The Sikh faith’s lead body of authority summoned Punjab’s Chief Minister to publicly explain “anti-Sikh” comments last month, in a move which has caused lasting worry among Indian nationalist commentators.
Aam Aadmi Party head Bhagwant Mann, a former comedic actor turned politician, was summoned to the Akal Takht in Amritsar on 15th January to explain public allegations he had made regarding Gurdwaras and public Sikh figures. Mann explained himself before Akal Takht Jathedar (head) Kuldeep Singh and leading figures of the SGPC (Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee), self-described as a “parliament” tasked with running Sikh institutions.
The Akal Takht (which translates as Eternal Throne) is a Sikh institution of authority which oversees all Sikh affairs and decisions. Although not legitimized in the law of any nation, the “moral authority” of the Akal Takht remains the most influential mechanism in all Sikh communities on earth, underlining the organic nature of sovereignty within the faith, where even major state figures such as Mann are answerable to people with no official government positions, only holding Sikh faith titles. And it is this influence, underlined by seeing someone in one of India’s most senior political roles forced to accept a public dressing down from the Akal Takht in 2026, which has infuriated many Indian nationalists, including leading pundits.
Whilst some questioned if this was a faith based effort to influence wider politics in Hindustan (a Hindu name for India), The Hindu newspaper even suggested this week that the Akal Takht’s position of power could be “constitutional subordination”, a phrase which could be seen as volatile within India’s much noted heated nationalist atmosphere.
Mann was specifically questioned regarding a long series of suggestive statements, implying corruption amongst the SGPC and within historic Gurdwaras. Mann also oversaw his party make several mistakes regarding protocol around religious events, which the Punjab government would host themselves, in effort to cater for the people of the motherland of Sikhi. Possibly sealing his summons, Mann also questioned reverence of Shaheeds (Sikh martyrs), who have long been demonized to India’s public, but remain beloved in Sikh circles. After being summoned in early January 2026, Mann said he would attend “barefoot and humble” as a Sikh, and not as the CM of Punjab.
However, when Mann did arrive, the presiding committee noted he carried pages of a document said to detail “misspending” by the SGPC, which was viewed as disrespectful and arrogant. Nevertheless, a firm but polite back-and-forth was carried out before the public (and online simultaneously), which ended with the SGPC saying an Akal Takht response would be pending until further notice. This was partly because at least one of the perceived acts of disrespect from Mann was explained as an AI creation.
Upon the meeting’s end, Mann publicly said the Akal Takht remained the supreme authority of all Sikhs and Sikh affairs.
As noted by many, the summons of Mann is a clear continuation of use of the Akal Takht’s authority which began in the 16th century under the Sikh Gurus. Nowadays it has been used to finally summon former Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal in 2024 for crimes against the Sikh faith. Another sitting Punjab CM was also summoned with Surjit Singh Barnala coming to the Akal Takht, in 1986. However, some Sikh critics have said such acts are performative, and do not offer solutions with real traction. Nevertheless, the Akal Takht remains the most powerful body within Sikh communities, worldwide.
Whilst Indian nationalist critics remain troubled by the Akal Takht’s authority, Sikh communities welcome a form of accountability for figures such as Badal and Mann. However, the furious reaction to this from Indian nationalists towards the SGPC highlights potential future conflict within India around Sikh power, an issue which is of concern to countless Sikhs across the globe.
One of India’s leading national security writers has publicly stated India’s “corridors of power” had British Sikh activist Shaheed (martyr) Bhai Avtar Singh Khanda “poisoned”.
Anirudhya Mitra, a former journalist turned screenwriter and national security propagandist who boasts about access to senior government and intelligence agents, made the statement as part of promotion for his new book, “The Delhi Directive: Once You’re Marked, There’s No Escape”.
Sikh Federation UK, a community legal and political advocacy organisation, shared clips of Mitra exposing India’s overseas terror whilst again demanding the UK government “publicly acknowledge and call out India’s extra-judicial killings”. Khanda, a leading figure of the Khalistan (free Sikh homeland) movement and a respected UK community voice, died in 2023 from suspected poisoning, although the official cause of death was ruled as leukemia, which Mitra says was done for “protection…on the record”. Khanda was openly cited as a target for India for years before his death, based on entirely unproven and at times provably false accusations of terrorism linked to his Khalistan activism. According to Mitra, Khanda was one of TWO killings India conducted in the UK, with another 64 (66 altogether) overseas targets killed by Narendra Modi’s regime.
The death of Khanda was part of a transnational repression campaign which was first spoken on by former Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in 2023, which caused a geopolitical ripple still ongoing today. Trudeau spoke in parliament regarding the assassination of Shaheed Bhai Hardeep Singh Nijjar, another Khalistan leader shot dead at the Gurdwara where he was President in Surrey (BC), just days after Khanda died. It was later revealed by US authorities that the FBI then foiled an Indian State directed attempt to have Gurpatwant Singh Pannun killed the same week. Pannun is a New York based Khalistan activist and lead of Sikhs For Justice, heading up the Khalistan Referendum campaign.
Various Sikh public figures and activists were killed from Italy to India in either assassinations or mysterious circumstances from 2022-2024 in incidents now considered part of India’s anti-Sikh transnational repression campaign. Reports from outlets including Bloomberg News, Washington Post and Guardian newspaper later confirmed this campaign of overseas Indian nationalist terror, via interviews with intelligence agency sources.
India have since bragged about the overseas terrorism, which is a line Mitra seems to be pushing as part of a relentless media campaign for his new book. His promotional tour for the book has seen him do dozens of interviews, where he praises figures like India’s head of intelligence agency RAW (Research and Analysis Wing) Ajit Doval for “protecting India” whilst menacingly promoting the idea of a “Delhi Directive” which leaves any target “marked for death” and unable to “escape”. The promotion of India’s transnational terror is believed to be partly driven by Modi’s attempt to appeal to a fanatical Hindutva (Hindu extremist) fanbase, which views him as a new breed of “Indian strongman”.
Within this promotional effort, Mitra has also spoken on how the Bishnoi gang -an Indian nationalist terror outfit linked to a current extortion crisis in Canada– “works for” the Indian government, carrying out killings on the likes of world renowned musician Sidhu Moosewala and aforementioned Sikh leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar with “New Delhi’s backing and blessing”, going on to say India has many “mercenaries” at its disposal.
With individuals working at the behest of India now on trial in Canada and the USA, Sikh groups have been questioning why the UK is still ignoring blatant foreign interference on its soil. Along with Sikh Federation UK, groups not just in Britain but also in Canada (regarding the Bishnoi quotes) will be reincentivised to press their governments on India’s anti-Sikh transnational terror.
Over 100 Sikhs gathered outside an apartment building in West London (UK) on Sunday evening (11.01.26), where a man believed to be in his early 40s was keeping a school-age-girl away from her family.
The incident in Hounslow has gone viral as an alleged example of grassroots Sikh activism against the longtime issue of vulnerable Sikh women being targeted by groomers of Islamic background. The accused man was seen being taken into a police van after hours of demonstrations, which the school-age-girl’s parents attended.
The gathering stemmed from a video exposing the alleged Hounslow-based groomer by AK Media 47, a community group which reports on Sikh issues and causes. Released on 30th December 2025, the Instagram video sees AK Media lead Jassa Singh interrogate the man about the situation, only for him to respond saying “the religion says it is OK”, whilst admitting he has a relationship with the girl he says is 16-years-old, claiming he is 35-years-old himself. The man is said to be of Afghan Muslim background. A neighbour interviewed by AK Media said police have visited the “nasty man” regarding his “disgusting” relationship with a “young girl”. She also said the girl “looks terrified”, and she has seen the alleged groomer with another “mixed-race girl who looks 12”.
Although various narratives are circulating, according to Sikh PA sources, the allegations are:
A man said to be in his early 40s and known to suspiciously “befriend” under-16s (boys and girls) in the Hounslow area began forming a relationship with a local Sikh school girl whilst she was around 13-years-old
Locals say the man is known to allegedly be involved in illegal narcotics and be a problematic neighbour
As per standard grooming tactics, the girl was persuaded to leave her family home where she lived with her parents once she reached the legal age of 16
Police have been unable to help the parents to date, as is often the case with grooming cases where the perpetrator knows how to stay on the edge of the law
Due to police inability to help, as has happened for decades, Sikh community groups take action
There are 20 secondary schools in Hounslow, meaning thousands of schoolchildren frequent the Hounslow High Street area (near where the alleged groomer’s home is) nearly every day, whilst many pupils from nearby areas will also travel through the busy area.
According to such reports, vulnerable (usually underage) Sikh females are coerced into relationships -often starting platonic- using tactics such as “love bombing” or forms of bullying and manipulation. Then, the idea the relationship would not be approved of solely due to Sikh-Islam conflictions is used to encourage the grooming victim into secrecy and distance from her own family. From that point, many cases have seen females become trapped in abusive relationships, or forced into prostitution and on occasion even lured into Islamic extremism, including to join ISIS, as seen in one landmark case.
Local police have been contacted by Sikh PA for a statement on the incident and the status of the alleged groomer. For now, the young school-age-girl is back with her family. However, mentally detaching from the groomer is known to be a much longer process, necessitating the importance of the community sevadaars (selfless servants) to protect her in the meantime, especially if police inaction continues.
Updates on this story will be published as soon as possible.
American Sikh legal advocacy organization Sikh Coalition has filed a lawsuit against the state of California regarding the potential cancellation of possibly 20,000 trucker driving licenses, an issue arising out of the Trump Administration’s anti-immigration agenda.
Republic President Donald Trump’s government launched a crackdown on the commercial driving license (CDL) issuing process as part of its efforts to tackle illegal immigration, after fatal crashes involving allegedly illegal immigrant Sikh truckers resulted in stern focus on the migrant heavy industry earlier this year.
On November 6th the California DMV notified 17,299 immigrant drivers and business owners that their non-domiciled CDLs would be canceled on January 5th 2026, due to an error with the expiration date of the licenses. A similar letter was sent to an additional 2,700 drivers in December, informing them that their licenses would be canceled in mid-February. The Sikh Coalition claim this decision was based on “pressure” from the Trump Administration.
The Asian Law Caucus and the Sikh Coalition, along with the law firm Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP, collaborated on the lawsuit, which was officially filed on 23rd December against the California Department of Motor Vehicles for terminating the commercial driver’s licenses of thousands of drivers, alleging that the decision violated their rights and threatened their livelihood.
“This class-action lawsuit is brought on behalf of the Jakara Movement and five commercial drivers who have been deprived of their rights and livelihoods,” a joint statement from the Asian Law Caucus and Sikh Coalition said. “According to reports from the San Francisco Chronicle and KQED, California state officials communicated they would begin reissuing licenses on December 17. Despite these public assurances, the state has neither reissued any of the contested licenses nor created a process to remedy the date issue with no indication that it plans to do so before January 5.”
The lawsuit is being filed on behalf of Sikh California based community group Jakara Movement, who are representing five drivers in the state. However, the lawsuit also claims that there are recipients of cancellation letters whose CDLs are seemingly in compliance, even highlighting instances of Sikh truckers being unfairly pressured into giving up CDLs on-the-spot by DMV (Department of Motor Vehicles) staff.
See the Sikh Coalition statement on their lawsuit here.
Further, the lawsuit claims that the “DMV has not explained how it identified 19,999 licenses as out of compliance with state law and how it can ensure that its determinations are accurate”, which suggests possible foul play in an attempt to legitimize the targeting of as many truckers as possible in California.
According to the LA Times, this will disproportionately impact Sikh communities, who are described by the media outlet as “a pillar of the trucking industry” of the USA. According to media reports, there are around 750,000 Punjabi Sikhs in the United States. Of those, about 150,000 work in the trucking industry, with the majority based on the West Coast. Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy singled out California for issuing commercial driver’s licenses to what his department says are unqualified immigrant truckers that put lives on the road in danger. According to local reports, many truckers quit the industry after the introduction of enhanced English proficiency tests this year. Policy changes regarding noncitizen commercial licenses and English-language proficiency enforcement could remove more than 400,000 commercial drivers from the market over the next three years, according to J.B. Hunt, one of the largest trucking companies.
The lawsuit is calling on the judge to issue a writ of mandate, preliminary injunction or permanent injunction that would require the California DMV to ensure that the plaintiffs and those that fall under the class action are able to obtain a corrected CDL “without interruption to their driving privileges.”
Within a week the lawsuit saw a successful impact, with extensions being issued to all who faced the 5th January cancellation. The long-term battle for stability for the targeted truckers continues though. The official reason for the cancellation of 20,000 CDLs in California is due to a federal audit which found the licenses issued to immigrant drivers were set to expire after the time they were legally allowed to remain in the U.S. The DMV is required to set the expiration date for a CDL given to an immigrant on either the same day or before the expiration of the driver’s work authorization or legal presence documents, according to the lawsuit. However, the lawsuit alleges that the DMV letters violated California procedure, which would require the department to either cancel the license without prejudice or change the expiration date.
Ever since the national spotlight hit the Sikh trucking sector, as well as being targeted through policy, American Sikh truckers are reporting a drastic increase in targeted abuse and hate crimes on-the-ground too, underlining just what a tense time it is for the thousands of Sikhs in the industry. Outside of California, countless more American Sikhs are also facing similar issues, many likely without the support being offered by Sikh Coalition.
A phoneline for Sikh truckers with issues to find legal support has been opened by Sikh Coalition. Find it here.
The Sikh Press Association will provide updates on this situation as they come in.
A man was filmed throwing raw meat at the gates of a Gurdwara in West Brom, in what is the latest in a series of anti-Sikh hate crimes in the West Midlands this year.
On Monday (22nd December) at approximately 4pm at Guru Nanak Gurdwara West Bromwich a white man was caught on CCTV carrying a bag whilst walking by the Gurdwara, then clearly intentionally dumping its contents in front of the entrance gates, later confirmed as “raw meat” in a statement by the Gurdwara committee.
The Gurdwara committee stated the incident “has been reported to the police as a hate crime” whilst also requesting sangat (Sikh congregation) remain “vigilant”. Meetings between the Gurdwara representatives and “local police, MPs and councillors” have occurred. Police recorded the crime as “racially and religiously aggravated intentional harassment”.
Read the Gurdwara committee statement – which includes details on how to contract Crimestoppers with more info – here.
Pork has been thrown at Mosques in previous and even recent hate crimes across the UK. Although a mosque being the intended target could be a possibility, many would feel it is unlikely given the long history of Sikhs in the area, and the clear Sikh insignia visible all over the Gurdwara, including the Nishaan Sahib flag flying above it.
Speaking on the incident, Sikh PA Senior Press Officer Jasveer Singh said:
“Sikhs have been immersed in the local community in West Brom for decades. They are part of the local football club, the local businesses, community seva (selfless service) and more all through the area. It is unlikely anyone local would not know that the Gurdwara was the local Sikh place of worship.
“As such – especially after incidents in Wolverhampton, Walsall, Oldbury and Nuneaton in recent months and even just last week in Coventry – there is ongoing tension in UK Sikh communities regarding feeling directly targeted by bigotry. Grassroots efforts to safeguard continue, as do efforts to ensure appropriate police action is taken.”
The Sikh community is in a unique position of often being targeted by different types of bigotry, including white-supremacy, Hindutva (Hindu extremism) and Islamic extremism, all of which have resulted in attacks on Gurdwaras within recent years.
In the UK, the anti-Sikh hate crime incidents correlate with wider tension regarding immigrants, and many Sikhs believe there is a direct connection.
“The Sikh Press Association has noted a visible rise in online hate from open profiles, publicly espousing white supremacist rhetoric, directly targeting Sikhs. This includes the rise of the bigoted influencer/youtuber; those who inflame, provoke and sensationalise for views, dividing real communities in the process. Some of these types can have hundreds of thousands of followers, and in North America even millions. Social media giants reward their clickbait content through the algorithm and it is increasing online anti-Sikh hate.”
Updates on the hate crime will be published as soon as possible.
Alberta’s top court has ruled a requirement that lawyers inthe province swear an oath to the King of England – who remains the official head of state for Canada – is unconstitutional, thanks to a legal challenge from a Sikh lawyer.
A 2022 challenge from lawyer Prabjot Singh, a respected Sikh community spokesperson and geopolitical analyst, finally yielded a victorious conclusion, when an Alberta Court of Appeal decision on 16th December said the requirement should be either removed or amended.
In 2022 after passing the bar to be a lawyer Prabjot Singh argued being forced to make an oath to the King of England violated his religious freedoms as a Sikh. He subsequently sued the Alberta government and provincial law society for his right to practice freely as a Sikh. In 2023 this challenge was dismissed but last week a three-judge panel concluded that Court of King’s Bench Justice Barbara Johnston made “palpable and overriding errors” in that previous ruling. Chief Justice Ritu Khullar, Justice Bernette Ho and Justice Joshua Hawkes unanimously agreed. They outlined three options for government to address what they called a “constitutional defect”: Do away with the oath entirely, make it optional or amend its wording. Alberta remains the only Canadian province to require such pledges for certain roles.
Prabjot Singh said that as a Sikh – specifically as an Amritdhari (initiated) Sikh – he has already pledged loyalty to Akaal Purakh (a Sikh term for God/divinity/The One) and thus cannot also make an oath to the King of England in a similar manner. With others – such as those of Canadian indigenous background – also having fought against making the pledge, Prabjot Singh was delighted to be able to help people of all backgrounds practice law freely.
“Now, to be in a position where I was able to contribute to actually making a change and fighting against an archaic law like the oath of allegiance, to the point where nobody else is going to be put in my position again, is incredibly gratifying,” he said.
The announcement of the demanded senate election dates on 27th November ended the month-long movement, which once again showed India the might of Panjabi resistance in the face of subjugation. The election dates finally put an end to a central government attempt to remove democratic student-led governance of the institution.
Read more on why the protest started back in November here.
The protest is seen as another major victory against the “saffronisation” of Panjab, a term which refers to Hindutva (Hindu extremist) overreach into indigenous culture and education across India, such as through implementation of Hindi as a national language and a more diluted approach to Indian history.
The largely Sikh-led protest – which also included many non-Sikh leading figures involved too – demonstrations began with an ardas (Sikh prayer) and langar (Sikh communal kitchen practice) was seen as a vital tool to ensure the protest remained active over weeks, especially after attempts by authorities to lock protesters of campus sites.
Student protesters were praised for a mass clean-up operation of the university after their month-long demonstration, in what became viral footage.
As one reporter said of the protest: “This student protest raised significant questions – about the university’s Punjabi identity, Punjab’s claim over Chandigarh and much more. But, essentially, the idea of a democratic space for students, and which speaks to the students, held the heart of the movement.”
Just a week into what seems a new era for Panjab University, a ruling also saw the end of “colonial” ceremonial gowns as mandatory wear for formal student events, now allowing traditional Panjabi wear for men and women.
A Vancouver airport border officer is suing both the governments of India and Canada, after he was branded a “terrorist” in Indian media simply due to his “Sikh surname”.
The lawsuit, which was filed in Ontario Court and seeks $9 million in personal injury damages, alleges India spread fabrications about Sidhu to hit back at Canada exposing India’s anti-Sikh transnational repression campaign; namely the assassination of Shaheed (martyr) Bhai Hardeep Singh Nijjar. The suit also says the Canadian government failed to protect him from the allegations and the subsequent disruption to his personal life, including death threats from Indian nationalists believing the accusations. Sidhu was accused of being a Khalistan (free Sikh homeland) extremist, in what is now a typical Indian nationalist tactic to malign Sikhs.
Sidhu said the Canadian Border Services Agency (CBSA) “would not provide him with any protection and threatened him with suspension or termination unless he cooperated with intrusive background checks that ultimately cleared him”, causing him distress and showing a lack of support against the ridiculous accusations. Sidhu was forced to stop picking up his daughter from school and then even relocate, amongst further lifestyle changes forced on him by the attack from India.
Despite the threats, an internal work review determined Sidhu was not in danger in his role with CBSA, an outcome which partly motivated this lawsuit, with Canadian authorities accused of being unsupportive to his plight, one which is now common amongst Canadian Sikhs.
The random demonization of Sidhu is not the first time such an incident has happened. In 2017 British Sikh amateur historian Bobby Singh was branded a Khalistani terrorist who was said to have been caught meeting with Pakistani intelligence (ISI). In reality, Singh participated in an official event of exchanging artefacts and documents related to Sikh history in Pakistan, featuring renowned Pakistani historian Ihsan H Nadiem.
In between Bobby Singh and Sunny Sidhu, dozens of other Sikhs have also found themselves branded terrorists or wanted gangsters overnight through Indian media and its propagation of NIA (National Investigation Agency) agendas. The case of the Winnipeg (Canada) murder of Sukhdool Singh Gill highlights how local police in Punjab often conflict NIA accusations. Furthermore, the Sukhdool Singh case also underlines a blatantly suspicious connection between targeted violence of diaspora Sikhs and obscure allegations stemming from India, something which will only validate the concerns iterated in Sunny Sidhu’s lawsuit.
Sidhu previously told Canadian media the attack is also based on his job role, something which aligns with a belief that India’s targeting of such individuals is aimed at decreasing Sikh (and Sikh-background) representation in the country’s infrastructure.
Sidhu’s lawsuit also details bigotry from colleagues at CBSA following the accusations from India. Speaking on the situation, Sikh Press Association Senior Press Officer Jasveer Singh said:
“Sikhs the world over will be hoping Sunny Sidhu is successful in his lawsuit, as it may set a precedent for this long-ignored issue.
“On any given day, a Sikh can have their picture circulated as a terrorist to hundreds of millions in India, and nothing is done about it, not even when it threatens peace in countries like Canada or the UK. As if trial by media is not enough, in India it does not even require any evidence. Just being a Sikh – or of Sikh background – is enough to validate accusations of being a terrorist.
“There is no doubt Sunny Sidhu is just another victim of a long-running anti-Sikh Indian government agenda to disrupt and intimidate the diaspora community, where criticism of their Hindutva regime is rife. Sikhs will be following this case closely, hoping that the Canadian government takes accountability for protecting its citizens from dangerous regimes like the Indian government.”
An organic largely Sikh led protest movement dominated Panjab over the last two weeks, triggered by opposition to Indian State overreach into higher education in the state.
On 28th October, the Indian Ministry of Education issued a notification that Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s BJP government would be making changes to Panjab University, both at a leadership level and regarding student right to protest.
Panjab University, based in Chandigarh and nearly 150-years-old, has a history of student activism and is a site of efforts to preserve Panjabi culture and history, something which many Panjabis feel is under attack from India’s Hindutva (Hindu extremist) regime, which is seen as trying to force an umbrella Hindu/Hindi culture on all states considered part of India.
In response to the forced overnight changes, various actions were immediately undertaken by Panjab University (PU) activists, including a general student strike, staff walk outs, sit in campus protests and an indefinite hunger strike from Abhishek Dagar, the student campus general secretary. Dozens of interviews on social media saw students and staff speak against the government’s overhauling of the structure of PU, through converting an elected leadership syndicate into a completely nominated body, and reducing the numbers of the PU senate, whilst stopping elections for the senate altogether. Within the conflict, several senior PU staff members have been accused of being complicit in the government takeover of the institution, causing a complex back-and-forth regarding the PU position in the early days of the protest. Suggestions the protest should be confined to a petition or awaiting talks have largely been dismissed by lead protesters, who insist on taking more direct action.
As the issue became bigger in early November, every major Panjab political party issued a statement against the in-power BJP Party which was attempting to oversee the coup of Panjab University leadership, including Panjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, underlining the vast Panjab opposition to the move.
As is standard in such situations, Indian authorities met the peaceful protest with a violent response, which only strengthened the resolve of demonstrators. Many openly claimed the RSS (Hindu extremist faction which works as a goon agency for the nationalist government) were behind the attack on Panjab high education and were also present within the heavy-handed police response teams. In defiance of this RSS attack on Panjab, protesters held up khaki shorts (which is part of the militant marching wear of the RSS) with a big red cross drawn on it. Police were also accused of being visibly intoxicated, as they were seen drinking alcohol on the job over days of protest.
PU Student Council Vice-President Ashmeet (also spelled Ashmit in English language media) Singh was particularly praised for his role in speaking against the takeover of PU and the agenda behind it. Singh was vocal about government talks about the changes being used as “delay tactics” to stifle a growing protest. A popular figure, upon his election in September’s student election at the university, Ashmeet Singh’s team unveiled a celebratory image of Bhai Jaswant Singh Khalra, as a sign of connection to the revered defiant philosophy advocated by the famous Shaheed (martyr), which also attempted to resist central state subjugation.
After days of protest and police clashes, a government withdrawal notice regarding the changes was issued on 4th November, presented as a victory to the protesters. However, when Panjab Uni leads came to sign off to accept the withdrawal notice, it was recognised that the wording of the latest withdrawal notice was changed from an earlier circulated statement, now less concrete, leaving space for continued government influence. Thus, PU leads and protesters refused to accept the withdrawal notice and continued protesting. However, Abishek Dagar did end his hunger strike.
It was after this second rejection of the government’s then amended PU changes that the protest took to a new level, as farmer groups and other Panjabi activists and political figures became directly involved to challenge this latest attempt by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s regime to deconstruct Panjab’s cultural infrastructure. CM Bhagwant Mann did not hold back when he said, “The BJP is suffering from anti-Panjab syndrome, due to which they are hell-bent on destroying the state”. However, Mann is viewed by many as someone who has also inflicted untold damage on Panjab during his current reign as CM, in consideration of situations like the #PanjabUnderSiege period, the treatment of political prisoners and more.
On 7th November the government finally relented and entirely withdrew the changes being forced on PU altogether. Yet, protesters were concerned that there was no pending date for a senate election, indicating a potential absence of control which could later be exploited by the government. The reduction of the senate was one of the original changes by government contested by the Panjabi University protesters, a change which would also eliminate future elections. The last PU senate election was over one year ago.
As such, 10th November was set as a date for a mass protest to force a date for the PU senate elections and continue to show defiance against India’s centre (central government- viewed as a tool for the Hindu upper-caste elite to control India). Students under the banner ‘Panjab University Bachao Morcha’ called for an indefinite shutdown to the university and refused to end the agitation until at least a senate election date is set.
Over this entire period of protest, whilst videos of police using violence went viral online via attendees, such footage is noticeably absent from nearly the entirety of India’s mainstream press and news teams up until 9th November, when scenes peaked through to the 10th. Authorities claimed they were trying to prevent non-students from entering the campus. However, various videos embarrassed the police for heavy handed violence. A professor decried the police for acting against “empty handed” protesters and police were directly exposed on camera after their violence had subsided, in two viral clips. By this stage the agitation was so big it was impacting local traffic, as groups overcame barricades and police to get on to the PU site. Camps for overnight sit-ins were set-up. However, dozens (possibly hundreds) were arrested, including leading #FarmersProtest figures, as they attempted to attend.
The 10th November protest was a historic day of resistance for Panjab. Groups overcame locks, barricades and police lathi (stick- police weapon in India) charges to demonstrate on campus. Estimates suggest anything from 5000-15,000 protesters of all ages and backgrounds joined the stand, in a show of Panjabi solidarity against ongoing attempts to “centralize” the state’s institutions, bringing them under further control of the non-Sikh upper-caste Hindu establishment of India.
As of 11th November, the protest is still ongoing, and will remain so until a senate election date is approved by central government. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is yet to comment on the situation.
Another prominent Sikh businessman was murdered this week in Canada, just before a popular Sikh artist was shot at, in two new incidents claimed by the Indian nationalist Lawrence Bishnoi terror group.
Darshan Singh Sahsi, a 68-year-old businessman living in Canada for decades, was shot dead outside his home in Abbotsford on the morning of 27th October, and on 30th October at approximately 2am Punjabi singer Chani Nattan had his home in Surrey (both in BC) shot at in a filmed incident, which later went viral via Indian nationalist networks.
Indian media report confessions about both incidents circulating, both from the notorious Bishnoi figure Goldy (Goldie) Dhillon via Facebook. The post on Sahsi stated he was targeted for owing “protection money” related to “the drug trade”, although no evidence exists to suggest Sahsi was involved in such criminality. Accusations of this kind have been used to justify attempts to extort legitimate businessmen. Sahsi’s family said Darshan was known to support people from his part of Punjab when they came to Canada. The organic support network of Punjabi communities in Canada is believed to be a target of Bishnoi terror for extortion and coercion.
Meanwhile, singer Nattan was said to be targeted due to “his closeness to Sardar Khehra”, another Punjabi artist, with the post going on to state it was only Khehra who is their target and the gang have nothing personal with Nattan. Nevertheless, Nattan has long felt the ire of Indian nationalists for showing support to Sikh political prisoners, activists and wider causes such as the Farmers Protest through his music.
NOTE- Sikh PA do not share links to Indian outlets known for anti-Sikh disinformation. The two incidents came just after Canada’s Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand received criticism for meeting her Indian counterpart in early October without appropriately addressing the Indian nationalist crimewave putting Sikh lives in danger in Canada. The assassination of Shaheed (martyr) Bhai Hardeep Singh Nijjar is yet to be adequately addressed according to groups including Sikh Federation Canada and World Sikh Organization, both calling for more focus on India’s consular activities. Yet, meetings with India and Canada have largely celebrated “renewed ties” since Prime Minister Mark Carney came into power for the Liberal Party, instead of concluding issues around transnational repression, as Sikh community groups have requested.
This sentiment was reinforced with footage from an Indo-Canadian networking event Anand spoke at on 23rd October, when Anand spoke about her “emotional” experience meeting India Prime Minister Narendra Modi and also late Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. Gandhi was infamously behind the beginning of India’s 1984 Sikh genocide, before she was assassinated by her own Sikh bodyguards. Modi was behind a different massacre by Hindu mobs, this time as Chief Minister of Gujarat in 2002, in an incident which saw over 1000 Muslims killed over days of carnage in the state. Anand’s fawning over the notorious figures has many asking whether she has a conflict of interest as Canada’s Foreign Affairs Minister, with some suggesting she should resign.
Meanwhile, Sikhs For Justice bluntly asked “How Many More Dead Bodies Carney Government Wants To See Before Acting Against Indian Consulate Officials” in an official statement. SFJ also stated Carney’s government are “dismissing RCMP warnings”, an accusation which has oft been repeated since police warnings went public from 2023. Contrastingly, Nattan has simply thanked supporters for their well wishes and prayers in a social media post, whilst continuing general posts of his day-to-day life.
Sikh groups are anticipating ongoing police action and subsequential charges asap. However, other acts of Bishnoi-India government terrorism in Canada are still being investigated, such as the May murder of Parmjit Singh Dhadda and other recent extortion shootings in Surrey (BC).
Khalsa “moral authority” bothers India nationalists, after Punjab Chief Minister summons
/0 Comments/in News /by adminThe Sikh faith’s lead body of authority summoned Punjab’s Chief Minister to publicly explain “anti-Sikh” comments last month, in a move which has caused lasting worry among Indian nationalist commentators.
Aam Aadmi Party head Bhagwant Mann, a former comedic actor turned politician, was summoned to the Akal Takht in Amritsar on 15th January to explain public allegations he had made regarding Gurdwaras and public Sikh figures. Mann explained himself before Akal Takht Jathedar (head) Kuldeep Singh and leading figures of the SGPC (Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee), self-described as a “parliament” tasked with running Sikh institutions.
The Akal Takht (which translates as Eternal Throne) is a Sikh institution of authority which oversees all Sikh affairs and decisions. Although not legitimized in the law of any nation, the “moral authority” of the Akal Takht remains the most influential mechanism in all Sikh communities on earth, underlining the organic nature of sovereignty within the faith, where even major state figures such as Mann are answerable to people with no official government positions, only holding Sikh faith titles. And it is this influence, underlined by seeing someone in one of India’s most senior political roles forced to accept a public dressing down from the Akal Takht in 2026, which has infuriated many Indian nationalists, including leading pundits.
Whilst some questioned if this was a faith based effort to influence wider politics in Hindustan (a Hindu name for India), The Hindu newspaper even suggested this week that the Akal Takht’s position of power could be “constitutional subordination”, a phrase which could be seen as volatile within India’s much noted heated nationalist atmosphere.
Mann was specifically questioned regarding a long series of suggestive statements, implying corruption amongst the SGPC and within historic Gurdwaras. Mann also oversaw his party make several mistakes regarding protocol around religious events, which the Punjab government would host themselves, in effort to cater for the people of the motherland of Sikhi. Possibly sealing his summons, Mann also questioned reverence of Shaheeds (Sikh martyrs), who have long been demonized to India’s public, but remain beloved in Sikh circles. After being summoned in early January 2026, Mann said he would attend “barefoot and humble” as a Sikh, and not as the CM of Punjab.
However, when Mann did arrive, the presiding committee noted he carried pages of a document said to detail “misspending” by the SGPC, which was viewed as disrespectful and arrogant. Nevertheless, a firm but polite back-and-forth was carried out before the public (and online simultaneously), which ended with the SGPC saying an Akal Takht response would be pending until further notice. This was partly because at least one of the perceived acts of disrespect from Mann was explained as an AI creation.
Upon the meeting’s end, Mann publicly said the Akal Takht remained the supreme authority of all Sikhs and Sikh affairs.
As noted by many, the summons of Mann is a clear continuation of use of the Akal Takht’s authority which began in the 16th century under the Sikh Gurus. Nowadays it has been used to finally summon former Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal in 2024 for crimes against the Sikh faith. Another sitting Punjab CM was also summoned with Surjit Singh Barnala coming to the Akal Takht, in 1986. However, some Sikh critics have said such acts are performative, and do not offer solutions with real traction. Nevertheless, the Akal Takht remains the most powerful body within Sikh communities, worldwide.
Whilst Indian nationalist critics remain troubled by the Akal Takht’s authority, Sikh communities welcome a form of accountability for figures such as Badal and Mann. However, the furious reaction to this from Indian nationalists towards the SGPC highlights potential future conflict within India around Sikh power, an issue which is of concern to countless Sikhs across the globe.
“Khanda was poisoned…India killed two in the UK…There’s no escape”
/0 Comments/in News /by adminOne of India’s leading national security writers has publicly stated India’s “corridors of power” had British Sikh activist Shaheed (martyr) Bhai Avtar Singh Khanda “poisoned”.
Anirudhya Mitra, a former journalist turned screenwriter and national security propagandist who boasts about access to senior government and intelligence agents, made the statement as part of promotion for his new book, “The Delhi Directive: Once You’re Marked, There’s No Escape”.
Sikh Federation UK, a community legal and political advocacy organisation, shared clips of Mitra exposing India’s overseas terror whilst again demanding the UK government “publicly acknowledge and call out India’s extra-judicial killings”. Khanda, a leading figure of the Khalistan (free Sikh homeland) movement and a respected UK community voice, died in 2023 from suspected poisoning, although the official cause of death was ruled as leukemia, which Mitra says was done for “protection…on the record”. Khanda was openly cited as a target for India for years before his death, based on entirely unproven and at times provably false accusations of terrorism linked to his Khalistan activism. According to Mitra, Khanda was one of TWO killings India conducted in the UK, with another 64 (66 altogether) overseas targets killed by Narendra Modi’s regime.
Read more on Khanda’s death and targeting here:
The death of Khanda was part of a transnational repression campaign which was first spoken on by former Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in 2023, which caused a geopolitical ripple still ongoing today. Trudeau spoke in parliament regarding the assassination of Shaheed Bhai Hardeep Singh Nijjar, another Khalistan leader shot dead at the Gurdwara where he was President in Surrey (BC), just days after Khanda died. It was later revealed by US authorities that the FBI then foiled an Indian State directed attempt to have Gurpatwant Singh Pannun killed the same week. Pannun is a New York based Khalistan activist and lead of Sikhs For Justice, heading up the Khalistan Referendum campaign.
Various Sikh public figures and activists were killed from Italy to India in either assassinations or mysterious circumstances from 2022-2024 in incidents now considered part of India’s anti-Sikh transnational repression campaign. Reports from outlets including Bloomberg News, Washington Post and Guardian newspaper later confirmed this campaign of overseas Indian nationalist terror, via interviews with intelligence agency sources.
India have since bragged about the overseas terrorism, which is a line Mitra seems to be pushing as part of a relentless media campaign for his new book. His promotional tour for the book has seen him do dozens of interviews, where he praises figures like India’s head of intelligence agency RAW (Research and Analysis Wing) Ajit Doval for “protecting India” whilst menacingly promoting the idea of a “Delhi Directive” which leaves any target “marked for death” and unable to “escape”. The promotion of India’s transnational terror is believed to be partly driven by Modi’s attempt to appeal to a fanatical Hindutva (Hindu extremist) fanbase, which views him as a new breed of “Indian strongman”.
Within this promotional effort, Mitra has also spoken on how the Bishnoi gang -an Indian nationalist terror outfit linked to a current extortion crisis in Canada– “works for” the Indian government, carrying out killings on the likes of world renowned musician Sidhu Moosewala and aforementioned Sikh leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar with “New Delhi’s backing and blessing”, going on to say India has many “mercenaries” at its disposal.
With individuals working at the behest of India now on trial in Canada and the USA, Sikh groups have been questioning why the UK is still ignoring blatant foreign interference on its soil. Along with Sikh Federation UK, groups not just in Britain but also in Canada (regarding the Bishnoi quotes) will be reincentivised to press their governments on India’s anti-Sikh transnational terror.
Only weeks ago did Guardian news report India is still looking to kill two other UK Sikh activists, underlining the importance of UK authorities taking the revelations from Mitra seriously.
Media inquiries- media@sikhpa.com
Sikh demonstration held outside home of “groomer” shacked up with schoolgirl
/0 Comments/in News /by adminOver 100 Sikhs gathered outside an apartment building in West London (UK) on Sunday evening (11.01.26), where a man believed to be in his early 40s was keeping a school-age-girl away from her family.
The incident in Hounslow has gone viral as an alleged example of grassroots Sikh activism against the longtime issue of vulnerable Sikh women being targeted by groomers of Islamic background. The accused man was seen being taken into a police van after hours of demonstrations, which the school-age-girl’s parents attended.
The gathering stemmed from a video exposing the alleged Hounslow-based groomer by AK Media 47, a community group which reports on Sikh issues and causes. Released on 30th December 2025, the Instagram video sees AK Media lead Jassa Singh interrogate the man about the situation, only for him to respond saying “the religion says it is OK”, whilst admitting he has a relationship with the girl he says is 16-years-old, claiming he is 35-years-old himself. The man is said to be of Afghan Muslim background. A neighbour interviewed by AK Media said police have visited the “nasty man” regarding his “disgusting” relationship with a “young girl”. She also said the girl “looks terrified”, and she has seen the alleged groomer with another “mixed-race girl who looks 12”.
Although various narratives are circulating, according to Sikh PA sources, the allegations are:
There are 20 secondary schools in Hounslow, meaning thousands of schoolchildren frequent the Hounslow High Street area (near where the alleged groomer’s home is) nearly every day, whilst many pupils from nearby areas will also travel through the busy area.
One local activist shared several videos of the evening demonstrations, culminating in one of the alleged groomer being taken into a police van by the London Metropolitan police.
National community group Sikh Youth UK are currently running a national inquiry on grooming, following a series of “emergency seminars” to deal with a concerning spike in the issue last year. The inquiry requests British Sikhs to submit their own accounts of the issue. Furthermore, SYUK also helped produce the RASE report which documents “decades” of Sikh targeted grooming in the UK, which is often seen to fall outside of the police’s ability to help.
According to such reports, vulnerable (usually underage) Sikh females are coerced into relationships -often starting platonic- using tactics such as “love bombing” or forms of bullying and manipulation. Then, the idea the relationship would not be approved of solely due to Sikh-Islam conflictions is used to encourage the grooming victim into secrecy and distance from her own family. From that point, many cases have seen females become trapped in abusive relationships, or forced into prostitution and on occasion even lured into Islamic extremism, including to join ISIS, as seen in one landmark case.
Local police have been contacted by Sikh PA for a statement on the incident and the status of the alleged groomer. For now, the young school-age-girl is back with her family. However, mentally detaching from the groomer is known to be a much longer process, necessitating the importance of the community sevadaars (selfless servants) to protect her in the meantime, especially if police inaction continues.
Updates on this story will be published as soon as possible.
Media inquiries- media@sikhpa.com
Sikh Coalition fight “devastating wave of unemployment” with lawsuit
/0 Comments/in News /by adminAmerican Sikh legal advocacy organization Sikh Coalition has filed a lawsuit against the state of California regarding the potential cancellation of possibly 20,000 trucker driving licenses, an issue arising out of the Trump Administration’s anti-immigration agenda.
Republic President Donald Trump’s government launched a crackdown on the commercial driving license (CDL) issuing process as part of its efforts to tackle illegal immigration, after fatal crashes involving allegedly illegal immigrant Sikh truckers resulted in stern focus on the migrant heavy industry earlier this year.
Read more on this here: US Assistant Attorney General condemns recent anti-Sikh attacks | SikhPA
On November 6th the California DMV notified 17,299 immigrant drivers and business owners that their non-domiciled CDLs would be canceled on January 5th 2026, due to an error with the expiration date of the licenses. A similar letter was sent to an additional 2,700 drivers in December, informing them that their licenses would be canceled in mid-February. The Sikh Coalition claim this decision was based on “pressure” from the Trump Administration.
The Asian Law Caucus and the Sikh Coalition, along with the law firm Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP, collaborated on the lawsuit, which was officially filed on 23rd December against the California Department of Motor Vehicles for terminating the commercial driver’s licenses of thousands of drivers, alleging that the decision violated their rights and threatened their livelihood.
“This class-action lawsuit is brought on behalf of the Jakara Movement and five commercial drivers who have been deprived of their rights and livelihoods,” a joint statement from the Asian Law Caucus and Sikh Coalition said. “According to reports from the San Francisco Chronicle and KQED, California state officials communicated they would begin reissuing licenses on December 17. Despite these public assurances, the state has neither reissued any of the contested licenses nor created a process to remedy the date issue with no indication that it plans to do so before January 5.”
The lawsuit is being filed on behalf of Sikh California based community group Jakara Movement, who are representing five drivers in the state. However, the lawsuit also claims that there are recipients of cancellation letters whose CDLs are seemingly in compliance, even highlighting instances of Sikh truckers being unfairly pressured into giving up CDLs on-the-spot by DMV (Department of Motor Vehicles) staff.
See the Sikh Coalition statement on their lawsuit here.
Further, the lawsuit claims that the “DMV has not explained how it identified 19,999 licenses as out of compliance with state law and how it can ensure that its determinations are accurate”, which suggests possible foul play in an attempt to legitimize the targeting of as many truckers as possible in California.
According to the LA Times, this will disproportionately impact Sikh communities, who are described by the media outlet as “a pillar of the trucking industry” of the USA. According to media reports, there are around 750,000 Punjabi Sikhs in the United States. Of those, about 150,000 work in the trucking industry, with the majority based on the West Coast. Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy singled out California for issuing commercial driver’s licenses to what his department says are unqualified immigrant truckers that put lives on the road in danger. According to local reports, many truckers quit the industry after the introduction of enhanced English proficiency tests this year. Policy changes regarding noncitizen commercial licenses and English-language proficiency enforcement could remove more than 400,000 commercial drivers from the market over the next three years, according to J.B. Hunt, one of the largest trucking companies.
The lawsuit is calling on the judge to issue a writ of mandate, preliminary injunction or permanent injunction that would require the California DMV to ensure that the plaintiffs and those that fall under the class action are able to obtain a corrected CDL “without interruption to their driving privileges.”
Within a week the lawsuit saw a successful impact, with extensions being issued to all who faced the 5th January cancellation. The long-term battle for stability for the targeted truckers continues though. The official reason for the cancellation of 20,000 CDLs in California is due to a federal audit which found the licenses issued to immigrant drivers were set to expire after the time they were legally allowed to remain in the U.S. The DMV is required to set the expiration date for a CDL given to an immigrant on either the same day or before the expiration of the driver’s work authorization or legal presence documents, according to the lawsuit. However, the lawsuit alleges that the DMV letters violated California procedure, which would require the department to either cancel the license without prejudice or change the expiration date.
Ever since the national spotlight hit the Sikh trucking sector, as well as being targeted through policy, American Sikh truckers are reporting a drastic increase in targeted abuse and hate crimes on-the-ground too, underlining just what a tense time it is for the thousands of Sikhs in the industry. Outside of California, countless more American Sikhs are also facing similar issues, many likely without the support being offered by Sikh Coalition.
A phoneline for Sikh truckers with issues to find legal support has been opened by Sikh Coalition. Find it here.
The Sikh Press Association will provide updates on this situation as they come in.
Gurdwara “raw meat” stunt latest in West Midlands anti-Sikh hate crime wave
/0 Comments/in News /by adminA man was filmed throwing raw meat at the gates of a Gurdwara in West Brom, in what is the latest in a series of anti-Sikh hate crimes in the West Midlands this year.
On Monday (22nd December) at approximately 4pm at Guru Nanak Gurdwara West Bromwich a white man was caught on CCTV carrying a bag whilst walking by the Gurdwara, then clearly intentionally dumping its contents in front of the entrance gates, later confirmed as “raw meat” in a statement by the Gurdwara committee.
The Gurdwara committee stated the incident “has been reported to the police as a hate crime” whilst also requesting sangat (Sikh congregation) remain “vigilant”. Meetings between the Gurdwara representatives and “local police, MPs and councillors” have occurred. Police recorded the crime as “racially and religiously aggravated intentional harassment”.
Read the Gurdwara committee statement – which includes details on how to contract Crimestoppers with more info – here.
Pork has been thrown at Mosques in previous and even recent hate crimes across the UK. Although a mosque being the intended target could be a possibility, many would feel it is unlikely given the long history of Sikhs in the area, and the clear Sikh insignia visible all over the Gurdwara, including the Nishaan Sahib flag flying above it.
Speaking on the incident, Sikh PA Senior Press Officer Jasveer Singh said:
“Sikhs have been immersed in the local community in West Brom for decades. They are part of the local football club, the local businesses, community seva (selfless service) and more all through the area. It is unlikely anyone local would not know that the Gurdwara was the local Sikh place of worship.
“As such – especially after incidents in Wolverhampton, Walsall, Oldbury and Nuneaton in recent months and even just last week in Coventry – there is ongoing tension in UK Sikh communities regarding feeling directly targeted by bigotry. Grassroots efforts to safeguard continue, as do efforts to ensure appropriate police action is taken.”
The Sikh community is in a unique position of often being targeted by different types of bigotry, including white-supremacy, Hindutva (Hindu extremism) and Islamic extremism, all of which have resulted in attacks on Gurdwaras within recent years.
In the UK, the anti-Sikh hate crime incidents correlate with wider tension regarding immigrants, and many Sikhs believe there is a direct connection.
“The Sikh Press Association has noted a visible rise in online hate from open profiles, publicly espousing white supremacist rhetoric, directly targeting Sikhs. This includes the rise of the bigoted influencer/youtuber; those who inflame, provoke and sensationalise for views, dividing real communities in the process. Some of these types can have hundreds of thousands of followers, and in North America even millions. Social media giants reward their clickbait content through the algorithm and it is increasing online anti-Sikh hate.”
Updates on the hate crime will be published as soon as possible.
Sikh lawyer wins battle against King Of England oath
/0 Comments/in News /by adminAlberta’s top court has ruled a requirement that lawyers inthe province swear an oath to the King of England – who remains the official head of state for Canada – is unconstitutional, thanks to a legal challenge from a Sikh lawyer.
A 2022 challenge from lawyer Prabjot Singh, a respected Sikh community spokesperson and geopolitical analyst, finally yielded a victorious conclusion, when an Alberta Court of Appeal decision on 16th December said the requirement should be either removed or amended.
In 2022 after passing the bar to be a lawyer Prabjot Singh argued being forced to make an oath to the King of England violated his religious freedoms as a Sikh. He subsequently sued the Alberta government and provincial law society for his right to practice freely as a Sikh. In 2023 this challenge was dismissed but last week a three-judge panel concluded that Court of King’s Bench Justice Barbara Johnston made “palpable and overriding errors” in that previous ruling. Chief Justice Ritu Khullar, Justice Bernette Ho and Justice Joshua Hawkes unanimously agreed. They outlined three options for government to address what they called a “constitutional defect”: Do away with the oath entirely, make it optional or amend its wording. Alberta remains the only Canadian province to require such pledges for certain roles.
Prabjot Singh said that as a Sikh – specifically as an Amritdhari (initiated) Sikh – he has already pledged loyalty to Akaal Purakh (a Sikh term for God/divinity/The One) and thus cannot also make an oath to the King of England in a similar manner. With others – such as those of Canadian indigenous background – also having fought against making the pledge, Prabjot Singh was delighted to be able to help people of all backgrounds practice law freely.
“Now, to be in a position where I was able to contribute to actually making a change and fighting against an archaic law like the oath of allegiance, to the point where nobody else is going to be put in my position again, is incredibly gratifying,” he said.
“Modi bowed down”: Panjab Uni protesters declare victory against government
/0 Comments/in News /by adminThe Panjab University Bachao Morcha (Save Panjab University Protest) movement concluded last week after demonstrators declared victory, with one lead figure saying “Modi has bowed down in front of Punjabis for the second time within the last five years”.
The announcement of the demanded senate election dates on 27th November ended the month-long movement, which once again showed India the might of Panjabi resistance in the face of subjugation. The election dates finally put an end to a central government attempt to remove democratic student-led governance of the institution.
Read more on why the protest started back in November here.
The protest is seen as another major victory against the “saffronisation” of Panjab, a term which refers to Hindutva (Hindu extremist) overreach into indigenous culture and education across India, such as through implementation of Hindi as a national language and a more diluted approach to Indian history.
The largely Sikh-led protest – which also included many non-Sikh leading figures involved too – demonstrations began with an ardas (Sikh prayer) and langar (Sikh communal kitchen practice) was seen as a vital tool to ensure the protest remained active over weeks, especially after attempts by authorities to lock protesters of campus sites.
Student protesters were praised for a mass clean-up operation of the university after their month-long demonstration, in what became viral footage.
As one reporter said of the protest: “This student protest raised significant questions – about the university’s Punjabi identity, Punjab’s claim over Chandigarh and much more. But, essentially, the idea of a democratic space for students, and which speaks to the students, held the heart of the movement.”
Just a week into what seems a new era for Panjab University, a ruling also saw the end of “colonial” ceremonial gowns as mandatory wear for formal student events, now allowing traditional Panjabi wear for men and women.
Airport worker targeted for “Sikh surname” sues India and Canada
/0 Comments/in News /by adminA Vancouver airport border officer is suing both the governments of India and Canada, after he was branded a “terrorist” in Indian media simply due to his “Sikh surname”.
The completely random Indian media propaganda campaign against BC resident Sandeep (Sunny) Singh Sidhu took place in November. According to a statement from his legal team this week, Sidhu “was singled out by India because he had a common Sikh name and a visible, uniformed position within the Canadian national security apparatus”.
The lawsuit, which was filed in Ontario Court and seeks $9 million in personal injury damages, alleges India spread fabrications about Sidhu to hit back at Canada exposing India’s anti-Sikh transnational repression campaign; namely the assassination of Shaheed (martyr) Bhai Hardeep Singh Nijjar. The suit also says the Canadian government failed to protect him from the allegations and the subsequent disruption to his personal life, including death threats from Indian nationalists believing the accusations. Sidhu was accused of being a Khalistan (free Sikh homeland) extremist, in what is now a typical Indian nationalist tactic to malign Sikhs.
Sidhu said the Canadian Border Services Agency (CBSA) “would not provide him with any protection and threatened him with suspension or termination unless he cooperated with intrusive background checks that ultimately cleared him”, causing him distress and showing a lack of support against the ridiculous accusations. Sidhu was forced to stop picking up his daughter from school and then even relocate, amongst further lifestyle changes forced on him by the attack from India.
Despite the threats, an internal work review determined Sidhu was not in danger in his role with CBSA, an outcome which partly motivated this lawsuit, with Canadian authorities accused of being unsupportive to his plight, one which is now common amongst Canadian Sikhs.
Among Sidhu’s accusers was notorious Hindutva (Hindu extremist) Indian army figure Major Gaurav Arya, one of India’s most popular Youtubers, who began the campaign just after the 2023 assassination of Shaheed Nijjar. Arya, an openly genocidal Hindu nationalist, publicly stated that UK Sikh activist Shaheed Bhai Avtar Singh Khanda would be “eliminated” just months before the Birmingham resident died of suspected poisoning. The death threat to Khanda also came after a different fabricated claim, this time about a London protest. Arya regularly makes outlandish claims and brazen threats towards Sikhs cited as “anti-national”, and has even rallied India’s diaspora to start paying criminals to attack Sikh groups critical of India.
The random demonization of Sidhu is not the first time such an incident has happened. In 2017 British Sikh amateur historian Bobby Singh was branded a Khalistani terrorist who was said to have been caught meeting with Pakistani intelligence (ISI). In reality, Singh participated in an official event of exchanging artefacts and documents related to Sikh history in Pakistan, featuring renowned Pakistani historian Ihsan H Nadiem.
In between Bobby Singh and Sunny Sidhu, dozens of other Sikhs have also found themselves branded terrorists or wanted gangsters overnight through Indian media and its propagation of NIA (National Investigation Agency) agendas. The case of the Winnipeg (Canada) murder of Sukhdool Singh Gill highlights how local police in Punjab often conflict NIA accusations. Furthermore, the Sukhdool Singh case also underlines a blatantly suspicious connection between targeted violence of diaspora Sikhs and obscure allegations stemming from India, something which will only validate the concerns iterated in Sunny Sidhu’s lawsuit.
Sidhu previously told Canadian media the attack is also based on his job role, something which aligns with a belief that India’s targeting of such individuals is aimed at decreasing Sikh (and Sikh-background) representation in the country’s infrastructure.
Sidhu’s lawsuit also details bigotry from colleagues at CBSA following the accusations from India. Speaking on the situation, Sikh Press Association Senior Press Officer Jasveer Singh said:
“Sikhs the world over will be hoping Sunny Sidhu is successful in his lawsuit, as it may set a precedent for this long-ignored issue.
“On any given day, a Sikh can have their picture circulated as a terrorist to hundreds of millions in India, and nothing is done about it, not even when it threatens peace in countries like Canada or the UK. As if trial by media is not enough, in India it does not even require any evidence. Just being a Sikh – or of Sikh background – is enough to validate accusations of being a terrorist.
“There is no doubt Sunny Sidhu is just another victim of a long-running anti-Sikh Indian government agenda to disrupt and intimidate the diaspora community, where criticism of their Hindutva regime is rife. Sikhs will be following this case closely, hoping that the Canadian government takes accountability for protecting its citizens from dangerous regimes like the Indian government.”
Panjab rises against Indian government university subjugation
/0 Comments/in News /by adminAn organic largely Sikh led protest movement dominated Panjab over the last two weeks, triggered by opposition to Indian State overreach into higher education in the state.
On 28th October, the Indian Ministry of Education issued a notification that Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s BJP government would be making changes to Panjab University, both at a leadership level and regarding student right to protest.
Panjab University, based in Chandigarh and nearly 150-years-old, has a history of student activism and is a site of efforts to preserve Panjabi culture and history, something which many Panjabis feel is under attack from India’s Hindutva (Hindu extremist) regime, which is seen as trying to force an umbrella Hindu/Hindi culture on all states considered part of India.
In response to the forced overnight changes, various actions were immediately undertaken by Panjab University (PU) activists, including a general student strike, staff walk outs, sit in campus protests and an indefinite hunger strike from Abhishek Dagar, the student campus general secretary. Dozens of interviews on social media saw students and staff speak against the government’s overhauling of the structure of PU, through converting an elected leadership syndicate into a completely nominated body, and reducing the numbers of the PU senate, whilst stopping elections for the senate altogether. Within the conflict, several senior PU staff members have been accused of being complicit in the government takeover of the institution, causing a complex back-and-forth regarding the PU position in the early days of the protest. Suggestions the protest should be confined to a petition or awaiting talks have largely been dismissed by lead protesters, who insist on taking more direct action.
As the issue became bigger in early November, every major Panjab political party issued a statement against the in-power BJP Party which was attempting to oversee the coup of Panjab University leadership, including Panjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, underlining the vast Panjab opposition to the move.
As is standard in such situations, Indian authorities met the peaceful protest with a violent response, which only strengthened the resolve of demonstrators. Many openly claimed the RSS (Hindu extremist faction which works as a goon agency for the nationalist government) were behind the attack on Panjab high education and were also present within the heavy-handed police response teams. In defiance of this RSS attack on Panjab, protesters held up khaki shorts (which is part of the militant marching wear of the RSS) with a big red cross drawn on it. Police were also accused of being visibly intoxicated, as they were seen drinking alcohol on the job over days of protest.
PU Student Council Vice-President Ashmeet (also spelled Ashmit in English language media) Singh was particularly praised for his role in speaking against the takeover of PU and the agenda behind it. Singh was vocal about government talks about the changes being used as “delay tactics” to stifle a growing protest. A popular figure, upon his election in September’s student election at the university, Ashmeet Singh’s team unveiled a celebratory image of Bhai Jaswant Singh Khalra, as a sign of connection to the revered defiant philosophy advocated by the famous Shaheed (martyr), which also attempted to resist central state subjugation.
After days of protest and police clashes, a government withdrawal notice regarding the changes was issued on 4th November, presented as a victory to the protesters. However, when Panjab Uni leads came to sign off to accept the withdrawal notice, it was recognised that the wording of the latest withdrawal notice was changed from an earlier circulated statement, now less concrete, leaving space for continued government influence. Thus, PU leads and protesters refused to accept the withdrawal notice and continued protesting. However, Abishek Dagar did end his hunger strike.
It was after this second rejection of the government’s then amended PU changes that the protest took to a new level, as farmer groups and other Panjabi activists and political figures became directly involved to challenge this latest attempt by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s regime to deconstruct Panjab’s cultural infrastructure. CM Bhagwant Mann did not hold back when he said, “The BJP is suffering from anti-Panjab syndrome, due to which they are hell-bent on destroying the state”. However, Mann is viewed by many as someone who has also inflicted untold damage on Panjab during his current reign as CM, in consideration of situations like the #PanjabUnderSiege period, the treatment of political prisoners and more.
On 7th November the government finally relented and entirely withdrew the changes being forced on PU altogether. Yet, protesters were concerned that there was no pending date for a senate election, indicating a potential absence of control which could later be exploited by the government. The reduction of the senate was one of the original changes by government contested by the Panjabi University protesters, a change which would also eliminate future elections. The last PU senate election was over one year ago.
As such, 10th November was set as a date for a mass protest to force a date for the PU senate elections and continue to show defiance against India’s centre (central government- viewed as a tool for the Hindu upper-caste elite to control India). Students under the banner ‘Panjab University Bachao Morcha’ called for an indefinite shutdown to the university and refused to end the agitation until at least a senate election date is set.
Over this entire period of protest, whilst videos of police using violence went viral online via attendees, such footage is noticeably absent from nearly the entirety of India’s mainstream press and news teams up until 9th November, when scenes peaked through to the 10th. Authorities claimed they were trying to prevent non-students from entering the campus. However, various videos embarrassed the police for heavy handed violence. A professor decried the police for acting against “empty handed” protesters and police were directly exposed on camera after their violence had subsided, in two viral clips. By this stage the agitation was so big it was impacting local traffic, as groups overcame barricades and police to get on to the PU site. Camps for overnight sit-ins were set-up. However, dozens (possibly hundreds) were arrested, including leading #FarmersProtest figures, as they attempted to attend.
The 10th November protest was a historic day of resistance for Panjab. Groups overcame locks, barricades and police lathi (stick- police weapon in India) charges to demonstrate on campus. Estimates suggest anything from 5000-15,000 protesters of all ages and backgrounds joined the stand, in a show of Panjabi solidarity against ongoing attempts to “centralize” the state’s institutions, bringing them under further control of the non-Sikh upper-caste Hindu establishment of India.
After the day of protest, questions have been put to the in-power party AAP, as to why Punjab Police -deployed at AAP demand- were acting violently to a protest AAP claimed to support. Although largely Sikh led, it was evident that countless Hindu Punjabis also stood against the BJP overreach, only to themselves become targeted by the Hindutva (Hindu extremist) hate campaign which is so prominent on social media, particularly X/Twitter.
Journalists of the Chandigarh Press Club were also vocal about being victims of police violence on the day. It became evident three different forces – Punjab, Chandigarh and Haryana Police – were all deployed at various areas around PU campuses to stop protesters attending, using violence to disperse groups.
As of 11th November, the protest is still ongoing, and will remain so until a senate election date is approved by central government. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is yet to comment on the situation.
Murder and home shooting: Canada Bishnoi anti-Sikh rampage continues
/0 Comments/in News /by adminAnother prominent Sikh businessman was murdered this week in Canada, just before a popular Sikh artist was shot at, in two new incidents claimed by the Indian nationalist Lawrence Bishnoi terror group.
Darshan Singh Sahsi, a 68-year-old businessman living in Canada for decades, was shot dead outside his home in Abbotsford on the morning of 27th October, and on 30th October at approximately 2am Punjabi singer Chani Nattan had his home in Surrey (both in BC) shot at in a filmed incident, which later went viral via Indian nationalist networks.
Two arrests were made in relation to the Nattan shooting the following morning, although no updates on the case have since been released.
The Bishnoi gang confessions taking responsibility for the shootings are part of a relentless campaign of criminal violence which has seemed to increase in the last two-years, particularly in British Columbia (BC). The gang is known to be a celebrated Indian nationalist street enforcement network, working as a proxy for the Indian government, targeting dissenters and those perceived as not towing the nationalist line. In Canada, mobs have been seen chanting in support of the Bishnoi group outside of Mandirs (Hindu temples).
Indian media report confessions about both incidents circulating, both from the notorious Bishnoi figure Goldy (Goldie) Dhillon via Facebook. The post on Sahsi stated he was targeted for owing “protection money” related to “the drug trade”, although no evidence exists to suggest Sahsi was involved in such criminality. Accusations of this kind have been used to justify attempts to extort legitimate businessmen. Sahsi’s family said Darshan was known to support people from his part of Punjab when they came to Canada. The organic support network of Punjabi communities in Canada is believed to be a target of Bishnoi terror for extortion and coercion.
Meanwhile, singer Nattan was said to be targeted due to “his closeness to Sardar Khehra”, another Punjabi artist, with the post going on to state it was only Khehra who is their target and the gang have nothing personal with Nattan. Nevertheless, Nattan has long felt the ire of Indian nationalists for showing support to Sikh political prisoners, activists and wider causes such as the Farmers Protest through his music.
NOTE- Sikh PA do not share links to Indian outlets known for anti-Sikh disinformation.
The two incidents came just after Canada’s Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand received criticism for meeting her Indian counterpart in early October without appropriately addressing the Indian nationalist crimewave putting Sikh lives in danger in Canada. The assassination of Shaheed (martyr) Bhai Hardeep Singh Nijjar is yet to be adequately addressed according to groups including Sikh Federation Canada and World Sikh Organization, both calling for more focus on India’s consular activities. Yet, meetings with India and Canada have largely celebrated “renewed ties” since Prime Minister Mark Carney came into power for the Liberal Party, instead of concluding issues around transnational repression, as Sikh community groups have requested.
This sentiment was reinforced with footage from an Indo-Canadian networking event Anand spoke at on 23rd October, when Anand spoke about her “emotional” experience meeting India Prime Minister Narendra Modi and also late Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. Gandhi was infamously behind the beginning of India’s 1984 Sikh genocide, before she was assassinated by her own Sikh bodyguards. Modi was behind a different massacre by Hindu mobs, this time as Chief Minister of Gujarat in 2002, in an incident which saw over 1000 Muslims killed over days of carnage in the state. Anand’s fawning over the notorious figures has many asking whether she has a conflict of interest as Canada’s Foreign Affairs Minister, with some suggesting she should resign.
Meanwhile, Sikhs For Justice bluntly asked “How Many More Dead Bodies Carney Government Wants To See Before Acting Against Indian Consulate Officials” in an official statement. SFJ also stated Carney’s government are “dismissing RCMP warnings”, an accusation which has oft been repeated since police warnings went public from 2023. Contrastingly, Nattan has simply thanked supporters for their well wishes and prayers in a social media post, whilst continuing general posts of his day-to-day life.
Sikh groups are anticipating ongoing police action and subsequential charges asap. However, other acts of Bishnoi-India government terrorism in Canada are still being investigated, such as the May murder of Parmjit Singh Dhadda and other recent extortion shootings in Surrey (BC).
In response to this Indian crimewave targeting Sikhs, Surrey’s Mayor released comms saying an official request for 150 additional officers to work in the city has been made to the provincial government. Surrey remains a hotspot for extortion cases linked to the Bishnoi gang.
A vigil for Darshan Singh Sahsi will be held in Surrey on 8th November.