Diplomatic Tensions Rise Following Assassination of Canadian Sikh Separatist Leader
Photo Credit: Jason Payne/National Post
On June 18, Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a Canadian Sikh separatist leader, was shot in a car parked outside a Sikh temple in Surrey. Nijjar died on the scene after receiving several gunshot wounds.
The separatist leader, who became a Canadian citizen in 2007, rose to political prominence as an advocate for the creation of Khalistan, a proposed independent Sikh state in India. Indian authorities labelled Nijjar a terrorist in 2020. They accused him of leading the banned militant group, Khalistan Tiger Force (KTF). Nijjar additionally faced claims of operating training camps in British Columbia to prepare Khalistan supporters for potential attacks in India.
In a letter written to Trudeau regarding the allegations, Nijjjar identified himself as a "Sikh nationalist who believes in and supports Sikhs' right to self-determination and independence of Indian occupied Punjab through a future referendum,” but stated that he had “never believed in, supported or been involved in any violent activity."
The temple, Guru Nanak Sikh Gurdwara captured the mid-June shooting in its security footage. Gurkeerat Singh, a member of the congregation, was “told by the temple that the video is not for the media, the public, because it’s an ongoing investigation.”
However, Singh had access to a clip of the footage. In the footage, Nijjar appeared to be blockaded by a white car in front of the temple before two men exited the vehicle and opened fire.
Shortly after Nijjar's death, the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) linked Nijjar's assassination to Indian authorities who opposed the Khalistan separatist movement. But Trudeau went public with the denunciation only after India hosted the G20 summit in mid-September, claiming that “Canadian security agencies have been actively pursuing credible allegations.” Trudeau proceeded to emphasize “that all steps be taken to hold perpetrators of this murder to account.”
Photo Credit: Ethan Cairns/The Canadian Press via The Red Deer Advocate
Post-accusation, the Indian government denied playing any role in the assassination, and they cancelled visas for Canadians who wished to travel to India. In response, the Canadian government fired Ottawa's Indian Embassy Intelligence chief, Pavan Kumar Rai. Talks for free trade deals stalled, and India requested the withdrawal of 41 Canadian diplomats. However, despite the ultimatum from New Delhi, the diplomats remained in India even as the early-October deadline passed.
Two weeks after potentially starting a diplomatic feud, Trudeau said that Canada “is not looking to escalate” the dispute, a claim made in contrast to the expulsion of Ottawa’s Indian Embassy Intelligence chief in September. As diplomatic relations with India remain uncertain, Canadian Senate Speaker Raymonde Gagné opted out of the P20 Summit hosted by India.
The Sikh community’s concerns were already heightened after the death of a pro-Khalistan activist in the United Kingdom. On June 15, just three days before Nijjar was shot, Avtar Singh Khanda, aged 35, died suddenly in a Birmingham hospital.
In response to the allegations against India, 100 protesters in Toronto set an Indian flag ablaze and struck a cardboard cutout of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi with a shoe. Meanwhile, British Sikhs have been urging Prime Minister Rishi Sunak to explain what steps the authorities will take to ensure the safety of “Sikh activists who may be under threat.”
Australian foreign Minister Penny Wong’s spokesperson affirmed that Australia is “deeply concerned by [the] allegations” and has “conveyed [their] concerns at senior levels to India.” Other countries across the globe have remained silent on the matter.
So far, Canada has refused to publicly release any evidence on the assassination, but may eventually do so during a legal process.