who coined the word khalistan referring to an independent sikh state in 1947
Khalistan movement In late 1930s and 1940s the Sikh leaders realized that Muslim Pakistan and a Hindu India are imminent. Sikh leaders started mobilizing meta-commentaries and signs to argue that Punjab belonged to Sikhs and Sikhs belong to Punjab. This began the territorialization of the Sikh community.[15] The term Khalistan was coined by the Sikh leader Dr. Vir Singh Bhatti in March 1940.[19] He made the case for a Sikh country in the pamphlet Khalistan, published as a response to the Muslim League's Lahore Resolution. The Muslim League demanded a separate country for Muslims via the Lahore Resolution. His idea was based on the presumption that Pakistan, containing Sikh-inhabited territories, would be formed as an Islamic theocratic state one day, and it would be hostile to Sikhism. A section of Sikh leaders grew concerned that their community would be left without any homeland following the partition of India between the Hindus and the Muslims. They put forward the idea of Khalistan, envisaging it as a theocratic state covering a small part of the greater Punjab region. The country which he proposed would include parts of present-day Indian Punjab, Pakistani Punjab (including Lahore), and the Simla Hill States.[20] It was imagined as a theocratic state led by the Maharaja of Patiala with the aid of a cabinet consisting of the representatives of other units.[19]