Sikh group vows Indian consulate ‘shutdown’ over link to high-profile B.C. gurdwara murder | 24CA News
The human rights advocacy group Sikhs For Justice says peaceable protests will “shut down” Indian consulate workplaces in Canada subsequent week, with new intelligence showing to hyperlink the Indian state to a high-profile homicide in British Columbia.
Hardeep Singh Nijjar, president of the Guru Nanak Sikh Gurdwara, was gunned down within the Surrey temple’s parking zone after night prayers on June 18. Nijjar, 45, was a distinguished group chief and supporter of Sikh separatism.
On Monday, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau revealed nationwide safety authorities had obtained “credible” intelligence “agents of the government of India” have been behind the grisly killing — one thing the World Sikh Organization of Canada and others had steered shortly after Nijjar’s loss of life.
India’s Ministry of External Affairs has vehemently denied the claims, calling them “absurd and motivated” in an announcement early on Tuesday.
Protests, nonetheless, are slated to happen exterior Indian consulates in Ottawa, Toronto and Vancouver subsequent Monday, in keeping with Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, authorized counsel for Sikhs for Justice.
“We will not allow the Indian consulates to function and we’re going to push the Canadian government to name the individuals who are responsible for assassinating and giving the orders to hit Nijjar,” he advised Global News.
“He has been assassinated outside the gurdwara — that was being done to give a very strong message to pro-Khalistan Sikhs that they will be hunted, even in the Western world.”
In its assertion, India mentioned it rejects “any attempts to connect Government of India to such developments,” calling itself “a democratic polity with a strong commitment to rule of law.”
“We urge the Government of Canada to take prompt and effective legal action against all anti-India elements operating from their soil,” wrote its Ministry of External Affairs.
Sikhs For Justice organizes referendum votes on Khalistan world wide, holding one in Surrey — the place Nijjar was murdered — earlier this month.
The Khalistan motion rose to prominence within the Nineteen Eighties, however dialogue round sovereignty for Sikhs and Punjab could be traced again to the 1947 partition of India. The motion is outlawed in India, as are quite a few teams related to it, that are listed as “terrorist organisations” by the Indian state.
Canada has expelled high Indian diplomat Pavan Kumar Rai “as a consequence” of the brand new intelligence, in keeping with Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly. Rai led the Canadian department of India’s overseas intelligence service, the Research and Analysis Wing, she confirmed.
Sikhs for Justice is asking for the expulsion of Indian High Commissioner to Canada Sanjay Verma as effectively. Global News has reached out to Verma’s workplace for remark.
Jaskaran Sandhu, a board member with the World Sikh Organization of Canada, mentioned he received’t be shocked if protests happen exterior consulates earlier than Sept. 25 as effectively, calling the intelligence revelation “unprecedented.”
“People are livid right now. This is a news story that obviously has shaken the whole country. It’s also a news story that has shaken the community to a certain extent,” he mentioned in an interview.
“It’s something that’s going to reverberate from our security apparatuses, to our intelligence community, to our governance, to how we understand the diaspora in Canada. This is a story for the ages.”
In a public assertion, B.C. Premier David Eby mentioned he has already been briefed by the Canadian Security Intelligence Service on the allegations towards India, saying he’s “deeply disturbed and angered” by them.
“In light of these revelations, we will do all we can to enhance protection for the people of British Columbia against the violence or threats of state actors,” he wrote in a Monday assertion.
“I call, yet again, on the federal government to share all relevant information related to any known ongoing foreign interference and transnational organized crime threats with our provincial authorities and our government, so we may act in co-ordination and protect those at risk.”
In the aftermath of the findings, the World Sikh Organization of Canada has made a number of calls for to the federal authorities, considered one of which is to guard Sikhs within the nation who face threats from India or its brokers.
The group has already accused Canada’s intelligence and legislation enforcement companies of failing to take action for Nijjar, who voiced considerations about threats to his life in relation to his political actions within the months previous to his loss of life.
Sandhu mentioned “there is fear” within the Sikh group about India’s attain, and police and intelligence companies ought to take one other take a look at their “lists” to see who could also be in want of safety or who has been threatened up to now.
At least one distinguished member of B.C.’s Sikh group, Moninder Singh, went into hiding after Nijjar’s homicide, having mentioned he, Nijjar and three others have been advised by the RCMP about an “imminent threat of assassination” towards them final 12 months.
To date, the RCMP have declined to verify or deny threats towards Singh or Nijjar.
Singh, a spokesperson for the BC Gurdwaras Council, mentioned a federal declaration on Indian interference in Canada is lengthy overdue, and it’s unlucky it took Nijjar’s loss of life to catalyze it.
“If Canada is actually declaring that India is an actual actor in this, I think that’s a first step towards acknowledging and a first step towards justice,” Singh mentioned exterior the Guru Nanak Sikh Gurdwara on Monday.
“But until we actually see people behind bars, until we see actually people that were supplying money for this hit, carrying this out — I think it’s kind of (a) skepticism right now that something is going to happen. That just comes from a long list of things that have happened in the past where we don’t really see that justice, whether it’s in India or it’s here.”
Singh credited the Sikh group in B.C. and nationally for retaining allegations of India’s interference, and threats towards Nijjar, within the public eye within the months since his homicide.
“I think the wave of support we saw post his death is just a small indication of how big of a stature Hardeep Singh had in the entire Sikh community internationally. It should the community across the entire world, including in Punjab,” he mentioned.
In June, Trudeau’s nationwide safety advisor, Jody Thomas, named India as among the many high sources of overseas interference in Canada. Three years earlier than that, a authorities doc obtained by Global News confirmed that Canadian safety officers suspected India’s two foremost intelligence branches had requested an Indian citizen to sway Canadian politicians into supporting Indian authorities pursuits.
Singh mentioned Sikh activists have lengthy understood that their careers, households and lives could possibly be in danger in relation to their work, however Monday’s news won’t silence anybody.
“The healing will take place within the activism for us and that’s always been the case for our people.”
Jatinder Singh Grewal, director of worldwide coverage with Sikhs for Justice, agreed. He mentioned the assault towards Nijjar, a group advocate and chief, was an assault towards Sikhs broadly in addition to an assault on Canadian sovereignty.
The Sikh group, he added, merely needs to train its proper to freedom of expression.
“It sends fear into our community, but the Sikhs will not succumb to fear,” Grewal mentioned.
“They will take precautions, however. We will continue to promote the belief and the right to self-determination of the Sikh people and the establishment of Khalistan.”
Sikhs For Justice is asking on the Canadian authorities to label India a state sponsor of terror.
“It is irrefutable that this act was done in front of a Sikh temple and this execution was done to the head of a Sikh temple. What message does it send?” Grewal requested.
To Harkireet Kaur, Nijjar was “like a father” on the gurdwara. She mentioned he helped information her when she strayed in highschool, and shared tales of his lifelong activism that impressed her.
“Now is not the time to celebrate or get overly excited,” the North American Sikh Association member advised Global News. “Now is the time to ensure that we will continue to raise our voice, build pressure and leave no room for any sort of backtracking.”
The RCMP, in the meantime, proceed to analyze Nijjar’s killing. No arrests have been reported, however investigators are trying to find three suspects and have recognized a suspect car believed to be the getaway automobile.
— with information from Sean Boynton
