Editing Khalistan movement (section)

=== Sikhistan, 1944–1946 ===
Sikhistan was a proposal taken up by Master Tara Singh for an "independent Sikh nation" in the 1940s.<ref name=":6" /> In 1940, V. S. Bhatti proposed the creation of a Sikh nation called 'Sikhistan' to be led by the [[Maharaja of Patiala]]. He envisioned a "Khalistan" where the Maharaja would be aided by a cabinet comprising representatives from various federating units.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Shani |first=Giorgio |url=https://www.taylorfrancis.com/books/mono/10.4324/9780203937211/sikh-nationalism-identity-global-age-giorgio-shani |title=Sikh Nationalism and Identity in a Global Age |year=2007 |isbn=9781134101894 |doi=10.4324/9780203937211 |access-date=15 October 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221014214039/https://www.taylorfrancis.com/books/mono/10.4324/9780203937211/sikh-nationalism-identity-global-age-giorgio-shani |archive-date=14 October 2022 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Shani |first=Giorgio |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ckd8AgAAQBAJ&dq=The+Khalistan+proposed+by+Bhatti+was+meant+to+include+three+main+areas%3A+the+central+districts+of+Punjab+province+then+directly+administered+by+the+British%2C+including+Ludhiana%2C+Jullunder%2C+Ambala%2C+Ferozpur%2C+Amritsar+and+Lahore%3B+the+%27princely+states%27+of+the+Cis-Sutlej%2C+including+Patiala%2C+Nabha%2C+Faridkot+and+Malerkolta%3A+and+the+Shimla+Group%27+of+states.+Khalistan+was+imagined+as+a+theocratic+state%2C+a+mirror-image+of+%2AMuslim%27+Pakistan%2C+led+by+the+Maharaja+of+Patiala+with+the+aid+of+a+cabinet+consisting+of+representative+federating+units+%28Riar+1996%3A+233%29+The+Khalistan+demand+proposed+by+Bhatti+appealed+to+those+Sikhs+outside+of+the+Sikh+%27political+system%27%2C&pg=PT70 |title=Sikh Nationalism and Identity in a Global Age |date=2007-12-06 |publisher=Routledge |isbn=978-1-134-10188-7 |language=en |access-date=21 October 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221118065625/https://books.google.com/books?id=ckd8AgAAQBAJ&dq=The+Khalistan+proposed+by+Bhatti+was+meant+to+include+three+main+areas%3A+the+central+districts+of+Punjab+province+then+directly+administered+by+the+British%2C+including+Ludhiana%2C+Jullunder%2C+Ambala%2C+Ferozpur%2C+Amritsar+and+Lahore%3B+the+%27princely+states%27+of+the+Cis-Sutlej%2C+including+Patiala%2C+Nabha%2C+Faridkot+and+Malerkolta%3A+and+the+Shimla+Group%27+of+states.+Khalistan+was+imagined+as+a+theocratic+state%2C+a+mirror-image+of+%2AMuslim%27+Pakistan%2C+led+by+the+Maharaja+of+Patiala+with+the+aid+of+a+cabinet+consisting+of+representative+federating+units+%28Riar+1996%3A+233%29+The+Khalistan+demand+proposed+by+Bhatti+appealed+to+those+Sikhs+outside+of+the+Sikh+%27political+system%27%2C&pg=PT70 |archive-date=18 November 2022 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Archives |first=The National |title=The National Archives - Homepage |url=https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/education/resources/indian-independence/liberator/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221014224123/https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/education/resources/indian-independence/liberator/ |archive-date=14 October 2022 |access-date=2022-10-14 |website=The National Archives |language=en-GB}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Pathak |first=Ritika |date=2020-12-12 |title=Khalistan movement: Origin and the two different narratives |url=https://www.newshour.press/blogs/khalistan-movement-origin-and-the-two-different-narratives/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221014225743/https://www.newshour.press/blogs/khalistan-movement-origin-and-the-two-different-narratives/ |archive-date=14 October 2022 |access-date=2022-10-14 |website=Newshour Press |language=en-US}}</ref> These units included the central districts of Punjab province directly administered by the British at that time, including [[Ludhiana]], [[Jalandhar]], [[Ambala]], [[Firozpur]], [[Amritsar]], and [[Lahore]]. It also encompassed the princely states of the [[Cis-Sutlej states|Cis-Sutlej]] region, including Patiala, [[Nabha State|Nabha]], [[Faridkot State|Faridkot]], and [[Malerkotla State|Malerkotla]], as well as the states in the 'Shimla Group'.

Sikhistan was further proposed in mid-1944 at the All-Parties Sikh Conference in Amritsar in-response to the [[C. R. formula]], which the Sikhs of the Akali Dal felt betrayed by as the proposal would divide the Sikh population at the time into two halves.<ref name=":7" /> Sikhistan differed from the Azad Punjab scheme that the Akali Dal had previously supported in 1943, as while Sikhistan demanded a separate Sikh state and was marked by a "Sikh complexion", Azad Punjab was on the other hand was a call for a more demographically religiously-balanced Punjab (albeit to still give Sikhs an upper-hand politically).<ref name=":7" /> However, Sikhistan did not feature in the election of campaign of the Akali Dal in 1946.<ref name=":7" /> On 22 March 1946, the Akali Dal pressed the demand for Sikhistan to the Cabinet Mission.<ref name=":7" /> Another name used for the proposed Sikh country was Khalistan.<ref name=":7" /> 

Sikhistan was envisioned to be a Sikh federation, where regions in central and eastern Punjab with large amounts of Sikhs, alongside territory held by the Sikh-ruled princely states of Patiala, Nabha, Jind, Faridkot, Kalsia, and Kapurthala, would form a country.<ref name=":7" /> According to Giani Kartar Singh, Sikhistan would comprise the entirety of Lahore, Karnal, Simla, Montgomery, and Lyallpur districts.<ref name=":7" /> Meanwhile, Baldev Singh envisioned Sikhistan as comprising Ambala, Jullunder, and Lahore divisions.<ref name=":7" /> Master Tara Singh vaguely mentioned that a future Sikhistan would reserve the right to federate with either Pakistan or India.<ref name=":7" /> According to Tan Tai Yong, the demand for Sikhistan was a sign of the desperation of the Sikh leaders, who wanted to communicate to the British their fears of being under a "Muslim Raj" and their hope for representation in post-colonial Punjab.<ref name=":7" /> Therefore, the Sikhs copied the Muslim League in their demand for Pakistan by making a demand for Sikhistan in-order to achieve their aims for future political representation and power, although the Sikh leaders knew the demand for Sikhistan would not be taken seriously.<ref name=":7" /> The Cabinet Mission dismissed the Sikhistan demand as unrealistic and impossible.<ref name=":7" />