“Sikh Activists in California Receive FBI Warning Amidst Bombshell Revelation of Indian Government Involvement in Canadian Activist’s Assassination”
After the shocking assassination of high-profile Canadian Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in June, FBI agents have paid visits to several Sikh activists in California, delivering a chilling message: their lives are also at risk. This warning has taken on greater urgency following Canada’s recent revelation that it possesses credible intelligence indicating the involvement of the Indian government in Nijjar’s killing. Nijjar, an advocate for an independent Sikh state, was fatally shot outside a Sikh temple in British Columbia.
According to Pritpal Singh, a U.S. citizen and coordinator for the American Sikh Caucus Committee, he and two other Sikh Americans involved in political organizing in California were contacted by the FBI after Nijjar’s murder. Although the FBI did not disclose the specific source of the threat, they advised caution. Other Sikh activists in the U.S. have also received warnings from law enforcement agencies about potential threats, highlighting the concerns surrounding their safety.
Recent reports have revealed that Canada based its determination of India’s culpability in Nijjar’s assassination on signals and human intelligence. This information reportedly includes the communication of Indian diplomats in Canada and input from an unnamed partner in the Five Eyes intelligence alliance, which comprises the U.S., Canada, the U.K., New Zealand, and Australia. In response, Canada expelled a top Indian diplomat who served as the head of the Indian intelligence agency in the country.
India has vehemently denied the allegations, dismissing them as “absurd” and accusing Canada of supporting Sikh militant and extremist groups. In a parallel development, India’s counterterrorism agency has issued a call for information regarding protesters who allegedly attempted to start a fire at the Indian consulate in San Francisco earlier this year. The United States has expressed concerns about these allegations, with Secretary of State Antony Blinken stating that the U.S. is cooperating with Canada’s investigation.
The Sikh American community, which has received threats, remains undeterred but demands that the U.S. government take action to protect them and stand against the increasingly aggressive and authoritarian Indian government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Sikh Americans fear that if India can target Canadians, they could be next. They emphasize that such actions undermine democratic institutions, suppress individual rights and freedoms, and challenge U.S. national security and sovereignty. They urge immediate support from the Biden administration rather than mere thoughts and prayers in the aftermath.
Before his assassination, Nijjar and five other Sikh community leaders in Canada were warned by Canadian intelligence officials that their lives were in danger. Moninder Singh, a spokesperson for the British Columbia Gurdwaras Council who was among those issued warnings, revealed that the officials never explicitly stated that the threat came from Indian intelligence. However, they stressed the imminent risk of assassination faced by the Sikh leaders.
The Khalistan movement, which advocates for an independent Sikh homeland in the Indian state of Punjab, has faced suppression from the Indian government. The movement gained momentum in the 1980s and 1990s but has waned in recent years. Yet, Sikh separatists in the diaspora continue to push for the cause, leading to clashes with the Indian government. Sikh activists have held referendums and protests at Indian consulates in Western countries, sometimes resulting in vandalism and property damage.
India accuses Sikh separatists in the West, many of whom hold Western citizenship, of promoting terrorism, threatening its diplomats, and endangering its consulates and foreign offices. In Canada, Indian calls for crackdowns on Sikh political activism, including support for secessionism in India, have largely been rejected. Critics argue that the Indian government sensationalizes the significance of the Khalistan movement to bolster its voter base, deflect attention from domestic shortcomings, and advance its national security agenda.
Moninder Singh disputes the characterization of Nijjar as a terrorist, emphasizing that Nijjar fought for the rights and self-determination of the Sikh minority in India. He criticizes the Indian media and social media for demonizing Nijjar and celebrating his death. The Sikh community sees Nijjar’s assassination as a larger issue that not only affects their community’s safety but also highlights the importance of defending democratic values and individual rights.