Hardeep Singh Nijjar
Hardeep Singh Nijjar | |
|---|---|
| Died |
2023-06-18 |
Hardeep Singh Nijjar was Canadian who became a prominent figure in the Sikh diaspora in Canada.[1] Two months after he was gunned down in the parking lot of his temple Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told Parliament that Canadian officials had reason to believe Indian agents were linked to his killing.[2]
Early life
[edit | edit source]Immigration to Canada
[edit | edit source]Indian threats and allegations
[edit | edit source]In 2016 Nijjar requested help from the Canadian government, after the Times of India reported he was involved in supporting political violence in India.[3] He was a`lleged to have helped organize training in a camp in BC's remote interior.[4]
Killing
[edit | edit source]Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, another member of the Sikh diaspora, said both he and Nijjar had spoken in favor of a role for more independence for Sikhs living in India, and they were aware this put them at risk of violence.[5][6]
On October 15, 2024, in its reporting on the role of Nijjar's murder in the diplomat row, The New York Times cast doubt on India's claims, writing, "In Punjab, however, politicians and journalists asserted that despite the charges, many locals had never heard of him or his movement.".[7]
On September 23, 2023, the United States made public it had provided Canada with information to substantiate Canada's reporting that Indian officials had played a role in Nijjar's murder.[8] The New York Times reported "... the “smoking gun,” intercepted communications of Indian diplomats in Canada indicating involvement in the plot, was gathered by Canadian officials..."[9]
References
[edit | edit source]- ↑
Wendy Cox (2024-06-22). "Western Canada: Who was Hardeep Nijjar? The two worlds of a slain Sikh activist". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved 2026-10-02.
It’s been a year since Sikh leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar was gunned down in the parking lot of the temple where he was a leading figure, a proselytizer of an independent Sikh nation carved from India.
- ↑
"The killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar: A timeline of events". The Globe and Mail. 2023-09-19. Retrieved 2026-10-02.
An explosive accusation by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in regards to the killing of a Sikh separatist leader in British Columbia is escalating already-tense foreign relations between India and Canada.
- ↑
"Surrey, B.C., man accused of running terrorist training camp seeks PM's help". CBC News. The Canadian Press. 2016-06-01. Archived from the original on 2023-09-20. Retrieved 2023-09-20.
The Times of India reports that Indian intelligence agencies have alerted the Liberal government that pro-Khalistan extremists near Mission, B.C., plan to carry out strikes in Punjab.
- ↑ Cheryl Chan (2016-05-28). "Surrey man accused of running 'terror camp' near Mission". Vancouver Sun. Archived from the original on 2020-11-08. Retrieved 2023-09-20.
- ↑
"CSIS warned B.C. Sikh temple leader of assassination threat before killing: lawyer". Toronto Star. The Canadian Press. 2023-06-20. Archived from the original on 2026-08-06. Retrieved 2026-10-02.
The agency published Nijjar’s home address in Surrey and referred to him as a “fugitive terrorist”, saying he led a conspiracy to murder a Hindu priest in India.
- ↑
Stewart Bell (2023-06-22). "Murder at the temple: The conflicting legacies of a B.C. Sikh leader". Global News. Archived from the original on 2023-09-19. Retrieved 2023-09-20.
Pannun said he believed that after India’s campaign to tarnish Nijjar’s reputation failed, he was targeted for killing. He said he had no doubt India was behind it.
- ↑
Anupreeta Das; Matina Stevis-Gridneff (2024-10-15). "What to Know About India and Canada's Diplomatic Rift". The New York Times. Retrieved 2024-11-15.
It accused him of plotting a violent attack in India and of leading a terrorist group called the Khalistan Tiger Force.
- ↑
Derek M. Norman (2023-11-30). "A Timeline of Plots Against Sikh Activists, According to Canada and the U.S." The New York Times. Retrieved 2024-11-15.
American spy agencies provided Canada with information that helped support its claim that the Indian government was behind Mr. Nijjar’s killing, according to Western allied officials.
- ↑
Julian E. Barnes; Ian Austen (2023-09-23). "U.S. Provided Canada With Intelligence on Killing of Sikh Leader". The New York Times. Retrieved 2024-11-15.
In the aftermath of the killing, U.S. intelligence agencies offered their Canadian counterparts context that helped Canada conclude that India had been involved. Yet what appears to be the 'smoking gun,' intercepted communications of Indian diplomats in Canada indicating involvement in the plot, was gathered by Canadian officials, allied officials said..