[strdanger334]

> The quirk here is that India and many Hindu nationals disagree that this is all he was doing, and they instead basically brand him as something closer to a terrorist responsible for murders.

It seems you are ignorant of the history behind this issue. The Khalistan movement wanted to stay in India and get special status (like J&K did which was removed later). If these powers were not granted then they wanted to secede. The Union of India happened with a lot of effort. Nearly everyone wanted a special status (and politically there are still fights for special status of different kind but no one threatens to secede). Even J&K special status nearly fractured the ruling party (Congress which is not "Hindu nationalist party" as per today's Western agenda) with many leaders refusing to be part of it. Khalistan had no chance and wasn't granted that exception too. They took to arms and captured the Golden temple.

It was the Congress leader which had ordered an army attack on the Sikh sacred ground - The Golden Temple in Amristar. When the Air India bombing happened, even then Congress was in charge.

The larger point is that West is ignorant of India's concerns. Previously, it was an issue of "botched" investigation and Indian justice and legal system. Now the garb is "Hindu nationalists".

At the end there is always some story about "freedom of expression" as well. It is nothing new.