A significant number of members from Canada’s Sikh community gathered outside the Indian consulate in Toronto on Saturday to protest the unresolved murder of their leader, Hardeep Singh Nijjar, last month in Vancouver. The protesters accused the Indian government of being responsible for Nijjar’s death and demanded accountability. Sikhs for Justice, a U.S.-based organization, organized the rally. The demonstrators carried yellow flags with blue logos representing their separatist movement and chanted “Khalistan! Khalistan!” The protest sparked a counter-protest by Indian government supporters, leading to tensions between the two groups.
Nijjar, who advocated for the creation of an independent Sikh state, was declared a wanted terrorist by India. He was fatally shot on June 18 in Surrey, a Vancouver suburb with a significant Sikh population. The protestors are calling for the Royal Canadian Mounted Police to investigate the murder as a political assassination. They believe that since Nijjar was a Canadian citizen killed on Canadian soil, this constitutes foreign interference. India accuses Nijjar of carrying out terrorist attacks, a charge he denied.
The protest prompted a line of 20 policemen to intervene and separate the two groups. One Sikh protester was apprehended after breaching a barrier and attempting to reach the counter-protesters. The incident has further strained relations between Canada and India. New Delhi regularly accuses Ottawa of negligence in handling Sikh protesters within Canada. The Indian government has urged the Canadian government to take necessary measures to ensure the safety of its diplomats.
Canada is home to the largest Sikh population outside of Punjab, India. The Sikh community plays a significant role in Canadian society and has been vocal about its demands for an independent Sikh state.
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