Gurdwara assassination leads to pressure for Canadian investigation on Indian interference

The assassination of respected Sikh community figure and activist Bhai Hardeep Singh Nijjar has led to widespread calls for Canadian authorities to thoroughly investigate Indian interference in the country.

Hardeep Singh (46) was shot dead by two gunmen in his truck whilst driving out of the parking lot of Surrey Guru Nanak Gurdwara (BC), where he was President, on 18th June at approximately 8.30pm. Hardeep Singh regularly and openly talked about “Indian agents” wanting him dead due to his advocation for Khalistan (free Sikh homeland) in the face of India’s ongoing persecution of Sikhs.

The Khalistan movement, which aligns with Sikh concepts of sovereignty, gained a continuing wave of support from the 1984 Indian State perpetrated Sikh genocide. With the Khalistan independence movement seen as a destabilizing and disruptive force on the Indian State’s pursuit of further global power, the targeting of pro-Khalistan activists has long been a priority for India, evident from the issue being regularly raised during diplomatic meetings with nations that are home to a significant Sikh population.

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Read more on UK-India collusion against Khalistan activists here. Read more on Australia’s issue of anti-Khalistan Hindu extremists attacking Sikhs here. Read more on a series of attacks faced by Canadian Sikhs critical of India here.

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Speaking on Gurdwara stages and at Sikh protests, Hardeep Singh often mentioned that CSIS (Canada Security Intelligence Service) were warning him about threats to his life, something which was also recently affirmed by his lawyer Gurpatwant Singh Pannu, who is also the head of the Sikhs For Justice group, in an interview with the Vancouver Sun.

At a community gathering yesterday at Guru Nanak Gurdwara less than 24-hours after the assassination which approximately 1000 Sikhs attended, it was further revealed by community figures that the CSIS have given out various warnings to Sikh community figures viewed as in danger. As such, many are now questioning why little has been done to protect Canada’s Sikh community from being possibly being targeted by foreign intelligence agents. At the gathering, local MP Sukh Dhaliwal said he would support efforts for a thorough investigation into the assassination.

The World Sikh Organization issued a press release which highlighted that messages from India long-claimed there was a bounty on the head of Hardeep Singh, leading some to speculate Canadian criminals could have been hired to carry out the hit for India.

Many Canadian Sikhs have been critical of the lack of comment from political figures on the incident, with some suggesting there was more reaction to graffiti on Mandirs (Hindu temples) than there was to a murder in a Gurdwara. However, a letter from NDP’s Jagmeet Singh was welcomed for highlighting how Sikhs now feel “unsafe” and how India “targeting Canadians” must be “investigated thoroughly”.

The calls for investigation into India’s role in this killing are in contrast to the reactions from India itself on the assassination. Countless Indian nationalist social media accounts are openly celebrating the killing, with many – including senior legal professionals, journalists and popular social commentators – crediting India’s intelligence services (such as RAW and the NIA) for it. Indian media outlets have labelled Hardeep Singh a “terrorist” even though he has never been convicted of any crime in India or Canada. Allegations by Indian authorities about how he planned attacks in India and was wanted for extradition have been made without any evidence or affirmation from Canadian authorities. Respected Canadian journalist Joanna Chiu spoke with a former Canadian Intelligence officer who cautioned against accepting the Indian government’s statements, saying “Sikh extremism (in Canada) has been almost non-existent for years.”

Calls for Canadian media to work to avoid amplifying misinformation stemming from India, where press freedom is ranked 161st of 180 countries, were underlined by national media figure Rena Heer.

As investigations into the death – possibly via being poisoned – of UK Khalistan figure Avtar Singh Khanda continue, direct threats towards him by fanatical Indian nationalist and ex-Indian Army officer Major Gaurav Arya were revealed by the Sikh Human Rights group. In April on his Youtube channel the Hindu extremist stated Khanda would be “eliminated” by the NIA. Similar but less high-profile threats were made towards Hardeep Singh Nijjar. The killing of another Khalistan figure – Bhai Paramjit Singh Panjwar – killed in Pakistan in May is also seen as a possible sign of the Indian State’s tactics to silence the movement.

Amid the celebrations from Indian nationalist social media accounts, further threats have been issued to the likes of the NDP’s Jagmeet Singh and Gurpatwant Singh Pannu of Sikhs For Justice. Hardeep Singh Nijjar was a big supporter of the Sikhs For Justice Khalistan Referendum campaign, which India has designated a terror campaign, despite it only involving legal democratic vote events, which have already taken place ;egally in the UK and Italy, and are still ongoing in Canada and Australia.

In a move to seemingly absolve India of both deaths, some Indian media outlets have claimed the shooting of Hardeep Singh Nijjar is a retaliatory move after the death of Avtar Singh Khanda, based on an internal feud between Khalistani factions. This completely fabricated story has been laughed off by Khalistan groups, who speak of the mutual respect between the Khalistan figures.

Similarly, accusations that the assassination may have been the result of a “more local dispute” have been criticized for aligning mere speculation alongside the long-documented history of the Indian State targeting Khalistanis, which Hardeep Singh Nijjar himself spoke of openly.

At yesterday’s community gathering, sevadaars (selfless servants) of the Guru Nanak Gurdwara made a request for anyone with relevant camera footage (either ring doorbell or dashcam) to send the videos to them so they can be analyzed for evidence. After the gathering, a roadblock demonstration was held by dozens of attending sangat (Sikh congregation) outside the Gurdwara, expressing angst at the lack of action from police. This was the second night in a row the roadblock demonstration was held.

Speaking on the situation, Sikh Press Association Senior Press Officer Jasveer Singh said:

“The killing of Bhai Shaheed Hardeep Singh Nijjar can only be taken as a warning to the Canadian Sikh community. For years he spoke out openly against the Indian State’s persecution of Sikhs, advocating for Khalistan, and said India wanted him dead for it. Now he’s been killed. The hundreds of thousands of Canadian Sikhs that feel similarly to him will now be wondering if they too are in danger.

“As we wait for answers from the likes of the CSIS, Sikhs the world over will also be taking heed of the lay-of-the-land when it comes to supporting Khalistan and reacting accordingly. Support for Khalistan is not a fringe movement, it is prominent at many of the biggest Gurdwaras in the world and evident at all major Sikh gatherings. If Canada wants to maintain trust with its Sikh community, they need to ensure there is freedom to support Khalistan without fear of being killed due to foreign interests.“

Read more on evidence of India’s Sikh targeted foreign interference via a report from the BC Gurdwaras Council and Ontario Gurdwaras Committee available for download here-