*“Proud Hindu” arrested in Surrey Gurdwara targeted disturbance*

A man who shouted “I’m a proud Hindu” as he disturbed a Gurdwara program in Surrey (BC) was arrested on Sunday, underlining a growing anti-Sikh threat in Canada.

The incident occurred during a busy Sunday of prayer/meditation and educational talks at Surrey Dasmesh Darbar. During an afternoon program, the man in question suddenly began acting aggressively within sangat (congregation) in darbar (main prayer hall) and charged the stage towards Guru Granth Sahib Ji (Sikh scriptural Guru).

The man was seen removing his ramaal (mandatory head-covering for men in a Gurdwara) before shouting “Hindutva slogans” and moving towards the main stage, disturbing the program. The culprit – who appeared to be in his 30s – was quickly apprehended by sangat, and later handed to local authorities. No police statement giving detail on the criminal proceedings has yet been released, nor any official Gurdwara or BC Sikh leadership statement.

Dasmesh Darbar is one of the busiest Gurdwaras outside of India, where support for Khalistan (free Sikh homeland movement) is prominent, including hosting many talks from late community leader Shaheed (martyr) Bhai Hardeep Singh Nijjar, who was assassinated by India for his activism in 2023.

During the apprehending, according to a report from Surrey based respected journalist Gurpreet Singh Sahota, those involved stated:

• the attacker feigned mental issues
• he later said he was sent to create a disturbance so that the Sikhs would harm him, making him a “martyr” for Hindus
• his phone showed videos of the November anti-Sikh disturbances and evidence of being in Indian nationalist whatsapp groups

Indian State transnational repression targeting Canada’s Khalistan movement has been well documented in recent years, raising suspicion of a malicious agenda behind the actions of the man, who remains unnamed to date. The incident also seems to mimic anti-Sikh hate crimes in India, where 300+ of cases of young men desecrating Guru Granth Sahib Ji in Gurdwaras have been recorded since approximately 2015, when the beadbi (sacrilege) became more regular. Just as in this case, culprits often feign mental disabilities, whilst some have also openly claimed they were paid to carry out the crime to stoke communal tensions. Protests against police inaction regarding the hate crimes led to peaceful protesters being shot dead in 2016, giving rise to #SikhLivesMatter protests.

Local grassroots Sikh groups worked to rally the community after the event at the Gurdwara and via social media, encouraging vigilance and fortitude in face of what are believed to be targeted attacks. In November, Indian nationalist mobs gathered outside Surrey-Delta Guru Nanak Sikh Gurdwara and Malton Guru Singh Sabha Gurdwara (Ontario), in a day of anti-Sikh violence across Canada. One local grassroots community group also noted another incident of a seemingly planned disturbance approximately two weeks ago at Dasmesh Gurdwara, when another man acted needlessly aggressive towards sangat in darbar.

A recent video from notorious Hindutva (Hindu extremist) influencer Gaurav Arya calling for Hindus to become “armed with guns” and “take war” to Khalistanis in the UK also reflects the anti-Sikh agenda targeting diaspora communities. Previously Arya, a military figure and Narendra Modi associate, has called for criminal groups in the USA to be utilised against Sikhs critical of India, as well as making claims about India influencing right-wing groups in Canada to support efforts to target Khalistanis.

As part of renewed efforts to organize within the community against ongoing issues, the announcement of a new grassroots alliance was also announced, affirming sentiments of resistance against the ongoing targeting of Sikhs.

Media inquiries- media@sikhpa.com.