Canadian authorities and media this week ignored claims stemming from India that a recent Surrey (British Columbia) shooting was the handiwork of a “Khalistani terrorist”.
Within hours of a shooting at approximately 1.30am on 10th July targeting Kap’s Cafe, located in Surrey’s Newton neighborhood on 120th Street, Indian nationalist X (Twitter) users were sharing a video of the criminal act, claiming it was part of a Khalistani (free Sikh homeland) terror campaign targeting the owner of the newly opened cafe, Punjabi celebrity Kapil Sharma.
The social media posts by Indian nationalists came before any Canadian media or authorities had released a statement on the incident and were nearly immediately picked up on by Indian media. The posts by Indian nationalist media figures claimed the existence of a yet to be seen confession from a so-called “Khalistani terrorist” named Harjit Singh Laddi, based in Germany. The outlandish Indian media claims report the existence of a confession which says the shooting was setup because Sharma had made disrespectful comments about the attire of Nihang Sikhs, a more-military focused faction of the faith.
To date, The Sikh Press Association has not been able to ascertain the existence of any confession from any individual nor Khalistan group to this shooting. No Indian media reports provide any links nor images nor video footage of any confession from the individual said to be associated to Khalistan.An alleged video circulating said to be of Harjit Singh Laddi “confessing” includes zero references to Khalistan. Sikh PA will not be sharing any such unverified content.No official statement on the incident has been released by any Indian police/investigative unit, let alone confirmation of the culprit.
Also to be noted, no link exists to suggest someone called Harjit Singh Laddi is any type of figure within the Khalistani community, such as appearances at any events or within any content from official groups. References to Laddi only begin to appear within India media and statements by authorities in 2024, with only sparse reference to Khalistan links.
Whilst Indian media ran with the unverified claims in both suspicious and brazen fashion, comparatively both of Canada’s two biggest media outlets – Global News and CBC News – did not reference the Khalistan allegations. Other Canadian media outlets did mention the Indian media allegations, although without sensationalizing the as of yet completely baseless allegations.
Speaking on the Indian media attempt to warp the Canadian media narrative, Sikh Press Association Senior Press Officer Jasveer Singh said:
“It is great to see the majority of Canadian media outlets show they are not to be swayed by completely baseless claims from India which go against every basic protocol of Canadian law. In India, proscribing guilt before any legal process is normal, but it should not be in the West, where there is due process with such situations.
“Furthermore, the allegations from India make no sense at all. Kapil Sharma has never been mentioned by any Khalistan nor Nihang group as a disrespectful or provocative person. On the contrary, Sharma has notably been the target if an Indian nationalist hate campaign for his support for Sikh activists.”
The attacks linked to the Bishnoi gang – which speculatively includes this recent shooting towards Kapil Sharma – all are near identical in their execution and manner of release (brazen videos). This reputation around the Bishnoi gang has led to calls for the network to be labelled a terrorist entity, something which may be difficult given some beliefs that the Bishnoi label is merely a proxy for India’s government own criminal network workings.
The fact that the extortion seems to near exclusively target Punjabis was also highlighted by advocacy group World Sikh Org of Canada, who also stated “it is now abundantly clear that these gangs have ties to the Government of India.”
Various Sikh X users also pointed out the suspicious fact that Indian nationalist posters seemed to have the news – including video footage – before any Canadian media or authorities.
Sikhs For Justice, the group behind the global Khalistan Referendum campaign, released a statement on the accusations, calling the Indian narrative “disinformation…part of India’s hybrid warfare” to “delegitimize the Khalistan Referendum”.
The suspicious manner of the news first breaking via Indian nationalist X users also resembles the now notorious murder of Sukhdool Singh Gill in Winnipeg. Just hours after Indian media proclaimed Gill a wanted Khalistani terrorist, Gill was slain in his apartment, only for Punjab Police to later tell CBC News he was not a terrorist but just a criminal. Read more on this ultra-suspect case here- Punjabi Canadian appears on Indian “terror” hit list, murdered hours later, Indian media report it first- what’s going on? | SikhPA
Although police have since been active in Surrey, no official update on the case has yet come out.
UPDATE: An arrest was made less than 24-hours after the incident, with more info set to come.
An attack on a Gurdwara in Nuneaton (Warwickshire, UK) is being investigated as a hate crime, after a disturbing incident yesterday afternoon.
According to local sevadaars (selfless servants), police are investigating the incident is being investigated for criminal damage, trespassing and hate crime, based on a young man desecrating Sikh literature, contaminating communal food and attacking the Granthi (person in charge of prayers), who was leading prayers at the time.
Around 5pm on 08.07.25 a youth – described as likely a teenager of fair/pale complexion – entered the Sri Guru Tegh Bahadur Gurdwara Nuneation and walked into the langar (communal kitchen) hall. A Gurdwara is open to all, as is langar. Seen later on via CCTV footage, the youth then contaminated fruit which was out for the langar service with an unknown substance. The youth then entered an area with books and began desecrating images of the Sikh Gurus on these books. NOTE- These books were NOT sacred Sikh scripture (EG pothi sahibs- compilations of Gurbani, sacred Sikh scripture). The youth then picked up potatoes from the kitchen area of the langar hall, then entered into the darbar (meaning ‘King’s Court’, referring to the main prayer hall with setup for Sikh scriptural Guru, Guru Granth Sahib Ji), and threw the potatoes at the granthi, who was reading prayers at the time. Darbar was empty at the time, except for the Granthi. Upon becoming aware of the assault and after completing his passage, the Granthi got up and went to apprehend the youth, who then ran out of the building. No Sikh protocol – such as covering one’s head and removing shoes – was kept by the youth.
The incident was brought to light via a Sikh Channel report, spoken on by community figure Kam Singh, in what is now viral footage. According to local sevadaars, the initial police response to the call from the Gurdwara committee about the incident was not urgent enough, saying they would attend the Gurdwara the next day, leading to sangat (Sikh congregation) from across the Midlands attending to ensure the Gurdwara was secured, and also pressing police into responding sooner.
Community figure Kam Singh spoke to The Sikh Press Association, saying, “The incident was clearly a hate crime. Images of our Gurus were specifically targeted, and an attempt to disrupt our practices- langar and paat (prayer recital) – were made. Sikhs are aware of previous attacks on our Gurdwaras in India, the UK, USA and Australia, driven by different types of bigotry. For this reason, the police needed to take this seriously and we are glad they now are, and the Gurdwara committee will continue to engage with them until justice is done.“
Warwickshire Police are believed to now be searching for the individual, whose image was captured on CCTV.
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.
More will be provided on this story as information comes in.
Concern of Sikhs being pressured by the UK Government to say they have been “radicalised” has resurfaced, after another reported case last week.
In what is now viewed as an ongoing issue, this time through the UK government program Channel, a Sikh man who will remain anonymous was approached by Sussex police and asked to sign into a “process” run by the local council to “reduce the risk of radicalisation”.
Channel “is a voluntary, confidential programme which safeguards people identified as vulnerable to being drawn into terrorism”, according to its website. Channel is officially “part of the Prevent strategy”.
The coercive approach to formally registering a case of “Sikh radicalisation” in the UK came after a period where the individual approached was posting regularly about the 1984 Sikh genocide, revered Shaheeds (martyrs) of the resistance and Khalistan (free Sikh homeland movement), as millions of Sikhs do annually during the June anniversary remembrance period. This social media activism also came after the individual had grown further along the Sikh path, maintaining kes (unshorn hair) and becoming involved in community seva (selfless service). This transformation ultimately led to police confronting him at his home last month.
Within Sikh community circles, The Sikh Press Association is aware of reports within the last year of children being approached by Prevent, the program which claims to focus on children “susceptible to radicalisation into terrorism”. This is based on children showing reverence for Sikh military history of the 1600-1800s, support for the resistance against India’s Sikh genocide including the Khalistan movement, and general reverence of weapons, all of which are basic parts of Sikh history and practice, taught in all Sikh educational spaces.
The incident with Channel in East Sussex was brought to light by award winning community group Sikh Youth UK, who the targeted individual had recently done seva with. Sikh Youth UK have recently run a series of “emergency seminars” on grooming gangs across the UK, as well as being involved in various aspects of coordinating Sikh activism. On the group’s Instagram page, a picture of the letter from East Sussex County Council to the targeted individual was shared, showing how he was requested to sign up to a “voluntary process” having been “referred”, although it does not specific by who or how.
Senior sevadaar (selfless servant) of Sikh Youth UK Deepa Singh said of the incident, “This is just another example of the UK trying to create a problem of ‘Sikh extremism’ which does not exist. We are lucky the individual involved was steadfast enough to not fall to the pressure and be forced to sign the form saying they have been ‘radicalised’. We have advised them to remain anonymous for now, for their own safety and general privacy.
“I have no doubt that the recent consistent posts in support for Khalistan (free Sikh homeland movement) regarding 1984 genocide remembrance will have been a factor in the timing of this approach by Sussex police, who would have looked at them based on a referral. However, we are also aware the effort to label sevadaars as ‘radicalised’ goes beyond this too. We are aware even young females who have been survivors of grooming face pressure from programs like Prevent regarding association with organisations like Sikh Youth UK. It is clear there is an agenda. We know who benefits of having these young people declare themselves ‘radicalised’, and it is not the Sikh community which would get unfairly tarnished.”
In recent years, The Sikh Press Association has documented several incidents of Sikhs being stopped at airports and questioned by authorities regarding support for Khalistan, as well as wider acts of persecution of such support, all without evidence for any “radicalisation”, let alone “terrorism”. This also includes the infamous #WestMidlands3 case when Priti Patel as Home Secretary allowed India to attempt to extradite three British Sikhs to face the death penalty in India, based on accusations which had already been investigated and dismissed. The plight of Jagtar Singh Johal also serves as a warning, especially after the role UK intelligence played in helping India imprison him was exposed in 2022. Johal remains imprisoned in India for nearly eight-years, all whilst never being convicted of a crime.
Within Sikh communities, there is a belief that the UK Government is being pressured by India to target Sikh activism in the UK, due to it being entwined with criticism of India and support for Khalistan. This belief is supported by ample evidence, as reported by media including The Washington Post.
Deepa Singh added, “Whilst anyone can refer someone to Channel in this way, if the police were understanding of Sikh sentiment and practice, there would be no accusations of ‘radicalisation’. The fact is, the Sikh community is being targeted and harassed by UK authorities, and we know India’s government is part of a collusion in this trampling of Sikh rights.”
Concerns about the accusations from authorities – which come without any actual evidence nor convictions for anything resembling “Sikh terrorism” – will reverberate across the UK, as efforts to pushback against the targeting of Sikh activism continue.
In a reminder of India’s callous attitude towards Sikhs, a notorious figure known to be behind #SikhGenocide killings has been made head of the nation’s intelligence wing.
Parag Jain was this week named head of RAW (Research Analysis Wing), India’s leading intelligence branch. Groups including the World Sikh Parliament, World Sikh Organization and Sikh Federation Canada released statements on Jain’s well-known background in #SikhGenocide massacres of the 1990s.
Jain was in several senior roles in the Punjab Police in several different parts of Punjab, tenures which saw him become notorious for his role in extrajudicial killings. World renowned #SikhGenocide data collection team Ensaaf, a USA based org which went village-to-village documenting Punjab extrajudicial murders has Jain noted as someone named by families as being behind the “disappearance” of individuals.
Canada’s World Sikh Organization also noted how Jain was part of an official diplomatic visit to the Ottawa India High Commission in 2015, arguably signalling India’s new terroristic approach targeting Canadian Sikh activism under the Narendra Modi regime. With this in mind, WSO called the appointment a “refusal to curb transnational repression”.
Sikh Federation Canada also stated that “Sikhs across the country have written letters to senior Canadian officials” regarding “the dangers of normalizing relations with India”, where advocation for Khalistan (free Sikh homeland movement) is largely criminalized, based on Jain’s selection to a role which may see him working with Canada directly. SFC also warned of “grave consequences” of Jain’s role and allowing him to direct Indian intelligence operations in Canada. As such, SFC called for “immediate actions” of government to firstly condemn the appointment, suspend “all security and intelligence agreements with India”, and also “commit to an independent public inquiry on Indian transnational repression”.
Both BC Gurdwaras Council and the Ontario Gurdwaras Committee also called the appointment “shocking”, noting it as a clear indication of India’s intention to continue to terrorize Sikh activists, both in Canada and beyond.
Canadian Sikh groups have been been mobilizing to demonstrate against a planned appearance in the country by India’s notorious Prime Minister Narendra Modi after he accepted Canada PM Mark Carney’s public invitation last week.
The WSO subsequently released a template for those who support the stance against Modi’s appearance to contact political reps to request Canada to rescind Modi’s invite. See it here- Stop Modi’s G7 Invitation – World Sikh Organization of Canada.
When later Carney later tweeted his priority for the G7 summit was “protecting our communities”, some speculated this was an attempt to appease calls to address India’s security breaches in Canada. This came after NDP condemned the decision, joining countless Sikh calls against it, which included an Op Ed from Jaskaran Sandhu, editor of Sikh-focused news outlet Baaz News, who called the decision “morally bankrupt”. Carney thereafter going further in saying during a different press conference that the invitation to Modi was based on “accountability” regarding “law enforcement” also won praise from Sikhs For Justice. SFJ – the group behind the Khalistan Referendum campaign – also released a letter to Carney describing an Indian State “kill list” of Canadian Sikhs. The group have also planned demonstrations to “ambush” Modi.
The notorious anti-Sikh pro-Hindutva (Hindu extremism) Lawrence Bishnoi gang has taken responsibility for the brutal murder of a respected Sikh businessman and community figure this week.
On Wednesday afternoon (14th May) 51-year-old Harjeet Singh Dhadda was shot several times outside the offices of his family trucking business in Mississauga (Ontario, Canada). Since then, a leading Bishnoi gang member has taken responsibility for the killing and claimed it was due to Harjeet Singh’s alleged support for a Khalistan group.
As is normal for Indian criminals, less than 24-hours after the murder a Facebook confession was made by Rohit Godara, a major figure in the Bishnoi gang, who claimed Dhadda had paid for the bail of an alleged Khalistan figure (Arsh Dalla) in Punjab involved in a violent tit-for-tat spat with Bishnoi affiliates. However, no evidence exists for Dhadda having any involvement in Khalistan activism, including in Canada.
Harjeet Singh’s daughter has claimed that her father was the target of an extortion racket, something which the Bishnoi gang have previously been accused of doing by the RCMP (Royal Canadian Mounted Police), in a criminal act which often targets Sikhs. Via a social media statement, Gurlin Dhadda also referenced how “our community” is looking for “the right to protect themselves”, due to police failure to do so, saying her father was receiving threats since 2023, which was reported to authorities. The issue is similar to points of contention raised around the Shaheed (martyr) Bhai Hardeep Singh Nijjar assassination. Nijjar was given a “duty to warn” notice regarding a threat to his life, but little was done to protect him before Indian State funded assassins killed him in Surrey (BC), in June 2023.
Meanwhile, Rohit Godara continues to carve out a name for himself as a major gangster and Indian nationalist enforcer in India, having previously been linked to bombs targeting nightclubs whilst espousing nationalist rhetoric through use of the notorious Jai Shri Ram Hindutva chant.
Sikh community groups have been meeting and discussing the latest tragedy underlining an issue around lack of protection for targeted individuals and also the ongoing activities of Indian nationalist criminal networks working at the behest of the Indian State in Canada and beyond.
Hundreds of Sikhs attended the third national emergency seminar on “targeted grooming” in the last two weeks, as the UK community reacts to a huge surge in reported cases.
The series of seminars by Sikh Youth UK comes after April saw 10 separate families report cases of individuals – including children – being coerced into inappropriate and at times abusive relations, and/or being enticed into following radical Islam.
The cases are part of a decades long niche issue of transcultural similarities and religious taboos being exploited by predominantly Pakistani Muslim men and Sikh women, for the purposes of exploitation. The current national emergency regarding the issue was called on by Sikh Youth UK, with support from Sikh Council UK, leading to events in Coventry, Leicester and now Slough. Further events in London and beyond are planned.
The cases of grooming often start outside of the reach of the law, such as with playground bullying. Some reports include Sikh children becoming distant from their own family, after being brainwashed to look down on the Sikh faith and encouraged to disassociate from Sikhs. One infamous case of this kind saw the law only intervene after a Sikh convert was planning on joining ISIS.
Recent cases include teenagers reported missing by families.
Speaking on the rise in cases and the emergency seminars, Deepa Singh of Sikh Youth UK said:
“The shocking spike in reports has forced us to call on these emergency seminars and ensure there is a serious focus on the issue by the community. Whilst many know the seriousness of targeted grooming, too often it is ignored until it happens in your own home. We want families to be aware of this before it gets to that.
“We have sent sevadaars (selfless servants) knocking on doors of houses filled with men late at night to retrieve young Sikh teens. We do this because we get distraught parents left helpless by a lapse in the UK legal system which neglects Sikhs.”
The seminars focus on furthering parents’ understanding of the issue, and educating them on preventions, as well as spotting signs of concern. Declarations were also made to ensure that parcharaks (Sikh educators) were trained in understanding the issue, to also provide an avenue of support for the wider community.
For updates on the emergency series of seminars, follow Instagram.com/SikhYouthUK.
From the beginning of the current India-Pakistan conflict, rumours of Gurdwaras being targeted have been headline news and a viral topic on social media.
Clearly, based on the amount of Indian media and social commentators focusing on the topic, the Sikh kaum (nation) perspective on the conflict is important, and each side is trying to win favour. But what is the truth of the matter? Are Gurdwaras being targeted by either Pakistan or India?
Thus far, the only credible reports of potential specific targeting of a Gurdwara (or at least the area around a Gurdwara) came in Nankana Sahib, Pakistan, after Indian drones were said to be shot down in the city.
From the night of 7th May, dozens of Indian drones – allegedly Israeli manufactured – were reportedly sent into Pakistan. Many believed they were mainly on scanning missions, as little damage occurred, although some accounts from Indian ranks claimed otherwise, only to later be proven false. Pakistan did officially report three deaths via drone fire, as over 25 drones were said to be shot down. Areas of the mass drone sightings included birth place of Guru Nanak, Nankana Sahib.
Nankana Sahib has a tiny population compared to most of Pakistan’s major cities, and as such what Indian drones would be doing there is unclear. However, Pakistan ISPR (Inter-Services Public Relations) outright said the drones brought down in the area were targeting Nankana Sahib Gurdwara, which was “unacceptable”. Pakistan statements also said India was not differentiating between targeting the army vs civilians. Based on the belief India attempted to attack Nankana Sahib, the Sikhs For Justice group reiterated calls for Sikh soldiers to desert the Indian army.
Amid rumour, to ensure Pakistan’s sentiment on targeting Sikhs is clear, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar promoted Pakistan’s sympathies with the persecution Sikhs suffer in India and via the overseas transnational repression, including the assassination of Canadian leader Shaheed (martyr) Bhai Hardeep Singh Nijjar. Watch his TV interview where he spoke on this here.
Tarar was also speaking against claims that Pakistan specifically tried to target Sri Harmandir Sahib, the sacred Sikh site in border city Amritsar. The claim Pakistan targeted Harmandir Sahib was pushed by various Indian media figures, including the notoriously crass Abhijit Iyer-Mitra, a comedian turned fanatical Hindutva propagandist after being imprisoned under the Narendra Modi regime for inappropriate jokes. However, his “crap” was quickly called out by leading Sikh body the SGPC, which runs most major Gurdwaras in India.
Various Pakistan political figures, including Sikhs, are speaking out against suggestions Pakistan would ever deliberately target a Sikh site.
The Poonch Gurdwara damage was minor enough that it reopened the next day. However, the damage also shows how Sikhs are certain to suffer from being collateral damage within Pakistan’s efforts to target India, something which means damage to more Gurdwaras in India or Jammu and Kashmir cannot be ruled out.
Meanwhile, due to the incident of drones zoning in on Nankana Sahib, along with the rabid Hindu nationalist efforts to provoke Sikhs against Pakistan on social media, many Sikhs are concerned Gurdwaras in Pakistan may be targeted by India too, although to what end remains subjective, and even conspiratorial in some cases. Some Indian outlets have begun effort to repel the accusation, although nothing official from the Indian Army has yet been released on it.
A Gurdwara is the house of Sikh scriptural Guru, Guru Granth Sahib Ji, and a place of worship, meditation, education and more for a Sikh, whilst anyone of any faith or background is also welcome. The thought of Gurdwaras being targeted – a possibility on both sides – is partly what is driving major support from Sikh communities for the #NoWarInPunjab campaign.
In summary, both Pakistan and India claim the other side is deliberately targeting Gurdwaras. To date, only one Gurdwara has been damaged (slightly), which was by Pakistan, amid shelling which also damaged a mosque. Comparatively, the most credible report of a Gurdwara being specifically targeted, seems to be India sending drones to Nankana Sahib.
National advocacy body Sikh Federation UK reported a “potential crime” regarding foreign interference, after two Labour Party MPs signed and then unsigned a letter calling for India to release a British Sikh political prisoner.
Gurinder Singh Josan (Smethwick MP) and Sonia Kumar (Dudley) were two of over 100 MPs to sign a letter calling for the UK to demand India agree to the “immediate release” of Scotsman Jagtar Singh Johal, before later withdrawing their names within 48-hours, raising suspicions of external pressure.
The letter came from Labour’s Douglas McAllister, the local MP of West Dunbartonshire resident “Jaggi”, the Sikh rights blogger who has been arbitrarily imprisoned since he went to Punjab to get married in 2017. Jaggi has become the modern face of a longtime issue of India’s targeting of Sikh activists critical of India, where Sikhs are approximately just 2% of the population. The letter addresses Foreign Secretary David Lammy before he plans to meet Jaggi’s family this coming week.
SFUK allege a crime under the National Security Act of 2023 has been committed, which West Midlands Police have been called to investigate. Whilst many may wonder who was in contact with the MPs during those 48-hours, concrete information is unlikely to be divulged to the public, keeping accusations speculative for the time being. Neither MP has yet released any statement on why they made the U-turn.
However, the open public form of questioning by SFUK should prompt some response from the MPs, both of whom were elected last year during Labour’s landslide national victory, which saw an unprecedented 11 Sikh MPs elected, all for Labour. Nevertheless, questions are also being raised as to why other Sikh MPs, did not sign the letter (excluding the Cabinet members who cannot sign), especially after advocating their individual elections as “representation” for Sikhs.
This would not be the first time SFUK helped uncover Indian state interference in UK politics. In 2022 a scandal involving Labour Friends of India and the sidelining of peerage candidate Dabinderjit Singh was exposed by the group, highlighting India’s targeting of those critical of Narendra Modi’s regime. Read more on that story here.
The Sikh Federation Canada, a community advocacy body formed in 2023 of longtime community figures, released responses to a questionnaire sent to prospective MPs in the run-up to the election deadline tomorrow (28th April).
With over 30 responses, including two official party responses, Sikh Federation Canada compiled a comprehensive guide for Sikh voters on how their prospective political representatives stand on community issues.
Here we summarize those responses, with links for further reading.
Anti-Sikh hate
One of the main issues concerning Canadian Sikhs is anti-Sikh hate, something which impacts all sections of the community.
In response to questions on supporting “Sikh community organizations receive adequate funding” to tackle hate crime, SFC acknowledged a positive response from all three major parties (LPC, CPC, NDP), leading to all scoring 10/10 based on the defining criteria. See more here.
2. Civil liberties and religious freedoms
In this criteria, the Conservative Party of Canada received the worst scores for failing to support “concrete measures” on “systemic discrimination”. This relates to ongoing Sikh efforts to tackle Bill 21 and the possible implementation of similar legislation which would impact Sikh rights across Canada. See more on this section here.
3. Foreign interference and transnational repression
The Liberal Party – to be led by new leader Mark Carney – received the lowest marks in this area regarding whether Canada’s government “should take more steps”to address an issue which centres on India’s targeting of Canadian Sikh activists, something which is particularly important to Sikhs since the 2023 Indian State assassination of Shaheed (martyr) Bhai Hardeep Singh Nijjar and the resulting fallout. Comparatively, an official Conservative Party response said regarding the issue, Sikhs “…deserve to know the truth. And under a Conservative Government they will”. The Sikh Federation Canada’s stance remains that a public inquiry on the issue is required, something which NDP most strongly supported, giving the party led by Jagmeet Singh the highest possible score again. See more on this section here.
4. Ensuring justice and accountability
The NDP continued to receive full marks based on the responses on topic number four, which specifically outlined Sikh communities’ support for action against Indian intelligence officers in Canada whom worked with criminal groups to target Sikhs. Whilst the conservatives received lowest marks in this section, the Liberal Party also failed to receive full marks based on the responses given. See more on this section here.
5. Meaningful charter protections
Sikh Federation Canada highlighted the need to ensure Canada’s “security agencies should not be pressured or misused to target political dissidents”. This is based on SFC’s call for “Canada to immediately suspend all security and intelligence agreements with India”. Once again, the NDP scored highest marks which gives them full marks across the board in the questionnaire, making them by-far the best vote option based on wider Sikh issues, scoring 100/100 overall, whilst the Conservatives scored lowest again. See more on this section here.
Overall summary
The full report can be accessed here. Further information- info@sikhfederation.ca.
IGNORED- Indian anti-Sikh claims on Surrey shooting dismissed in Canada
/0 Comments/in News /by adminCanadian authorities and media this week ignored claims stemming from India that a recent Surrey (British Columbia) shooting was the handiwork of a “Khalistani terrorist”.
Within hours of a shooting at approximately 1.30am on 10th July targeting Kap’s Cafe, located in Surrey’s Newton neighborhood on 120th Street, Indian nationalist X (Twitter) users were sharing a video of the criminal act, claiming it was part of a Khalistani (free Sikh homeland) terror campaign targeting the owner of the newly opened cafe, Punjabi celebrity Kapil Sharma.
The social media posts by Indian nationalists came before any Canadian media or authorities had released a statement on the incident and were nearly immediately picked up on by Indian media. The posts by Indian nationalist media figures claimed the existence of a yet to be seen confession from a so-called “Khalistani terrorist” named Harjit Singh Laddi, based in Germany. The outlandish Indian media claims report the existence of a confession which says the shooting was setup because Sharma had made disrespectful comments about the attire of Nihang Sikhs, a more-military focused faction of the faith.
To date, The Sikh Press Association has not been able to ascertain the existence of any confession from any individual nor Khalistan group to this shooting. No Indian media reports provide any links nor images nor video footage of any confession from the individual said to be associated to Khalistan. An alleged video circulating said to be of Harjit Singh Laddi “confessing” includes zero references to Khalistan. Sikh PA will not be sharing any such unverified content. No official statement on the incident has been released by any Indian police/investigative unit, let alone confirmation of the culprit.
Also to be noted, no link exists to suggest someone called Harjit Singh Laddi is any type of figure within the Khalistani community, such as appearances at any events or within any content from official groups. References to Laddi only begin to appear within India media and statements by authorities in 2024, with only sparse reference to Khalistan links.
Whilst Indian media ran with the unverified claims in both suspicious and brazen fashion, comparatively both of Canada’s two biggest media outlets – Global News and CBC News – did not reference the Khalistan allegations. Other Canadian media outlets did mention the Indian media allegations, although without sensationalizing the as of yet completely baseless allegations.
Speaking on the Indian media attempt to warp the Canadian media narrative, Sikh Press Association Senior Press Officer Jasveer Singh said:
“It is great to see the majority of Canadian media outlets show they are not to be swayed by completely baseless claims from India which go against every basic protocol of Canadian law. In India, proscribing guilt before any legal process is normal, but it should not be in the West, where there is due process with such situations.
“Furthermore, the allegations from India make no sense at all. Kapil Sharma has never been mentioned by any Khalistan nor Nihang group as a disrespectful or provocative person. On the contrary, Sharma has notably been the target if an Indian nationalist hate campaign for his support for Sikh activists.”
Sharma, an Amritsar (Punjab) born Bollywood comedian who has previously displayed support for Sikh activists, joins a growing list of Punjabi celebrities targeted in similar attacks in BC, with previously the infamous Lawrence Bishnoi gang taking responsibility for such attacks. Hindu Punjabis showing support for Sikh activism is common at a grassroots level in amongst the communities, due to direct observation of State subjugation and oppression.
The attacks linked to the Bishnoi gang – which speculatively includes this recent shooting towards Kapil Sharma – all are near identical in their execution and manner of release (brazen videos). This reputation around the Bishnoi gang has led to calls for the network to be labelled a terrorist entity, something which may be difficult given some beliefs that the Bishnoi label is merely a proxy for India’s government own criminal network workings.
The fact that the extortion seems to near exclusively target Punjabis was also highlighted by advocacy group World Sikh Org of Canada, who also stated “it is now abundantly clear that these gangs have ties to the Government of India.”
Various Sikh X users also pointed out the suspicious fact that Indian nationalist posters seemed to have the news – including video footage – before any Canadian media or authorities.
Sikhs For Justice, the group behind the global Khalistan Referendum campaign, released a statement on the accusations, calling the Indian narrative “disinformation…part of India’s hybrid warfare” to “delegitimize the Khalistan Referendum”.
An emerging pattern of Hindu businessmen connected within Sikh communities being targeted has made headlines across the world in recent weeks. Just last week in Punjab, noted businessman and fashion designer Sanjay Verma was gunned down, whilst extortion attempts against Surrey Hindu community figure Satish Kumar continue. Kumar was the target of a recent hate campaign run by Indian propagandist Kushal Mehra, a Modi government export into Canada with a reputation of stoking communal divisions.
The baseless allegations regarding non-existent “Khalistani terrorism” in Canada are also part of a wider pattern. In 2023 Indian media lied about “grenades” being launch at an Indian embassy in Canada by Khalistan protesters. In 2022 another false anonymous claim made Ottawa police believe Sikh men were going to blow up their own #SikhGenocide remembrance event, which they had their families – including children – attending. The ludicrous claim saw police needlessly detain and interrogate the Sikh organizers of the event.
The suspicious manner of the news first breaking via Indian nationalist X users also resembles the now notorious murder of Sukhdool Singh Gill in Winnipeg. Just hours after Indian media proclaimed Gill a wanted Khalistani terrorist, Gill was slain in his apartment, only for Punjab Police to later tell CBC News he was not a terrorist but just a criminal. Read more on this ultra-suspect case here-
Punjabi Canadian appears on Indian “terror” hit list, murdered hours later, Indian media report it first- what’s going on? | SikhPA
Although police have since been active in Surrey, no official update on the case has yet come out.
Alleged hate crime being investigated after Nuneaton Gurdwara attack
/0 Comments/in News /by adminUPDATE: An arrest was made less than 24-hours after the incident, with more info set to come.
An attack on a Gurdwara in Nuneaton (Warwickshire, UK) is being investigated as a hate crime, after a disturbing incident yesterday afternoon.
According to local sevadaars (selfless servants), police are investigating the incident is being investigated for criminal damage, trespassing and hate crime, based on a young man desecrating Sikh literature, contaminating communal food and attacking the Granthi (person in charge of prayers), who was leading prayers at the time.
Around 5pm on 08.07.25 a youth – described as likely a teenager of fair/pale complexion – entered the Sri Guru Tegh Bahadur Gurdwara Nuneation and walked into the langar (communal kitchen) hall. A Gurdwara is open to all, as is langar. Seen later on via CCTV footage, the youth then contaminated fruit which was out for the langar service with an unknown substance. The youth then entered an area with books and began desecrating images of the Sikh Gurus on these books. NOTE- These books were NOT sacred Sikh scripture (EG pothi sahibs- compilations of Gurbani, sacred Sikh scripture). The youth then picked up potatoes from the kitchen area of the langar hall, then entered into the darbar (meaning ‘King’s Court’, referring to the main prayer hall with setup for Sikh scriptural Guru, Guru Granth Sahib Ji), and threw the potatoes at the granthi, who was reading prayers at the time. Darbar was empty at the time, except for the Granthi. Upon becoming aware of the assault and after completing his passage, the Granthi got up and went to apprehend the youth, who then ran out of the building. No Sikh protocol – such as covering one’s head and removing shoes – was kept by the youth.
The incident was brought to light via a Sikh Channel report, spoken on by community figure Kam Singh, in what is now viral footage. According to local sevadaars, the initial police response to the call from the Gurdwara committee about the incident was not urgent enough, saying they would attend the Gurdwara the next day, leading to sangat (Sikh congregation) from across the Midlands attending to ensure the Gurdwara was secured, and also pressing police into responding sooner.
Community figure Kam Singh spoke to The Sikh Press Association, saying, “The incident was clearly a hate crime. Images of our Gurus were specifically targeted, and an attempt to disrupt our practices- langar and paat (prayer recital) – were made. Sikhs are aware of previous attacks on our Gurdwaras in India, the UK, USA and Australia, driven by different types of bigotry. For this reason, the police needed to take this seriously and we are glad they now are, and the Gurdwara committee will continue to engage with them until justice is done.“
Warwickshire Police are believed to now be searching for the individual, whose image was captured on CCTV.
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.
More will be provided on this story as information comes in.
Media@sikhpa.com.
Sussex police pressure man about “radicalisation” after Sikh genocide Instagram posts
/0 Comments/in News /by adminConcern of Sikhs being pressured by the UK Government to say they have been “radicalised” has resurfaced, after another reported case last week.
In what is now viewed as an ongoing issue, this time through the UK government program Channel, a Sikh man who will remain anonymous was approached by Sussex police and asked to sign into a “process” run by the local council to “reduce the risk of radicalisation”.
Channel “is a voluntary, confidential programme which safeguards people identified as vulnerable to being drawn into terrorism”, according to its website. Channel is officially “part of the Prevent strategy”.
The coercive approach to formally registering a case of “Sikh radicalisation” in the UK came after a period where the individual approached was posting regularly about the 1984 Sikh genocide, revered Shaheeds (martyrs) of the resistance and Khalistan (free Sikh homeland movement), as millions of Sikhs do annually during the June anniversary remembrance period. This social media activism also came after the individual had grown further along the Sikh path, maintaining kes (unshorn hair) and becoming involved in community seva (selfless service). This transformation ultimately led to police confronting him at his home last month.
Within Sikh community circles, The Sikh Press Association is aware of reports within the last year of children being approached by Prevent, the program which claims to focus on children “susceptible to radicalisation into terrorism”. This is based on children showing reverence for Sikh military history of the 1600-1800s, support for the resistance against India’s Sikh genocide including the Khalistan movement, and general reverence of weapons, all of which are basic parts of Sikh history and practice, taught in all Sikh educational spaces.
The incident with Channel in East Sussex was brought to light by award winning community group Sikh Youth UK, who the targeted individual had recently done seva with. Sikh Youth UK have recently run a series of “emergency seminars” on grooming gangs across the UK, as well as being involved in various aspects of coordinating Sikh activism. On the group’s Instagram page, a picture of the letter from East Sussex County Council to the targeted individual was shared, showing how he was requested to sign up to a “voluntary process” having been “referred”, although it does not specific by who or how.
Senior sevadaar (selfless servant) of Sikh Youth UK Deepa Singh said of the incident, “This is just another example of the UK trying to create a problem of ‘Sikh extremism’ which does not exist. We are lucky the individual involved was steadfast enough to not fall to the pressure and be forced to sign the form saying they have been ‘radicalised’. We have advised them to remain anonymous for now, for their own safety and general privacy.
“I have no doubt that the recent consistent posts in support for Khalistan (free Sikh homeland movement) regarding 1984 genocide remembrance will have been a factor in the timing of this approach by Sussex police, who would have looked at them based on a referral. However, we are also aware the effort to label sevadaars as ‘radicalised’ goes beyond this too. We are aware even young females who have been survivors of grooming face pressure from programs like Prevent regarding association with organisations like Sikh Youth UK. It is clear there is an agenda. We know who benefits of having these young people declare themselves ‘radicalised’, and it is not the Sikh community which would get unfairly tarnished.”
In recent years, The Sikh Press Association has documented several incidents of Sikhs being stopped at airports and questioned by authorities regarding support for Khalistan, as well as wider acts of persecution of such support, all without evidence for any “radicalisation”, let alone “terrorism”. This also includes the infamous #WestMidlands3 case when Priti Patel as Home Secretary allowed India to attempt to extradite three British Sikhs to face the death penalty in India, based on accusations which had already been investigated and dismissed. The plight of Jagtar Singh Johal also serves as a warning, especially after the role UK intelligence played in helping India imprison him was exposed in 2022. Johal remains imprisoned in India for nearly eight-years, all whilst never being convicted of a crime.
Within Sikh communities, there is a belief that the UK Government is being pressured by India to target Sikh activism in the UK, due to it being entwined with criticism of India and support for Khalistan. This belief is supported by ample evidence, as reported by media including The Washington Post.
Deepa Singh added, “Whilst anyone can refer someone to Channel in this way, if the police were understanding of Sikh sentiment and practice, there would be no accusations of ‘radicalisation’. The fact is, the Sikh community is being targeted and harassed by UK authorities, and we know India’s government is part of a collusion in this trampling of Sikh rights.”
Concerns about the accusations from authorities – which come without any actual evidence nor convictions for anything resembling “Sikh terrorism” – will reverberate across the UK, as efforts to pushback against the targeting of Sikh activism continue.
Media@sikhpa.com
#SikhGenocide killer made head of Indian intelligence
/0 Comments/in News /by adminIn a reminder of India’s callous attitude towards Sikhs, a notorious figure known to be behind #SikhGenocide killings has been made head of the nation’s intelligence wing.
Parag Jain was this week named head of RAW (Research Analysis Wing), India’s leading intelligence branch. Groups including the World Sikh Parliament, World Sikh Organization and Sikh Federation Canada released statements on Jain’s well-known background in #SikhGenocide massacres of the 1990s.
Jain was in several senior roles in the Punjab Police in several different parts of Punjab, tenures which saw him become notorious for his role in extrajudicial killings. World renowned #SikhGenocide data collection team Ensaaf, a USA based org which went village-to-village documenting Punjab extrajudicial murders has Jain noted as someone named by families as being behind the “disappearance” of individuals.
Canada’s World Sikh Organization also noted how Jain was part of an official diplomatic visit to the Ottawa India High Commission in 2015, arguably signalling India’s new terroristic approach targeting Canadian Sikh activism under the Narendra Modi regime. With this in mind, WSO called the appointment a “refusal to curb transnational repression”.
Sikh Federation Canada also stated that “Sikhs across the country have written letters to senior Canadian officials” regarding “the dangers of normalizing relations with India”, where advocation for Khalistan (free Sikh homeland movement) is largely criminalized, based on Jain’s selection to a role which may see him working with Canada directly. SFC also warned of “grave consequences” of Jain’s role and allowing him to direct Indian intelligence operations in Canada. As such, SFC called for “immediate actions” of government to firstly condemn the appointment, suspend “all security and intelligence agreements with India”, and also “commit to an independent public inquiry on Indian transnational repression”.
Both BC Gurdwaras Council and the Ontario Gurdwaras Committee also called the appointment “shocking”, noting it as a clear indication of India’s intention to continue to terrorize Sikh activists, both in Canada and beyond.
Media inquiries- media@sikhpa.com
“Betrayal”- Sikh groups mobilize after Modi accepts Canada invitation
/0 Comments/in News /by adminCanadian Sikh groups have been been mobilizing to demonstrate against a planned appearance in the country by India’s notorious Prime Minister Narendra Modi after he accepted Canada PM Mark Carney’s public invitation last week.
In what was clearly an attempt to dismiss allegations that Modi was not invited to the upcoming G7 summit in Kananaskis (Alberta) because of his ties to the assassination of Shaheed (martyr) Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Surrey (BC), Carney tweeted about invitating the BJP leader on 6th June.
Sikh groups were quick to condemn the move, with World Sikh Org calling it a “betrayal”, whilst Sikh Federation Canada called it a “grave insult”. Guru Nanak Sikh Gurdwara – where Nijjar was President and also lost his life – released a statement reminding Carney of the expulsion of India’s diplomats linked to the killing who have not been held to account yet.
The WSO subsequently released a template for those who support the stance against Modi’s appearance to contact political reps to request Canada to rescind Modi’s invite. See it here- Stop Modi’s G7 Invitation – World Sikh Organization of Canada.
When later Carney later tweeted his priority for the G7 summit was “protecting our communities”, some speculated this was an attempt to appease calls to address India’s security breaches in Canada. This came after NDP condemned the decision, joining countless Sikh calls against it, which included an Op Ed from Jaskaran Sandhu, editor of Sikh-focused news outlet Baaz News, who called the decision “morally bankrupt”. Carney thereafter going further in saying during a different press conference that the invitation to Modi was based on “accountability” regarding “law enforcement” also won praise from Sikhs For Justice. SFJ – the group behind the Khalistan Referendum campaign – also released a letter to Carney describing an Indian State “kill list” of Canadian Sikhs. The group have also planned demonstrations to “ambush” Modi.
Within his own party, Liberal MP Sukh Dhaliwal of Surrey-Newton went public with his disagreement with Carney’s decision.
An Ottawa Parliament Hill protest against Modi’s appearance has been set for Saturday 14th June.
Indian nationalist gang take responsibility for Sikh man’s murder
/0 Comments/in News /by adminThe notorious anti-Sikh pro-Hindutva (Hindu extremism) Lawrence Bishnoi gang has taken responsibility for the brutal murder of a respected Sikh businessman and community figure this week.
On Wednesday afternoon (14th May) 51-year-old Harjeet Singh Dhadda was shot several times outside the offices of his family trucking business in Mississauga (Ontario, Canada). Since then, a leading Bishnoi gang member has taken responsibility for the killing and claimed it was due to Harjeet Singh’s alleged support for a Khalistan group.
As is normal for Indian criminals, less than 24-hours after the murder a Facebook confession was made by Rohit Godara, a major figure in the Bishnoi gang, who claimed Dhadda had paid for the bail of an alleged Khalistan figure (Arsh Dalla) in Punjab involved in a violent tit-for-tat spat with Bishnoi affiliates. However, no evidence exists for Dhadda having any involvement in Khalistan activism, including in Canada.
The claim Bishnoi gang members target Khalistanis allows them to justify their crimes and maintain support as street enforcers for Indian nationalism, which even Narendra Modi affiliate Major Gaurav Arya has promoted.
Harjeet Singh’s daughter has claimed that her father was the target of an extortion racket, something which the Bishnoi gang have previously been accused of doing by the RCMP (Royal Canadian Mounted Police), in a criminal act which often targets Sikhs. Via a social media statement, Gurlin Dhadda also referenced how “our community” is looking for “the right to protect themselves”, due to police failure to do so, saying her father was receiving threats since 2023, which was reported to authorities. The issue is similar to points of contention raised around the Shaheed (martyr) Bhai Hardeep Singh Nijjar assassination. Nijjar was given a “duty to warn” notice regarding a threat to his life, but little was done to protect him before Indian State funded assassins killed him in Surrey (BC), in June 2023.
Meanwhile, Rohit Godara continues to carve out a name for himself as a major gangster and Indian nationalist enforcer in India, having previously been linked to bombs targeting nightclubs whilst espousing nationalist rhetoric through use of the notorious Jai Shri Ram Hindutva chant.
Last year in November, Hindu mobs chanted support for the Bishnoi gang in Brampton (Ontario), before later surrounding Malton Gurdwara, on a day of anti-Sikh violence. Last year in February, a Brampton shooting was also linked to the targeting of Sikhs by Indian nationalists. In this year in January, the Bishnoi gang were believed to be behind the targeting of a California based Sikh activist. Even Sikh Press Association staff have been threatened with “visits” from the Bishnoi gang.
Sikh community groups have been meeting and discussing the latest tragedy underlining an issue around lack of protection for targeted individuals and also the ongoing activities of Indian nationalist criminal networks working at the behest of the Indian State in Canada and beyond.
Media inquiries- media@sikhpa.com.
National emergency “targeted grooming” seminars continue
/0 Comments/in News /by adminHundreds of Sikhs attended the third national emergency seminar on “targeted grooming” in the last two weeks, as the UK community reacts to a huge surge in reported cases.
The series of seminars by Sikh Youth UK comes after April saw 10 separate families report cases of individuals – including children – being coerced into inappropriate and at times abusive relations, and/or being enticed into following radical Islam.
The cases are part of a decades long niche issue of transcultural similarities and religious taboos being exploited by predominantly Pakistani Muslim men and Sikh women, for the purposes of exploitation. The current national emergency regarding the issue was called on by Sikh Youth UK, with support from Sikh Council UK, leading to events in Coventry, Leicester and now Slough. Further events in London and beyond are planned.
The cases of grooming often start outside of the reach of the law, such as with playground bullying. Some reports include Sikh children becoming distant from their own family, after being brainwashed to look down on the Sikh faith and encouraged to disassociate from Sikhs. One infamous case of this kind saw the law only intervene after a Sikh convert was planning on joining ISIS.
Recent cases include teenagers reported missing by families.
Speaking on the rise in cases and the emergency seminars, Deepa Singh of Sikh Youth UK said:
“The shocking spike in reports has forced us to call on these emergency seminars and ensure there is a serious focus on the issue by the community. Whilst many know the seriousness of targeted grooming, too often it is ignored until it happens in your own home. We want families to be aware of this before it gets to that.
“We have sent sevadaars (selfless servants) knocking on doors of houses filled with men late at night to retrieve young Sikh teens. We do this because we get distraught parents left helpless by a lapse in the UK legal system which neglects Sikhs.”
The seminars focus on furthering parents’ understanding of the issue, and educating them on preventions, as well as spotting signs of concern. Declarations were also made to ensure that parcharaks (Sikh educators) were trained in understanding the issue, to also provide an avenue of support for the wider community.
For updates on the emergency series of seminars, follow Instagram.com/SikhYouthUK.
Are Gurdwaras being targeted in the India-Pakistan conflict?
/0 Comments/in News /by adminFrom the beginning of the current India-Pakistan conflict, rumours of Gurdwaras being targeted have been headline news and a viral topic on social media.
Clearly, based on the amount of Indian media and social commentators focusing on the topic, the Sikh kaum (nation) perspective on the conflict is important, and each side is trying to win favour. But what is the truth of the matter? Are Gurdwaras being targeted by either Pakistan or India?
Thus far, the only credible reports of potential specific targeting of a Gurdwara (or at least the area around a Gurdwara) came in Nankana Sahib, Pakistan, after Indian drones were said to be shot down in the city.
From the night of 7th May, dozens of Indian drones – allegedly Israeli manufactured – were reportedly sent into Pakistan. Many believed they were mainly on scanning missions, as little damage occurred, although some accounts from Indian ranks claimed otherwise, only to later be proven false. Pakistan did officially report three deaths via drone fire, as over 25 drones were said to be shot down. Areas of the mass drone sightings included birth place of Guru Nanak, Nankana Sahib.
Nankana Sahib has a tiny population compared to most of Pakistan’s major cities, and as such what Indian drones would be doing there is unclear. However, Pakistan ISPR (Inter-Services Public Relations) outright said the drones brought down in the area were targeting Nankana Sahib Gurdwara, which was “unacceptable”. Pakistan statements also said India was not differentiating between targeting the army vs civilians. Based on the belief India attempted to attack Nankana Sahib, the Sikhs For Justice group reiterated calls for Sikh soldiers to desert the Indian army.
Amid rumour, to ensure Pakistan’s sentiment on targeting Sikhs is clear, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar promoted Pakistan’s sympathies with the persecution Sikhs suffer in India and via the overseas transnational repression, including the assassination of Canadian leader Shaheed (martyr) Bhai Hardeep Singh Nijjar. Watch his TV interview where he spoke on this here.
Tarar was also speaking against claims that Pakistan specifically tried to target Sri Harmandir Sahib, the sacred Sikh site in border city Amritsar. The claim Pakistan targeted Harmandir Sahib was pushed by various Indian media figures, including the notoriously crass Abhijit Iyer-Mitra, a comedian turned fanatical Hindutva propagandist after being imprisoned under the Narendra Modi regime for inappropriate jokes. However, his “crap” was quickly called out by leading Sikh body the SGPC, which runs most major Gurdwaras in India.
Various Pakistan political figures, including Sikhs, are speaking out against suggestions Pakistan would ever deliberately target a Sikh site.
Nevertheless, a Gurdwara was hit during one of Pakistan’s first attacks targeting Indian military bases in Jammu and Kashmir, although subsequently locals also highlighted how the same attack in the district of Poonch hit a mosque and mandir too, as well as killing a majority of Muslims among 13 deaths.
The Poonch Gurdwara damage was minor enough that it reopened the next day. However, the damage also shows how Sikhs are certain to suffer from being collateral damage within Pakistan’s efforts to target India, something which means damage to more Gurdwaras in India or Jammu and Kashmir cannot be ruled out.
Meanwhile, due to the incident of drones zoning in on Nankana Sahib, along with the rabid Hindu nationalist efforts to provoke Sikhs against Pakistan on social media, many Sikhs are concerned Gurdwaras in Pakistan may be targeted by India too, although to what end remains subjective, and even conspiratorial in some cases. Some Indian outlets have begun effort to repel the accusation, although nothing official from the Indian Army has yet been released on it.
A Gurdwara is the house of Sikh scriptural Guru, Guru Granth Sahib Ji, and a place of worship, meditation, education and more for a Sikh, whilst anyone of any faith or background is also welcome. The thought of Gurdwaras being targeted – a possibility on both sides – is partly what is driving major support from Sikh communities for the #NoWarInPunjab campaign.
In summary, both Pakistan and India claim the other side is deliberately targeting Gurdwaras. To date, only one Gurdwara has been damaged (slightly), which was by Pakistan, amid shelling which also damaged a mosque. Comparatively, the most credible report of a Gurdwara being specifically targeted, seems to be India sending drones to Nankana Sahib.
Possible Indian interference reported after MP #FreeJaggiNow U-turns
/0 Comments/in News /by adminNational advocacy body Sikh Federation UK reported a “potential crime” regarding foreign interference, after two Labour Party MPs signed and then unsigned a letter calling for India to release a British Sikh political prisoner.
Gurinder Singh Josan (Smethwick MP) and Sonia Kumar (Dudley) were two of over 100 MPs to sign a letter calling for the UK to demand India agree to the “immediate release” of Scotsman Jagtar Singh Johal, before later withdrawing their names within 48-hours, raising suspicions of external pressure.
The letter came from Labour’s Douglas McAllister, the local MP of West Dunbartonshire resident “Jaggi”, the Sikh rights blogger who has been arbitrarily imprisoned since he went to Punjab to get married in 2017. Jaggi has become the modern face of a longtime issue of India’s targeting of Sikh activists critical of India, where Sikhs are approximately just 2% of the population. The letter addresses Foreign Secretary David Lammy before he plans to meet Jaggi’s family this coming week.
Read a timeline with the latest on Jaggi here.
In a statement regarding the “mysterious” withdrawal by Josan and Kumar, SFUK suggested many following the situation had “concluded there may have been illegal political interference by staff working for the Indian government”. Issues of Indian interference targeting politicians in the West have been well-documented, particularly since the assassination of Shaheed (martyr) Bhai Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Surrey (BC, Canada) in 2023. Josan and Kumar were included as signatories of the list on 29th April, among over 100 other MPs. However, by 1st May, both had withdrawn their signatures.
SFUK allege a crime under the National Security Act of 2023 has been committed, which West Midlands Police have been called to investigate. Whilst many may wonder who was in contact with the MPs during those 48-hours, concrete information is unlikely to be divulged to the public, keeping accusations speculative for the time being. Neither MP has yet released any statement on why they made the U-turn.
However, the open public form of questioning by SFUK should prompt some response from the MPs, both of whom were elected last year during Labour’s landslide national victory, which saw an unprecedented 11 Sikh MPs elected, all for Labour. Nevertheless, questions are also being raised as to why other Sikh MPs, did not sign the letter (excluding the Cabinet members who cannot sign), especially after advocating their individual elections as “representation” for Sikhs.
This would not be the first time SFUK helped uncover Indian state interference in UK politics. In 2022 a scandal involving Labour Friends of India and the sidelining of peerage candidate Dabinderjit Singh was exposed by the group, highlighting India’s targeting of those critical of Narendra Modi’s regime. Read more on that story here.
Sikh Federation Election Guide: Summary
/0 Comments/in News /by adminThe Sikh Federation Canada, a community advocacy body formed in 2023 of longtime community figures, released responses to a questionnaire sent to prospective MPs in the run-up to the election deadline tomorrow (28th April).
With over 30 responses, including two official party responses, Sikh Federation Canada compiled a comprehensive guide for Sikh voters on how their prospective political representatives stand on community issues.
Here we summarize those responses, with links for further reading.
One of the main issues concerning Canadian Sikhs is anti-Sikh hate, something which impacts all sections of the community.
In response to questions on supporting “Sikh community organizations receive adequate funding” to tackle hate crime, SFC acknowledged a positive response from all three major parties (LPC, CPC, NDP), leading to all scoring 10/10 based on the defining criteria. See more here.
2. Civil liberties and religious freedoms
In this criteria, the Conservative Party of Canada received the worst scores for failing to support “concrete measures” on “systemic discrimination”. This relates to ongoing Sikh efforts to tackle Bill 21 and the possible implementation of similar legislation which would impact Sikh rights across Canada. See more on this section here.
3. Foreign interference and transnational repression
The Liberal Party – to be led by new leader Mark Carney – received the lowest marks in this area regarding whether Canada’s government “should take more steps” to address an issue which centres on India’s targeting of Canadian Sikh activists, something which is particularly important to Sikhs since the 2023 Indian State assassination of Shaheed (martyr) Bhai Hardeep Singh Nijjar and the resulting fallout. Comparatively, an official Conservative Party response said regarding the issue, Sikhs “…deserve to know the truth. And under a Conservative Government they will”. The Sikh Federation Canada’s stance remains that a public inquiry on the issue is required, something which NDP most strongly supported, giving the party led by Jagmeet Singh the highest possible score again. See more on this section here.
4. Ensuring justice and accountability
The NDP continued to receive full marks based on the responses on topic number four, which specifically outlined Sikh communities’ support for action against Indian intelligence officers in Canada whom worked with criminal groups to target Sikhs. Whilst the conservatives received lowest marks in this section, the Liberal Party also failed to receive full marks based on the responses given. See more on this section here.
5. Meaningful charter protections
Sikh Federation Canada highlighted the need to ensure Canada’s “security agencies should not be pressured or misused to target political dissidents”. This is based on SFC’s call for “Canada to immediately suspend all security and intelligence agreements with India”. Once again, the NDP scored highest marks which gives them full marks across the board in the questionnaire, making them by-far the best vote option based on wider Sikh issues, scoring 100/100 overall, whilst the Conservatives scored lowest again. See more on this section here.
Overall summary
The full report can be accessed here. Further information- info@sikhfederation.ca.