CANADA: Canadian Sikhs staged demonstrations outside India’s diplomatic missions, voicing their concerns a week after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau hinted at a potential link between New Delhi and the murder of Sikh separatist leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar in British Columbia.
Trudeau’s statement in parliament last week highlighted ongoing investigations by Canadian intelligence agencies into credible claims that suggest New Delhi’s involvement in the shooting of Canadian citizen Hardeep Singh Nijjar, aged 45, in June.
Approximately 100 demonstrators in Toronto expressed their grievances by setting fire to an Indian flag and symbolically striking a cardboard cutout of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi with a shoe. Simultaneously, around 200 protesters gathered outside the Vancouver consulate.
In Ottawa, fewer than 100 individuals assembled outside the Indian High Commissioner’s office (embassy) in the capital, waving yellow flags bearing the word “Khalistan,” which represents their support for Punjab’s independence from India as a separate state for Sikhs—a cause that Nijjar had advocated for.
One protester, Reshma Singh Bolinas, in Ottawa, conveyed their gratitude to Justin Trudeau and emphasized the importance of leaving no stone unturned to unravel the circumstances surrounding this cowardly act. The protester called on Canada to exert diplomatic pressure on India to prevent future killings of innocent people.
Canada has a significant Sikh population, with approximately 770,000 Sikhs residing in the country—the largest Sikh community outside of their native Punjab. In recent years, various demonstrations by the Sikh community in Canada have strained relations between the two nations.
India has dismissed Trudeau’s allegations as “absurd” and issued a travel advisory last week warning about increasing “anti-India activities” in Canada, urging travelers to exercise “utmost caution.” However, the advisory did not provide specific evidence or incidents.
These allegations have cast a spotlight on Canada’s Sikh community. While Sikhs make up only 2% of India’s vast population of 1.4 billion, they constitute the majority in Punjab, a state with 30 million residents and the birthplace of Sikhism 500 years ago.
The ongoing dispute has led to reciprocal actions, including both nations expelling diplomats and New Delhi suspending visas for Canadian citizens.
Among the protesters in Toronto and Ottawa, there were calls for the removal of the Indian High Commissioner (ambassador) to Canada, Sanjay Kumar Verma, who had previously acknowledged the protests and assured the provision of security.
Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a plumber who left the northern Indian state of Punjab 25 years ago and became a Canadian citizen, had advocated for the creation of an independent Sikh homeland. In July 2020, India designated him as a “terrorist.”
According to some sources, the Canadian government conducted an extensive investigation over several months into the Sikh separatist leader, collecting both human intelligence and signal intelligence.
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