Hardeep Singh Nijjar

Hardeep Singh Nijjar
Born
Hardeep Singh Nijjar

(1977-10-11)11 October 1977
Jalandhar, Punjab, India[1][2]
Died18 June 2023(2023-06-18) (aged 45)
Surrey, British Columbia, Canada
Cause of deathMultiple gunshots
Citizenship
  • India (until 2007)
  • Canada (from 2007)
OrganizationSikhs for Justice
MovementKhalistan

Hardeep Singh Nijjar (11 October 1977 – 18 June 2023) was a Canadian Sikh involved with the Khalistan movement, which calls for an independent Sikh state.[3][4]

Born in India, Nijjar migrated to Canada in the mid-1990s.[5] The Indian government accused him of being a criminal and terrorist affiliated with the militant Khalistan Tiger Force, and sought his arrest.[6][7][4] Nijjar and his supporters rejected these allegations, saying he advocated peaceful means for creation of Khalistan.[4] In 2016, Nijjar was placed on Canada's No Fly List and had his personal bank accounts frozen following allegations of his involvement in "terror training camps".[8] Nijjar gained prominence in 2019, when he became the leader of Guru Nanak Sikh Gurudwara in Surrey, British Columbia, and became an advocate of Sikh separatism.[9] Nijjar was also associated with Sikhs for Justice (SFJ), and spearheaded the group's Khalistan Referendum 2020 campaign.[4]

On 18 June 2023, Nijjar was shot and killed in the parking lot of a Sikh temple (Gurdwara) in British Columbia.[10][11] On 18 September 2023, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau stated that Canadian intelligence agencies were "pursuing credible allegations of a potential link" between Indian government agents and the assassination of Nijjar.[12] After the killing, Canada expelled an Indian diplomat from the country. India's foreign ministry denied involvement in the killing, and expelled a top Canadian diplomat as a retaliatory measure.[13][14][15]

In May 2024, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) arrested three Indian nationals, who were charged with killing Nijjar.[16][17] The Canadian investigations are ongoing, including into possible connections between the killing and the Indian government.[17][18]

In October 2024, Canada expelled six Indian diplomats, including the High Commissioner Sanjay Kumar Verma, as persona non grata. This occurred after Canada said they provided India with "irrefutable evidence" of links between Indian government agents and the murders of both Nijjar and of Sukhdool Singh, who was shot in Winnipeg on 20 September 2023; Canadian officials say that the six officials were "directly involved in gathering detailed intelligence on Sikh separatists who were then killed, attacked or threatened by India's criminal proxies".[19][20][21]

  1. ^ "Who Was Hardeep Singh Nijjar? Khalistan Terrorist at Centre of India-Canada Tussle — EXPLAINED". News18. 20 September 2023. Archived from the original on 25 September 2023. Retrieved 25 September 2023.
  2. ^ "Why are some Sikhs calling for a separate homeland in India?". BBC News. 19 September 2023. Archived from the original on 24 September 2023. Retrieved 25 September 2023.
  3. ^ "What is the Khalistan movement and why is it fuelling India-Canada rift?". reuters. 19 September 2023. Archived from the original on 22 September 2023. Retrieved 24 September 2023. It wants an independent Sikh state carved out of India
  4. ^ a b c d Nadine Yousif (23 September 2023). "Who was Canadian Sikh leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar?". BBC News. Archived from the original on 23 September 2023. Retrieved 23 September 2023.
  5. ^ Cite error: The named reference Singh 2023 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  6. ^ Cite error: The named reference PathiCohen was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  7. ^ Suhasini Raj (19 September 2023). "Who Was the Man Whose Killing Canada Says India Instigated?". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 20 September 2023. Retrieved 20 September 2023. The government said he led a terrorist organization banned in India, Khalistan Tiger Force.
  8. ^ "A year after Hardeep Singh Nijjar's death, mysteries remain about how he really lived". The Globe and Mail. 22 June 2024. Retrieved 23 June 2024.
  9. ^ Onishi, Norimitsu (21 September 2023). "Rising Separatism, and a Killing, at a Sikh Temple in Canada". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on 21 September 2023. Retrieved 22 September 2023.
  10. ^ Rana, Uday. "Who is Hardeep Singh Nijjar, the Sikh leader Indian agents allegedly killed?". Global News. Archived from the original on 20 September 2023. Retrieved 20 September 2023.
  11. ^ Hjelmgaard, Kim (21 September 2023). "Canada says India helped assassinate a Sikh activist: Who was Hardeep Singh Nijjar? Rift between the countries widens". USA TODAY. Archived from the original on 21 September 2023. Retrieved 21 September 2023.
  12. ^ Cite error: The named reference Indian Express was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  13. ^ Mogul, Rhea; Newton, Paula (18 September 2023). "India expels Canadian diplomat in tit-for-tat move as row over assassinated Sikh activist deepens". CNN. Archived from the original on 18 September 2023. Retrieved 19 September 2023.
  14. ^ Cite error: The named reference The New York Times was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  15. ^ Cite error: The named reference HT1 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  16. ^ Dyer, Evan (3 May 2024). "Police make arrests in killing of B.C. Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar". CBC. Archived from the original on 3 May 2024. Retrieved 3 May 2024.
  17. ^ a b Jessica Murphy (4 May 2024). "Three arrested and charged over Sikh activist's killing in Canada". BBC News. Archived from the original on 5 May 2024. Retrieved 5 May 2024.
  18. ^ Cite error: The named reference IE4May was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  19. ^ "Canada expels Indian high commissioner, five other diplomats". Toronto Star. 14 October 2024.
  20. ^ "Canada alleges much wider campaign by Modi government against Sikhs". Washington Post. 14 October 2024.
  21. ^ Walsh, Marieke; Fife, Robert (14 October 2024). "Indian government officials allegedly linked to homicides, extortions and coercion in Canada, pose threat to public safety, says RCMP". The Globe And Mail. Retrieved 14 October 2024.