22-9-2023 (OTTAWA) The Indian government has issued a warning to its citizens residing in Canada, urging them to exercise “extreme caution” due to what it describes as a “deteriorating security environment” in the country. This advisory comes in the wake of Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s announcement of a police investigation into “credible allegations” regarding the Indian government’s involvement in the killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar.
Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a 46-year-old who migrated to Canada in 1997 and obtained Canadian citizenship in 2015, was fatally shot by two masked assailants on June 18 in the parking lot of the Guru Nanak Sikh Gurdwara in Surrey, British Columbia.
The Indian government vehemently denies any involvement in Nijjar’s killing. Nevertheless, these allegations have led to the expulsion of diplomats from both countries, exacerbating tensions.
In late 2022, the Canadian government expressed its intent to strengthen its partnership with India based on a shared commitment to democratic principles. However, the recent events surrounding Nijjar’s death have chilled Indo-Canadian relations once again, underscoring the complexities of their diplomatic ties.
Canada asserts that any foreign government’s involvement in the killing of a Canadian citizen on Canadian soil constitutes a violation of its sovereignty. On the other hand, India contends that Canada, specifically the Liberal government led by Trudeau, has consistently overlooked what it regards as “terrorist activities” perpetrated by supporters of the Khalistan movement.
The Khalistan Movement
The Sikh population in India numbers around 22 million, with the majority residing in the northern state of Punjab. The demand for an independent Sikh homeland, known as Khalistan, dates back to the 1940s when India was partitioned by the British, leading to the creation of Pakistan.
While the Khalistan movement remained relatively dormant until the 1970s, the situation changed significantly during that decade and the 1980s. Punjab witnessed a surge in violent political activity driven by the need to protect Sikh religion and identity, address rising unemployment in the agricultural sector, and address the concerns of Sikh youth.
In June 1984, then-Prime Minister Indira Gandhi ordered the Indian Army to storm the Golden Temple in Amritsar, a site of great significance to Sikhs and the hub of Khalistan movement leaders. The operation resulted in the desecration of the temple and the deaths of more than 400 individuals, including movement leaders, with hundreds more injured.
The assassination of Indira Gandhi by two of her Sikh bodyguards in October 1984 further fueled violence, as her Congress party’s Hindu workers led anti-Sikh riots that resulted in the deaths of thousands of Sikhs.
For the Sikh diaspora, particularly those who left India following the riots, the memory of their community’s suffering remains vivid. The Indian government has made limited efforts to hold those responsible for violence against the Sikh community accountable or to initiate a truth and reconciliation process with the community.
Khalistan Activists Killed
Nijjar’s murder represents the third targeted killing of Khalistan leaders outside of India.
In May, Paramjit Singh Panjwar, the head of the Khalistan Commando Force, was shot and killed by two identified gunmen in Lahore, Pakistan. In June, Avtar Singh Khanda of the UK-based Khalistan Liberation Force was suspected of dying due to poisoning.
Nijjar served as the head of the Khalistan Tiger Force and was an active member of Sikhs for Justice, a US-based organization advocating for an independent Sikh homeland. Since 2022, Sikhs for Justice has been conducting referendums in Canada and other locations in support of Khalistan.
In 2016, The Times of India reported that Punjab intelligence officials believed Nijjar had assumed the role of “operational head” of the Khalistan Tiger Force and was organizing groups for potential attacks. The report also alleged Nijjar’s frequent visits to Pakistan and his ties to Pakistani intelligence. There were further claims that Nijjar was operating a camp near Mission, British Columbia, with intentions to launch an attack in Punjab.
Mission Mayor Randy Hawes dismissed the credibility of that report, and at the time, Ralph Goodale, then Canada’s public safety minister, declined to comment on the allegations.
In an open letter to Trudeau, Nijjar refuted the allegations against him as “factually baseless and fabricated,” attributing them to the Indian government’s campaign to label his human rights advocacy as “terrorist activities.”
The Nijjar incident adds another layer to the ongoing dispute between India and Canada concerning the Khalistan movement. The Indian government argues that Canada’s failure to ban groups like the Khalistan Tiger Force and Sikhs for Justice compromises India’s sovereignty, territorial integrity, and security. Canada, however, has resisted calls to halt the referendums. Meanwhile, India’s current Hindu populist government is seen as intolerant of dissenting voices, especially from minority communities.
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