Who was Hardeep Singh Nijjar, whose murder raised tensions between India and Canada?
Introduction
As tensions between the two countries rise in response to the death of Sikh separatist leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar earlier this year, India has dismissed a senior Canadian diplomat just hours after Ottawa expelled a top Indian official.
The assassination of Nijjar in British Columbia state in June was allegedly tied to India, according to claims that Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau made on Monday in front of parliament.
The relationship between India and Canada has been strained in recent years due to various factors, one of which is the case of Hardeep Singh Nijjar. Nijjar’s alleged involvement in terrorist activities in India has triggered tensions between the two nations. This blog aims to shed light on the background of Hardeep Singh Nijjar and the events that unfolded, leading to the India-Canada tensions.
Who was Hardeep Singh Nijjar?
What is known about Hardeep Singh Nijjar, the individual at the crux of the India-Canada dispute, is listed below.
According to the Khalistan Extremism Monitor of the independent Institute for Conflict Management of New Delhi, Nijjar was born in 1977 in the Jalandhar area of the northern Indian state of Punjab and relocated to Canada in 1997, where he worked as a plumber.
According to India’s counterterrorism agency, the National Investigation Agency, he was at first connected to the Sikh separatist organisation Babbar Khalsa International (BKI). The Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) intelligence agency of Pakistan is accused of funding BKI by New Delhi, which has designated BKI as a “terrorist organisation.” Islamabad refutes this accusation.
Well-known figure
Nijjar was a well-known figure and a powerful advocate for those who demanded the creation of the so-called independent Sikh state of Khalistan.
He was chosen to lead the Guru Nanak Sikh Gurudwara in Surrey, a suburb of Vancouver, where he resided. At the time of his passing, he was in that position.
On June 18, in the late hours, Nijjar was shot and killed outside the same gurudwara.
Following his assassination, hundreds of people demonstrated in front of the Indian consulate in Vancouver, claiming that foreign agents were responsible for his passing, according to local media at the time.
Hardeep Singh Nijjar was a Sikh separatist activist who was accused of being involved in terrorist activities in India. He was believed to be a member of the Khalistan Tiger Force (KTF), a banned militant group seeking an independent Sikh state called Khalistan in the Indian state of Punjab.
Nijjar’s alleged involvement in planning and organizing attacks in India led to tensions between India and Canada. However, it’s important to note that Nijjar’s involvement and the details surrounding his killing may still be subject to investigation and verification.
What led to the conflict?
Three years after India labelled him a “terrorist,” Nijjar, 45, was shot dead outside a Sikh temple on June 18 in Surrey, a Vancouver suburb with a sizable Sikh population.
Nijjar backed the call for a Sikh homeland in Punjab, a state in northern India that borders Pakistan and is home to the Sikh religion. At the time of his passing, he was apparently preparing an unofficial referendum in India for an independent Sikh republic.
A foreign government’s involvement in the death of a Canadian citizen, according to Trudeau, is “an unacceptable violation of our sovereignty.”
The Indian Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) described as “absurd and motivated” claims that India was involved in any violent crime committed in Canada on Tuesday.
According to the report, the “unfounded allegations” aimed to divert attention from. “Khalistani terrorists and extremists who have been given shelter in Canada.”
Allegations and Controversies:
The Killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar:
(G20) Summit
At the recent Group of 20 (G20) Summit in New Delhi, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Trudeau reportedly discussed the murder of Nijjar. He claimed that he requested Modi’s participation in the probe and informed Modi that any involvement by the Indian government would be unacceptable.
I continue to call on the Indian government to work with Canada to solve this case in the strongest terms possible, he said.
What was India’s response?
The MEA denied the claim that India was involved in the murder of Nijjar.
According to a government statement, “Such unfounded allegations seek to divert attention from Khalistani terrorists and extremists. Who have been given shelter in Canada and continue to threaten India’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.”
Without giving his name or position, the foreign ministry announced on Tuesday. That it had given a senior Canadian official five days to leave the nation.
According to the statement, “the decision reflects the government of India’s growing concern over the interference of Canadian diplomats. In our internal affairs and their involvement in anti-India activities.”
In order to inform him of the measure, the government also said that Cameron MacKay, Canada’s high commissioner in New Delhi, had been summoned.
What exactly is the separatist Sikh movement?
Sikhism is a minority faith with roots in northern India that dates back to the 15th century and has elements of both Islam and Hinduism.
Less than 2% of India’s 1.4 billion inhabitants identify as Sikh. But the northern province of Punjab, which is the center of the religion, has approximately 60% Sikh residents.
After gaining independence from Britain in 1947. India was instantly torn apart along religious lines during the bloody Partition.
In the ensuing carnage, which resulted in the deaths of at least one million people. Muslims fled to the newly founded nation of Pakistan while Hindus and Sikhs fled to India.
Two nations
The historical province of Punjab was divided between the two nations. And was the scene of some of Partition’s worst atrocities.
Since then, some Sikhs have advocated for the establishment of “Khalistan. A distinct sovereign state and “land of the pure. Separated from Punjab and ruled in accordance with the beliefs of the faith.
As Punjab became one of the wealthiest states in India. As a result of an agricultural revolution that significantly increased farm yields, such voices got louder during the following decades.
In the late 1980s, Sikhs who wanted their own nation launched an armed uprising that gave birth to the separatist movement. The violent movement, which lasted for more than ten years, was put down by an Indian government. Crackdown that resulted in the deaths of thousands of people, including notable Sikh leaders.
According to rights organisations, hundreds of Sikh youngsters were also killed in police operations. Many of which were later shown in court to have been staged.
In order to drive out separatists who had found refuge there, Indian forces invaded the Golden Temple in Amritsar. The holiest shrine in the Sikh religion, in 1984. According to government statistics, the operation claimed the lives of roughly 400 individuals, although Sikh organisations claim thousands were slaughtered.
Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale, who the Indian government charged with being in charge of the armed revolt, was among the deceased.
Prime Minister Indira Gandhi
Two of the then-Prime Minister Indira Gandhi’s Sikh bodyguards killed her on October 31, 1984, after she had authorised the raid on the temple.
Her passing set off a series of anti-Sikh riots during which Hindu mobs invaded homes across northern India, particularly New Delhi, and dragged Sikhs out before cutting and burning many of them to death.
BREAKING: Trudeau's statement regarding allegations of India's involvement in killing of Sikh leader in Canada pic.twitter.com/ECmwQqnkNY
— The Spectator Index (@spectatorindex) September 18, 2023
Sikh extremists operating in Canada were also charged with carrying out the 1985 bombing of an Air India flight, which resulted in the deaths of 329 passengers.
Is the movement still going on?
Yes, the Khalistan movement is still active, although its prominence and influence have varied over time.
Even though there isn’t a current uprising in Punjab, there are still some sympathizers of the cause there and among the sizeable Sikh diaspora abroad.
Over the years, the Indian government has issued numerous alerts that Sikh separatists were attempting a comeback. The administration of Modi has also stepped up its pursuit of Sikh separatists and detained numerous leaders from various groups who are thought to be affiliated with the movement.
While the intensity of the movement has decreased in recent years, there are still individuals and groups advocating for Khalistan. These groups often use social media platforms and other means to promote their cause and garner support. However, it is important to note that the vast majority of Sikhs in India and around the world do not support or endorse the Khalistan movement.
How influential is the movement beyond India?
India has requested that nations like the UK, Australia, and Canada file lawsuits against Sikh campaigners. It has specifically brought up these issues with Canada, where Sikhs make up close to 2% of the population.
In protest against the decision to detain Amritpal Singh, a 30-year-old separatist leader who had reignited. Calls for Khalistan and stoked fears of violence in Punjab, Sikh protesters tore down the Indian flag at the country’s high commission. In London and smashed the building’s window earlier this year.
Additionally, protesters clashed with embassy personnel and broke windows at the Indian consulate in San Francisco.
The MEA condemned the occurrences and called the UK’s deputy high commissioner. In New Delhi to express its outrage over what it described the embassy’s lack of security.
The Indian government also charged Canadian supporters of Khalistan with storming the Indian High Commission. In Ottawa during a March rally and spray-painting “anti-India” graffiti on Hindu temples.
A leader of the Khalistan Commando Force and a Sikh separatist, Paramjit Singh Panjwar, was assassinated in Pakistan last year.
Ongoing Investigations and Verification:
Conclusion:
I’m Hassan Saeed, a Clinical Psychology graduate deeply engaged in the realms of WordPress, blogging, and technology. I enjoy merging my psychological background with the digital landscape. Let’s connect and explore these exciting intersections!
