K

But trust me, Talibans look moderate compared to the new menace in this accursed land of anarchy, the ISIS-K. This menance has reared its ugly backside with a loud fart as the terrorist attack on Kabul airport that took lives for over a dozen US marines, tens of Taliban fighters, and dozens of innocent Afghan citizens. 

Afghanistan has long been a base for radical Islamist movements from Mujaheideens to Taliban. Isis-K was formed by members of Al-Qaeda’s Pakistan branch as well as defectors from the Taliban and the Haqqani network, an ultra radicalgroup. The K refers to Khorasan, an area encompassing NW Pakistan, Afghanistan, central Asia, Southern Iran and parts of India that the group sees as a future caliphate for ISIS. The ISIS-K has been responsible for some of the deadliest attacks of recent years. It has massacred civilians  at mosques, Sikh temples, public squares and even hospitals. The group has especially targeted minority Sikhs, Hindus, and Shia Muslims. Last year, it claimed an attack that shocked the world — gunmen went on a bloody rampage at a maternity ward in a predominantly Shiite neighbourhood of Kabul, killing 16 mothers and mothers-to-be.Their approach is to shock with inhumane barbarism and conquer Afghansistan by intimidating Taliban. 

Sikh Gurdwara Attack by ISIS-K 

In fact, the attack on Sikh Tmple in Kabul last year was led by an ISIS-K radical from Kerala The attacks started in the gurdwara's sanctuary area where 200 worshipers were praying at about 7:45 am interrupting worship that started an hour earlier. The attackers threw grenades and broke into the shrine then started opening fire on people. The gunman was identified as Abu Khalid al-Hindi, an Indian citizen from Padne in the Kasargod district of Kerala state.fterwards, 

Pakistan Next?

What next? After Afghanistan, the Islamc Republic of Pakistan will crumble like a house of cards. It has already established sleeper cells in most parts of Pakistan, including Peshawar, Rawalpindi, and rural areas of Sindh and Punjab provinces of Pakistan. The attack on Maharaja Ranjit Singh's statue by a radical Ilamist in Lahore last week is an indicatio of this radicalism fermenting in Pakistan. After Pakistan, their next target will be Kashmir and India

Islamist attacking Statue of Maharaja in Lahore

Is India ready for thus? 

Indian Army is strong and fully capable of dealing with this menace but it takes more than the soldiers to defeat this kind of menace. The Islamic State or ISIS links have been found in states like Kerala, Karnataka, West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh,  and Kashmir. A UN report on terrorism had in July 2020 warned that there are “significant numbers" of Islamic State (IS) terrorists in Kerala and Karnataka, noting that the al-Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS) terror group is active in the region. 

Terrorist Gunned Down by Indian Forces

To ward of a radical attack of such kind, India needs to bolster its border. Punjab has always been the frontline for  invasion of India for thousands of years. There no doubt that the brave people of ths state will play a key role in thwarting and ISIs push to India. History has shown that India had become a soft target wnenever its border state Punjab was weak. At this moment, India's border state does not seem prepared to take on such a fierce invasion. Lets take a closer look and see if we can learn from history.

Lessons of History

The mighty nad invincible Arynan Kshatriya warriors dominated the region and were a solid force to recon with from Punjab to Afghanistan and beyond. No one could think of attacking India till about the 9th century BC. Then one event changed it all forever ... that event was the epic fratericide where Kshatryas warriors killed their brethren in mass. Yes, I am referring to Mahabharata, the epic battel fought on the eastern front of Punjab. 

East-West Divide of Mahabharata

Analyzing the feudal groupings and their demographic locations, its evident that Mahabharata was a war between two distinct subgroups of Kshatryas (Khatri) related by marriage alliances and located by regional profiles. The "Sauravas" were supported by their cousins and relations from the West - Punjab, Sindh, NW Frontiers, Himachal, and Afghanistan.

• Paurava - Mid Punjab (Now Jhelum district in West Punjab) - Puri clan in Punjab
• Kekaya - West Punjab (Region inear Lahore in West Punjab) - Kakkar clan in Punjab
• Madra - Mid Punjab (Region now known as Majha or the mid Punjab)
• Sindhu - Sindh (Sindhi clans)
• Gandhara - NW Forintier & Afghanistan (Kandhari clan in Punjab)
• Bahlika - Balkh or Bacria in Afghanistan (Behl clan in Punjab)
• Vahika - Now Wahi near Rawalpindi in West Punjab (Wahi clan in Punjab)
• Kamboja - Gujjars from Central Asia (Kamboh clan in Punjab)
• Sauvira - South West Punjab (Seraiki Region) (Sabherwal clan in Punjab)
• Sivia - SW Punjab (Sibia clan in Punjab)
• Aratta - Northern Sindh (Arora clan in Punjab)
• Dradas - Balochistan, Eastern Afghanistan (Dardic clans)
• Mallawa - Multan (Malhotra and Malhi clans in Punjab)
• Avanti - Rajasthan/Madhya Pradesh
• Karnawal - Karnal, Haryana

The Pandavas were supported by their cousins, relations, and friends from Haryana, UP, Gujarat, MP, Bihar, Bengal, and the South.

• Mathura - Southern UP (Vrishni kingdom ruled by Kamsa)
• Panchala - North Gujarat
• Dwaraka - North Gujarat
• Vidarbha - South Gujarat
• Anga - Myanmar (Burma)
• Vanga - Bengal
• Kalinga - Assam
• Magadha - Bihar
• Matsya - Western UP
• Vatsya - Western UP
• Kosala - Eastern UP
• Chedi - South
• Telinga - Andhra

Loss of Kshatriya Power

Thousands of warriors from both groups were slain in ths feudal war between cousins but the impact was devastating on the losing side. Loss of able bodied warriors and leadership created a vaccum at Indias's border state and made it vulnerable to attacks. 

The first to invasion was conducted around 535 BCE by Cyrus the Great, who founded the Achaemenid Empire. Cyrus annexed the regions west of the Indus River, which formed the eastern border of his empire. His son, Darius the Great further expanded the extent of the empire. Around 518 BCE Darius crossed the Himalayas into India to initiate a second period of conquest by annexing regions up to the Jhelum River in Punjab. Indian mythology refers to the pesian conqust as the killing of Kshatriyas by Parshurama, or the king of Persia.

Loss of Kshatriya Warriors

The Persian annihlation of Kshatriya warriors of Afghanistan and Pujab made tis region atractive to attack by Alexander the Great of Macedonia. Weaker Kshatriyas border states of Afghanistan and NW Frontier caved in submission to the greek invader. It took sheer guts of King Porus, the ruler of Mid-Punjab or Majha region from illustriouus Paurava dynasty to put a brake to the Greek juggernaut. Chandragupta Maurya from Taxila in NW Frontier, then reinforced the border under the able guidance of Chanakya and plugged that hole. His grandson Ashoka, and later Chandragupta Vikramaditya further bolstered the Indian border state and even expanded Indian territories.

Porus attacks Alexander

Rise of Rajputs in Punjab

The Kshatriya power was diminisheing in Punjab and NW India but a new worrior clan emerged in the form of Gurjara Pratiharas, meaning the border watchmen from Gurjara clans later recognized as te Rajputs. The Rajputs were fierce fighters and soon established kingdoms from NW Frontier to Punjab, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Delhi, and beyond. But just like their predecesors, rajputs were also prone to feudal jealousy and animosity. Raja Jayapala of Janjua Rajput dynasty has established a strong border state that ranged from Kabul to Lahore. His overconfidence and lack of support from other Rajput kingdoms, surrendered this border region to the Turkish invader Sabuktagin from Afghanistan. This led to chain of invasions by marauding plunderers from Afghanistan, energized by the religious zeal to conquer India. The defeat of Prithviraj Chauhan and Rana Sanga ended the Rajput rule of Punjab and it became a soft target by a series of Afghan, Turk, Moghul, and Iranian invaders. Punjab was forced into submission for over 500 years.

Invasion of India

The Rise of Sikh Power

The Sikhs under the leadership of Maharaja Ranjit Singh reenforced the border and Punjab became a powerhouse once again. Hari Singh Nalwa's conquest of NW Frontier and sumission of Kabul disabled the ability of Afghans to invade forever. 

Hari Singh Nalwa in NW Frontiers

The Sikh empire fell to the British as the rest of India joined East India Company to dfeat the Sikhs in Anglo-Sikh wars. Again the foreign invaders broke Punjab's strength with the help of fellow Indians.

Poorbia Soldiers of East India Company against the Sikhs

Post-independence India

When British left India, Punjab and Kashmir was once again vulnerable. Muslim League separatists used Pathan tribesmen to target Sikhs in Punjab. Rest of India again watched the genocide and refused to help Punjabis. It was sheer guts of Punjabis, specially the Sikhs that East Punjab, Jammu, and Kashmir was saved. 

Post-independence India saw a stron Punjab that grew economically with green revolution and industrial growth. This strong Punjab defeated Pakistan in its sinister plans during the 1965 and later 1971 war.

Sikh Soldiers defending Srinagar in 1974

Self-inflicting Wounds

And then, Indian leadership and administration in Delhi turned against Punjab. The sectarian violence in 1980s was engineered through agencies and resulted in massive show of military strength against its own and its most patriotic community. Operation Bluestar was a political and military blunder that weaked India's Sword Arm for decades. Economic decline, mass migration to the West, and unemplyment led the youth to turn to alcohol and drug addiction. The youth lost the patriotic fervor and recruitment of Sikhs in Indian Army fell to alarming low rate. 

Indian Army in Golden Temple Complex

The New Hope

Hope was arisen with BJP rule in Delhi, first with Vajpayee and then Modi government. We hoped Punjb will again become prosperous and reestablish itself as the sword arm of India. Deliberate underplaying of Sikh regiments role in Kargil war discouraged Sikh youths. The Delhi administration is still on the same path as the 80's Indira regime in targeting Sikh institutions, embolding the breakaway cults such as Dera Sacha Sauda, works against the mainstream Sikh philosophy. 

Most recently, the three farm bills are seen by the Punjab farmers as another weapon by Delhi adminstration against them. Even the farmers of Haryana, Rajasthan, and Western UP have jined their brethren from Punjab against these laws. These four states are the nursery of Indian armed forces. Denigrating the farmers from these states as Khalistanis is poor judgement on the part of politicians. Thus is not time to weaken these farmers but to listen to their griebvences and strengthen them. 

Perceived Example of Anti-Sikh Bias of Indian Media

Jai Jawan- Jai Kissan

Very soon, we may need them against the ruthless menance of ISIS-K Its time for indian leaders to appreciate the contributions of farmers, and Sikhs in particular. I hope common sense prevails and we can all join together in harmony to yell Jai Jawn, Jai Kissan .. so people across the border can hear it loud and clear.

Sikh Soldiers in Gurdaspur Border