Brampton shooting latest in Canadian epidemic of Indian State anti-Sikh terrorism

Another attempt on the life of a Sikh activist has been made, as shots were fired into the house of “a close associate of Gurpatwant Singh Pannun”, the Sikhs For Justice lead who was targeted himself in a plot the FBI foiled last year.

The attack on Inderjeet Singh Gosal in Brampton (Ontario) occurred after midnight on 12th February, days after a Sikhs For Justice Indian Consulate protest was announced on 17th February. Within hours of the attack, before any Sikh groups, media or even Canadian authorities had posted information on it, an Indian nationalist account posted about it in a celebratory fashion, claiming Pannun’s “Bodyguard” was “sh0t dead”.

Similar to other incidents, the fact Indian nationalist accounts are first to post information on shootings in Canada indicates a direct connection between the Hindutva (Hindu extremist) movement and the acts.

The Sikhs For Justice (SFJ) group released a statement from General Counsel Gurpatwant Singh Pannun about the incident on social media.

The house targeted is under construction and visited daily by owner Inderjit Singh. It is believed the attackers thought Singh was inside when the attack was carried out.

“No amount of threats and violence can stop me from advocating for the liberation of Punjab from Indian occupation. I have been heading Khalistan freedom rallies in front of the Indian consulate and I have been targeted for the same very reason that Nijjar was assassinated by Indian agents, ie our campaigning for the Khalistan referendum,” Gosal said in a statement, whilst also saying the shooting was carried out by “orchestrated by the Indian Spy Network…by Indian High Commissioner Sanjay Verma”.

This latest attack comes just weeks after Sikh activist Simranjeet Singh of Surrey (British Columbia) was shot at after playing a key role in organizing a protest outside India’s High Commission in Vancouver. Two 16-year-olds have been arrested for the shooting. They are believed to have been paid to do so based on underworld/dark web contracts put on the heads of Sikh activists by the Indian State.

The teens have both been released pending further investigation for now.

Speaking to Sikh PA, an anonymous source with knowledge of the Canadian underworld and Sikh activism said of the ongoing issue:

“India has decided the best way to pretend they are uninvolved in these targeted shootings is to let them continue, even after they have been caught in the act.

“The open secret of India having nationalist criminal goons targeting Sikh activists is well known. It has happened in Australia and is happening in Canada too, and will happen elsewhere. India’s celebrated nationalist gangster Lawrence Bishnoi has given these criminals licence to attack ‘Khalistanis’ and be praised for it.

“The fact Indian nationalist social media accounts are continuing to not only leak info on but outright celebrate these attacks shows that the criminal network of this agenda is vast, and they cannot seem to help but want to brag about their involvement. This is partly a scare tactic but also just ego too.”

India’s transnational repression is to be examined by an inquiry on foreign interference in Canada, with it recently being announced Canadian authorities have accepted “intervener status” of leading Canadian Sikh leadership groups the World Sikh Organization, BC Gurdwaras Council and Ontario Gurdwaras Committee.

Many Sikhs will hope the inquiry will lead to action around the demands set by these organizations after the assassination of Shaheed (martyr) Bhai Hardeep Singh Nijjar last year. The ongoing US case around Nikhil Gupta, the Indian nationalist criminal terrorist, will likely also ensure the topic of India’s transnational repression remains a major geopolitical focus. The known trafficker is awaiting extradition from Czech Republic to the USA in what is set to be a groundbreaking case.

Meanwhile UK Sikhs are still pushing for Rishi Sunak’s UK Government to acknowledge concerns around the suspected poisoning of Shaheed (martyr) Bhai Avtar Singh Khanda, who passed in June shortly after Indian military figure Gaurav Arya said he would soon be “eliminated”.

Whilst the overseas targeting of Sikhs For Justice activists continues, so does targeting in India itself. A campaigner for the group has been denied bail in India last week and remains imprisoned using the notorious much criticised Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) law, which is known to be used to silence government critics.

Whilst the Indian State claim he is a terrorist who planned on murders, the Sikhs For Justice team say he was targeted for simply putting up banners in Amritsar.

Indian authorities have previously created Khalistan “deradicalisation cells” where those suspected of harbouring support for Sikh sovereignty could be kept, even if they had not committed any crime, as one officer admitted.

Furthermore, three Sikh men were given life in prison for literature they kept, with even a presiding judge admitting the sentencing was the “first of its kind”. Central to India’s anti-Sikh effort is the idea of Khalistan, with SFJ targeted for running a non-binding global democratic referendum to gauge diaspora support for it. The campaign is currently in the USA, next taking place for the second time this year in California (31st March Sacramento). It has previously seen over 400,000 Sikhs take part in events in Italy, the UK, Australia and Canada.