LONDON - Hundreds and thousands of Sikhs and their supporters gathered in London’s Trafalgar Square on Sunday to demand a referendum on an independent homeland to be carved out of India.

They brandished banners reading “Free Punjab, End Indian occupation”, “Punjab Referendum 2020 for Khalistan” and “We will re-establish Punjab as an independent country”.

The protest was organised by the US and Canada-based group Sikhs for Justice, and drew people from all over the world, many of them chanting “Khalistan”.

The Indian government has expressed concern to London over the activity of expatriate Sikh separatists, who want to create a homeland of Khalistan in India’s northern Punjab state.

The Foreign Office confirmed it discussed the rally with the Indian High Commission, but a spokeswoman told AFP: “Peaceful protest is a vital part of a democratic society.”

Gurpatwant S. Pannun, legal adviser to Sikhs for Justice, said: “This is a peaceful, democratic campaign to give Sikhs the right to determine their own future.”

Jas Singh, 26, a demonstrator from London, told AFP: “In India, anybody who speaks for a referendum gets picked up and put in jail.”

There was a small counter-demonstration of about a dozen people singing and holding up signs saying: “We stand for one united India.”

The pro-Khalistani supporters shouted slogans such as ‘Khalistan Zindabad’ and waved anti-India placards.

Pakistani-origin House of Lords peer Lord Nazir Ahmed was among the key speakers for the Sikh group.

Scotland Yard, which had confirmed that an “appropriate and proportionate policing plan” will be in place for the demonstrations at Trafalgar Square, maintained a watchful eye over the proceedings, which remained largely peaceful with no face-offs being allowed to get out of control by vigilant police officers.

A UK government spokesperson had earlier allowed the rally to go ahead, saying that “in the UK people have the right to gather together and to demonstrate their views, provided that they do so within the law”.

The Indian Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) had issued a statement expressing its disappointment at the stance. “We have said that it seeks to propagate violence, secessionism and hatred and we expect them to take into account the larger perspective of the relationship when they take a decision on such matters,” MEA spokesperson Raveesh Kumar had said.

Sikhs for Justice (SFJ) said its rally is intended to raise awareness for a non-binding referendum in 2020, calling for the Sikh-majority state of Punjab to be granted independence.

Organisers believed the high turnout would put pressure on the United Nations to ask India to hold a plebiscite.

Gurpatwant Singh Pannu, legal adviser of the Sikhs for Justice, announced the adoption to three resolutions on the occasion.

In first resolution it is said that a non-governmental referendum will be held in November 2020 in all countries of the world, in Punjab and in all cities of India where Sikhs were subjected to genocide in 1984.

In second resolution it is said that the United Nations and the International Law recognises that if peoples have district identity, territory and religion – then these elements help peoples to claim their separate state, therefore after non-government referendum in November 2020 the claim of independent Khalsa raj (Sikh state) will be presented to the United Nations.

In third resolution it is said that after presenting the claim of Sikh state to the United Nations the movement of separate Sikh state a mass movement for establishment of such state will be initiated. In this resolution, the organisers called upon the gathering to show their commitment to the cause of Khalistan and then they themselves vowed to carry on their move for Khalistan.