A west coast based Hindu community organization sent a letter to Conservative Party Canada (CPC) this week to complain about Sikh MPs visiting a Mandir, calling them “opposing ideological persons”.

The letter from the popular Lakshmi Narayan Mandir (Hindu temple) based in Surrey (BC), signed by Mandir president and community figure Satish Kumar, was sent to Pierre Poilievre and leaked to Sikh journalist Gurpreet Singh Sahota. It stated the attendance of Sikh MPs to a community event “disheartened” the Mandir representatives.

The letter referenced a visit by Jasraj Hallan, Edmonton MP and Shadow Minister for Standing Committee on Finance, Harjot Gill (MP candidate for Surrey), Jessy Sahota (MP candidate for Delta), and even CPC Deputy Leader Tim Uppal (MP for Edmonton Mill Woods). It claimed that the Sikh reps of the CPC would not be able to relate to issues of “Hinduphobia” and that their presence showed “a lack of cultural sensitivity” from CPC.

It went on to request the attendance of Jewish Thornhill MP Melissa Lantsman and Shuvaloy Majumdar, MP of Calgary Heritage, suggesting they would be better placed to address “daily challenges Canadian Hindus face”. Many Sikhs view Majumdar as a political figure who parrots Indian nationalist rhetoric around Sikhs and critics of India’s current regime under Narendra Modi’s BJP Party.

The letter underlines growing concerns of anti-Sikh hatred in Canada, which comes not just from white supremacist groups but also Hindutva (Hindu extremist) followers. However, the next day, in what Baaz News described as a “panic” due to the leak, the Mandir released another letter to “apologize” and claim there was no “malicious intent” behind it.

Speaking on the leaked letter, Sikh Press Association Senior Press Officer said:

“The suggestion by a Hindu leader that Sikh CPC reps are not welcome to discuss relevant issues with the Hindu community is an incredibly provocative and revealing statement. Within Indian nationalist and Hindutva philosophy, there is an idea that Sikhi is part of the Hindu faith, and the communities are one-and-the-same. Despite the fact the massive majority of Sikh groups reject this and view it as an attempt to coopt the Sikh faith, it is an idea which many Hindu groups continue to push. It is also used to attack the Khalistan (free Sikh homeland) movement, by suggesting those who support it are not separate from this imagined Sikh-Hindu unity.

“So for this Surrey Mandir led by Satish Kumar to seemingly attempt to pressure CPC into not sending its Sikh reps to their Mandir, this can really only be seen as means to attack and sideline the growing presence of CPC Sikhs.

“This will also prompt further concerns about a long-running connection between Indian nationalists and the CPC, which is currently being pushed by Hindu extremist figures like Major Gaurav Arya, who suggests the party must be supported to allow India to target Khalistanis and Sikh critics of India.”

The CPC’s link to Indian State interference is continually being raised by various Canadian political commentators, including through a recent report by Press Progress.

Calling Sikhs political reps in Canada (and the UK and beyond) “Khalistanis” as a pejorative to deter them from speaking out about India’s human rights abuses is a long used tactic of supporters of the Hindutva Indian nationalist agenda.

A national election is set to take place in Canada by the end of 2025, with campaigning for it heating up every week.

UPDATE:

Perpetrator gets deported.

UPDATE:

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Western Australia police have confirmed they are looking into a shocking incident of beadbi (anti-Sikh religious sacrilege) in Perth (Western Australia) which has caused global outrage.

The incident was filmed by the perpetrator, with the video finding its way into Sikh circles via tik-tok and whatsapp last week. It depicted a man burning GurBani (Guru’s Word: Sikh scripture) and carrying out other incredibly disrespectful acts on a Gutka Sahib (small composition of GurBani) outside and inside a Gurdwara, which Sikh PA will not detail.

GurBani is sacred to Sikhs, with any written form of it expected to be treated with the utmost respect, whilst GurBani is also forbidden from being used decoratively (whether on decoratively material or as a tattoo or other), to preserve its sanctity. Guru Granth Sahib Ji, the full composition of GurBani, is considered the Sikh scriptural Guru and to be treated with very specific regal protocol.

The act of hatred clearly attempting to enflame and provoke Sikh communities has prompted global outrage and immediate reactions from both Australian Sikh groups and local authorities. According to on-the-ground sources speaking with Sikh PA, thus far, investigations coordinated between Australian sevadaars (selfless servants) and Western Australia Police have revealed:

• The Gurdwara in the video is Gurudwara Sahib Canning Vale (Perth)
• The video’s release came a long while after (at least weeks) it was recorded
• The original video also included parts recorded in India
• A name tagged in the video is believed to be a reference to an Australian Sikh activist, in an attempt to antagonise them
• It is believed (but unconfirmed) the video was posted online in Germany

Australian Sikhs have been the target of an aggressive anti-Sikh Hindu extremist-Indian nationalist campaign in recent years, due to widespread Sikh criticism of India’s current far-right regime under Narendra Modi and previous anti-Sikh incidents, such as India’s 1984 #SikhGenocide. Hindu and Indian nationalist groups have reacted aggressively online and in real life towards Australian Sikhs raising these human rights abuses of India.

Last year Australian Sikh orgs released a joined statement about this issue, following propaganda attempting to malign Sikhs, even going so far as to begin a petition to have Sikhs “deported” and Sikh practices “banned” in Australia. In 2022, one volunteer of Turbans 4 Australia was brutally attacked by Hindu extremists for being involved with the org which is critical of India, where Sikhs are just 2% of the population

The incidents continue dating back, with the most infamous arguably being the case of Vishal Jood, who was deported from Australia in 2021 for leading a Hindu extremist gang targeting Sikhs. Jood received a heroes welcome back in India. Similar issues are apparent in Canada, the USA and Australia. Many other incidents underlining Australia’s anti-Sikh Hindu extremist issue have surfaced, including the arrest of two Hindu men found to be carrying knives near a Sikh space, with police citing they had ““intent to commit indictable offence”.

Ongoing meetings are happening across Australia as efforts to counter anti-Sikh hate in the country continue, seeking urgent action, with support from Australia’s Green Party, led by respected MP David Shoebridge who has long been engaged with the community. Shoebridge released a public letter sent to the Western Australia Police Commissioner to urge the incident “be treated as a serious targeted criminal act”. Local Sikh councillour Jagdip Singh also said “The community must respond with a unified and urgent approach” in a statement.

These statements came prior to a release from WA Police, which confirmed the matter is being investigated.

Legal advocacy charity UNITED SIKHS have also spoken against the incident and confirmed legal support to ensure the case is adequately looked into.

Updates on this story will be provided as they surface.

Media inquiries- media@sikhpa.com.

Leading Sikh body the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) have released a statement calling for a new biographic film based on former India Prime Minister Indira Gandhi to be “banned immediately” for being “anti-Sikh”.

The SGPC made the statement (21st August) after recently released clips show Sikh characters as bloodthirsty terrorists attacking the Indian public. Indira Gandhi was famously assassinated in 1984 by her own bodyguards who are now revered Sikh Shaheeds (martyrs) for ordering India’s infamous attack on holy Sikh site Sri Harmandir Sahib.

The film “Emergency” (to be officially released on 6th September) depicts periods of Gandhi’s rule which includes when she declared “a state of emergency” across India in 1975 after she was convicted of election fraud. The film also covers her tyrannical overseeing of the beginning of India’s Sikh genocide, when India sent over 100,000 troops to Sri Harmandir Sahib in an effort to crush growing Sikh activism and dissent against India’s ruling regime in what became the “Battle of Amritsar”.

The film stars and is directed and produced by notorious anti-Sikh actor Kangana Ranaut, who has become known for spouting hate against Sikhs and Punjabis (those of Punjab, the motherland of Sikhi) since the 2020 #FarmersProtest. In their statement the SGPC call for Kangana – who plays Gandhi herself – to be cited with an FIR (First Incident Report – criminal report) for furthering hate against Sikhs, noting that “Kangana Ranaut has often deliberately made expressions that provoke the sentiments of Sikhs”.

The timing of the film’s release has also prompted comment from many Sikhs. There have been mass global Sikh efforts to mark the #SikhGenocide this year (2024), as it is 40-years since the 1984 Sikh Genocide. Thus, the release of a film glorifying its lead instigator is seen as efforts to whitewash Indira Gandhi as Sikhs continue to raise awareness of her most heinous act.

Reasons various other communities also feel the glorification of Indira Gandhi is hiding the truth of her tyranny include how she:

• forced sterilization on millions of mainly “lower-caste” (according to Indian caste hierarchy which is against the Sikh faith) people
• plunged freedom of press in India to a new low level
• arrested countless opposition, including leading politicians
• attacked trade unions, further destroying the rights of India’s lower classes

The SGPC statement, coming via President Harjinder Singh Dhami, also highlighted how a film on revered Sikh Shaheed (martyr) Jaswant Singh Khalra is facing issues in getting released in India due to its depiction of the state’s genocide of Sikhs, whilst this film faced no such barriers in projecting anti-Sikh sentiments. The statement ends with a call for India’s Central Board of Film Certification to include Sikhs as right now it is making “biased decisions” in favor of Hindu nationalist positions and not the minority Sikh community.

As build up to the film’s release continues, the situation is likely to yield more direct objections from Sikh groups across the world.

Media inquiries- media@sikhpa.com

A petition calling for Canadian parliament to order a “fresh inquiry into Air India” (the 1985 Air India Kanishka flight bombing) has been sponsored by Liberal Party MP Sukh Dhaliwal on behalf of members of his Surrey-Newton (British Columbia) constituency.

The petition has been pushed by local media figure Gurpreet Singh who is a leading voice questioning the official narrative around the incident, echoing wider beliefs the Indian State was involved in the tragic massacre. Dhaliwal (MP since 2015) met with Gurpreet Singh about the petition on 30th July, before officially sponsoring it on 13th August. It is now available to sign on the official Canadian commons website.

As part of his official sponsoring of the petition, Dhaliwal signed off on statements including “The Sikhs in Canada widely believe that this was the handiwork of a foreign intelligence to discredit their political activism and undermine their advocacy work for human rights in India”.

The 1985 Air India bombing is the biggest terrorist attack in Canada’s history. Whilst a mainstream narrative suggests it was carried out by Khalistanis (free Sikh homeland supporters), those accused of being involved have always denied this and the trial regarding the incident yielded obscure results. Many Sikh groups and activists have long stated the incident was a “false-flag” by the Indian State in an attempt to malign the Khalistan movement. It has also been noted such terrorism does not align with other openly celebrated acts of Khalistan resistance, which targeted individuals involved with the Indian State (politicians, police, army).

Reasoning behind beliefs the Khalistan movement was framed for the tragic act of terrorism has been intricately relayed by various Sikh figures, to the extent that many groups also openly call for reinvestigation into the incident, especially given ongoing revelations about Indian interference in Canada. The issue has even been raised by former Canadian diplomat Bhupinder Singh Liddar. Detailed long lists of discrepancies which point away from a simple “Khalistani act of terror” are the basis for the ongoing Sikh calls for the incident to be reinvestigated.

The book “Soft Target” which explores the complexity of the Air India trial is also regularly referenced by Sikhs regarding the bombing, with many highlighting quotes from the book which relay Canadian intelligence belief of India’s involvement.

Panth (Sikh community/path) focused news outlet Baaz also confirmed earlier this year that RCMP (Royal Canadian Mounted Police) say their investigation into the bombing is still open.

Depending on the amount of signatures the petition receives, an official inquiry and reinvestigation may gain official parliamentary support by next year, when it will be the 40th anniversary since the tragic incident. The petition closes on 11th December.

A globally renowned Sikh activist exposed the severe torture he experienced at the hands of the Indian authorities in an interview with Pro Punjab TV.

26-year-old Navdeep Singh, a farmer turned respected activist speaking on Punjab’s rights, hailing from Ambala, was hailed as a hero after a video of him turning off a police water cannon during the 2020 Farmers Protest went viral. He was arrested on the 28th of March 2024, even though he performed his celebrated act the 25th of November 2020. After four months without trial, he was released on bail on the 16th of July 2024.

Within two days of being released on bail, Navdeep Singh spoke out about the torture he had experienced. This included officers forcibly removing his turban and clothes, holding his head under water so he could not breath and threatening the lives of his family members. Singh also reported being tied to a chair and having weight put on his legs to force them apart, making him unable to stand for hours and leaving Navdeep Singh thinking he was going to die.

The authorities asked him why he was being such a hero, and who was paying him, seizing
access to his accounts. Several members of the Indian authorities, from the NIA, CID and others, were complicit in
this torture, including Police inspector Harjinder Khehra according to local reports.

Navdeep Singh is currently on bail for two cases, but because of his heroic actions during the protest he has consistently been harassed and charged by the police. When the incident first occurred during the Farmers Protest 2020, Navdeep Singh was charged with attempt to murder. He, along with Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) president Gurnam Singh Chaduni, were accused of breaking police barricades and attempting to run over policemen with a tractor trolley.

Additionally, Navdeep faced charges of violating COVID-19 norms. These charges were based on a complaint from head constable Pardeep Kumar and included sections for rioting, unlawful assembly, obstructing public servants, and
negligent acts likely to spread infection.

The FIR claimed that some police officers narrowly escaped being run over by tractors. Navdeep’s actions, which were captured on camera, included jumping off his tractor to turn off the water cannon and then being chased by a policeman, contradicting police statements. He then managed to escape back to his tractor.

The incident drew widespread criticism on social media regarding the treatment of the
farmers, with major political figures like Arvind Kejriwal, Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi, and
Capt Amarinder Singh speaking on Navdeep Singh’s case, which is cited as yet another story of the persecution of a Sikh activist rendered into a political prisoner.

You can read more about the Farmers Protest 2020 here, and see how this has developed
into the Farmers Protest 2024 here.