A Sikh Separatist Leader Is Assassinated on Canadian Soil

Two masked gunmen killed 45-year-old Sikh Separatist leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar in front of Guru Nanak Sikh Gurdwara, his place of worship, in the suburban city of Surrey, British Columbia in June 2023. Hardeep Nijjar was a champion for the Khalistan movement, which aims to restore a Sikh homeland called Khalistan in Punjab through a referendum. Prior to being assassinated, Mr. Nijjar was gathering votes for the referendum as part of the organization Sikhs for Justice, which had already been banned in India. 

According to a post on X by Marc Miller, Canada’s immigration minister, Hardeep Singh Nijjar has been a Canadian citizen since 2015. Mr. Nijjar had attempted to move to Canada several times before gaining entrance in the 1990s. By 2020, Mr. Nijjar was president of the Guru Nanak Sikh Gurdwara—where he was assassinated—and was perceived as a vibrant, energetic, and civil member of society.

This is not the first instance that relations between Canada and India have been tested. Indian officials have condemned Sikh separatist protests in Canada on several occasions. In June 2023, Sikh separatists depicted the 1984 assassination of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi on a parade float, which Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar perceived as a glorification of a terrorist attack. 

The relationship between Sikh separatist supporters and the Indian government has been contentious. In the 1980s and 90s, a Sikh insurgency killed about 30,000 Sikhs following the assassination of Indira Gandhi. The death of 329 people on an Air India flight from Montreal to India, which was blamed on Sikh militants, further intensified the Indian government’s hostile behavior toward the Sikh population. 

The Indian government has labeled Khalistan advocates as terrorists and a threat to the nation of India. Therefore, they have blamed the Trudeau government for protecting individuals who they consider threats to Indian society. Sikh separatist leaders like Mr. Nijjar were named as terrorists under UAPA, the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act, in which there are no proper trials. Labels such as these may promote a space of hatred and injustice for Sikhs who engage in activism.

Last Monday, Canadian Prime Minister Trudeau made a verbal statement linking the death of Hardeep Nijjar to the Indian government. He stated that “[a]ny involvement of a foreign government in the killing of a Canadian citizen on Canadian soil is an unacceptable violation of our sovereignty. It is contrary to the fundamental rules by which free, open and democratic societies conduct themselves.”

During the G20 summit in New Delhi earlier his month, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi conveyed his disapproval of the anti-India protests happening in Canada. Prime Minister Trudeau also attempted to engage in talks with Modi at the recent G20 summit. Trudeau arranged a meeting with Modi instead of attending the official dinner for G20 leaders, and at the meeting Modi raised concerns over Canada’s treatment of Sikh separatists. 

The Indian government has reacted negatively to Canada’s allegations. The advisory for Indian Nationals and Indian Students in Canada also posted on X on Wednesday, saying: “Given the deteriorating security environment in Canada, Indian students in particular are advised to exercise extreme caution and remain vigilant,” placing full blame on the Canadian government for encouraging an “anti-India” stance. This post came after Canada expelled India’s top intelligence official, which triggered India to expel a senior Canadian diplomat. 

Nonetheless, Trudeau made a strong attempt at dialogue with Modi about the potential for future cooperation. There is much work to be done to mediate the tensions between Canada and India, especially as Canadian citizens within the Sikh community are confronted with new challenges and fears.