In Amritsar, Punjab, hundreds of Sikh activists gathered outside the revered Golden Temple, calling for justice in the murder of Sikh leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Canada. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau recently suggested a possible link between New Delhi and Nijjar’s June killing in British Columbia, a claim India firmly denied, labeling it as baseless. This accusation has strained relations between the two nations, leading to the expulsion of diplomats and the suspension of Canadian visas by New Delhi.
The demonstrators, holding placards bearing Nijjar’s image, voiced their demands for an end to what they view as extrajudicial operations against separatists striving for an independent Punjab. Nijjar, who had left Punjab for Canada twenty-five years ago and had obtained Canadian citizenship, was an advocate for a Sikh homeland. India officially branded him a “terrorist” in July 2020.
Paramjit Singh Mand, a leader of Dal Khalsa, an advocacy group pushing for a separate Sikh homeland, urged New Delhi to engage in dialogue with Sikh leadership. Around 400 activists took part in the protest and later offered prayers at the temple for the release of political detainees and the well-being of exiled separatists, according to Kanwar Pal, the group’s political affairs secretary.
Mand expressed gratitude towards the Canadian government for shedding light on India’s alleged interference in Canadian affairs. In a separate demonstration, Canadian Sikhs staged small protests outside Indian diplomatic missions, burning an Indian flag and waving yellow flags bearing the word “Khalistan,” indicating their support for an independent Punjab.
In another development, certain farmer unions staged a three-day protest in parts of Punjab, obstructing train and road traffic. They were demanding higher procurement prices for crops and compensation for those whose crops had suffered damage due to recent rains and floods.
