TL;DR — Political messaging trucks and these images specifically are abhorrent, but the overall issue of a separate Khalistan nation is complicated. Most people on either “side” probably have a nominal opinion on the issue, but want to be left out and live life.

The images here are over the top, but the history of the Khalistan movement are a very complicated part of past and modern Indian history, with both sides having extreme wings (albeit the Hindutva wing has far more people, outside of Punjab). I was in DC wanting to see the White House with my SO (both Indian Americans) and suddenly stumbled onto a massive clash between Hindutva folks and Khalistan supporters right in front, at the perfect spot to view the WH. I think some Indian dignitary was visiting. The HNs were trying to rope us in and hand us flags (which we declined), and the Khalistanis were yelling at us assuming we were with the HNs. I assume the non-Indians thought we were with the HNs too… Violence almost broke out a few times, and getting unwittingly caught in the crossfire, we noped TF out of there. We just wanted to see the damn White House and couldn’t!