July 08, 2023
Agence France-Presse
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TORONTO - A few hundred members of Canada's Sikh community demonstrated outside the Indian Consulate in Toronto on Saturday to protest the unsolved killing of one of their leaders last month in the Vancouver, British Columbia, area.
They accused the Indian government of being responsible for the gunning down of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, president of a Sikh temple and campaigner for the creation of an independent Sikh state that supporters hope to call Khalistan.
"When an Indian agency and system commit a crime, they have to be held accountable," Kuljeet Singh, spokesperson for Sikhs for Justice, a US-based organization behind the rally, told AFP.
Nijjar, whom India had declared a wanted terrorist, was killed on June 18 in Surrey, a suburb of Vancouver that is home to one of the largest Sikh populations in Canada.
Nijjar advocated for the creation of an independent Sikh state to be carved out of parts of northern India and perhaps part of Pakistan. India accused Nijjar of carrying out terrorist attacks in India, a charge he denied.
The demonstrators, almost exclusively men, carried yellow flags with blue logos representing their separatist movement, and shouted "Khalistan! Khalistan!"
Setting off from the Toronto suburbs, they arrived in front of the Indian Consulate, where they were greeted by around 50 members of the diaspora in support of the Indian government.
"They have a poster here calling to kill Indian diplomats. We are concerned because these groups have committed terrorist acts in the past and politicians are not taking actions," one of the counterdemonstrators, Vijay Jain, an IT consultant, told AFP.
A line of 20 police officers intervened to separate the two groups, and one Sikh protester was taken away after forcing down a barrier and running to the other side.
Since the killing of the Sikh leader, tensions have risen between Canada and India.
New Delhi regularly accuses Ottawa of laxity in its handling of Sikh protesters in Canada.
"We have asked the Canadian government to take all necessary measures to ensure the safety of our diplomats," Arindam Bagchi, spokesperson for India's foreign minister, said Thursday.
Canada is home to the largest number of Sikhs outside their home state of Punjab, India.
CANADA: PUNJABI ACTIVISTS PLAN PROTESTS IN OTTAWA, TORONTO, AND VANCOUVER JULY 8 NEAR INDIAN CONSULATES TO DENOUNCE INDIAN GOVERNMENT.
Punjabi activists plan protests in Ottawa, Toronto, and Vancouver in Canada July 8 to denounce Indian government. Tight security likely.
Event
Activists associated with the Sikhs for Justice group plan to demonstrate in Ottawa and Toronto, Ontario Province, as well as Vancouver, British Columbia Province, July 8 to denounce the Indian government and show support for the Khalistan independence movement. Protesters will center their action on the Indian High Commission in Ottawa and the Indian consulates in Ontario, Toronto, and Vancouver amid allegations of the Indian high commissioner's and consul-general's involvement in the June 18 killing of pro-Punjabi activist Hardeep Singh Najjar in the Vancouver area. In Toronto, demonstrators will start with a rally at the Great Punjab Business Centre in Malton at 12:30 before proceeding to the Indian Consulate in central Toronto. Start times for other protests are currently unclear. Sikhs for Justice has reportedly called for supporters to "besiege" Indian government buildings within Canada.
A heightened security presence is almost certain near Indian consulates in Canada and near any protest sites. Related demonstrations are also possible near Sikh gurdwaras or near locations associated with Indian communities. Localized transport and business disruptions are likely near protest sites. Counterdemonstrations are possible. Clashes may occur between police and protesters or rival activists.
Context
Hardeep Singh Najjar was a controversial Punjabi activist supporting the cause of Khalistani independence. Najjar was the president of the Guru Nanak Sikh Gurdwara, head of the Khalistan Tiger Force (KTF) separatist group, and was involved in the Sikhs for Justice (SFJ) activist group. The government of India designated Najjar a terrorist for involvement in separatist activities and allegedly conspiring to kill a Hindu priest. Two assailants shot Najjar in his car in the parking lot of the Guru Nanak Sikh Gurdwara in Surrey, British Columbia, in the Vancouver area, the evening of June 18.
The aftermath of the killing of Najjar occurs in the midst of heightened tensions between elements of the Canadian Sikh and Punjabi community and the government of India. The Vancouver and Toronto areas, particularly Surrey, British Columbia, and Brampton, Ontario, contain sizeable populations of Punjabi Sikhs; some members of this community support the "Khalistan" movement, calling for the independence of the Indian state of Punjab. In response to posters affiliated with the July 8 demonstrations alleging Indian government figures' involvement in the Najjar killing, Indian Minister of External Affairs Subrahmanyam Jaishankar called on the Canadian government to do more to protect Indian government officials. On June 8, Jaishankar urged the Canadian government to apologize for the presence of a parade float in Brampton that allegedly positively depicted the 1984 killing of Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi by her Sikh bodyguards. On March 25, the Indian government summoned the Canadian High Commissioner in India to discuss protests outside the Indian Consulate in Vancouver in support of Sikh separatist Amritpal Singh, who was wanted in India.
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07 JUL 2023 |
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