Upon completion of investigation of the murder charges of a Canadian national Sikh leader, Hardeep Singh Nijjar on Canadian territory, Canadian Government expelled six Indian diplomats on October 15, 2024. These Indian diplomats also included the Indian High Commissioner in Canada. Indeed, all these diplomats were found involved in the abovementioned murder of Nijjar; an act of terror on Canadian soil. Besides, a former Indian Diplomat, Vikash Yadav has also been charged in the United States a few days after Canadian expulsion of Indian diplomats. This so-called former Indian diplomat was an employ of Indian spying agency, Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) and found involved in directing a murder plot to kill Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, a dual US-Canadian citizen in May 2023 in New York-US. In November 2023, Biden administration unearthed a plot to kill some Sikh leaders in United States. The prominent among those Sikh leaders was Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, (a separatist Sikh leader), the Indian RAW officials planned to assassinate at New York on the executive orders from New Delhi. Earlier US intelligence provided secret information to Canadian Government about killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, who was killed in Canada in June 2023 by Indian RAW.
In connection with killing of pro-independence (Khalistan Movement), RAW has undertaken a wider planning. This planning includes posting of RAW agents in the Indian Embassies of various European states, United States and Canada, or wherever there is presence of Sikhs community. It is worth mentioning that, there was a massive migration of the Sikhs after Indian Government launched a military operation for the genocide of Sikhs following the killing of former Indian Prime Minister, Indira Ghandi in 1984. Following the murder plot of Gurpatwant Singh Pannun in New York, US intelligence agencies clearly identified and traced foot prints of Indian RAW agents behind the assassination attempts of Sikh leaders in US. As per US media, “A foiled plot to assassinate a prominent Sikh separatist leader in New York, just days after another activist’s killing, was meant to precede a string of other politically motivated murders in the United States and Canada.”The US intelligence confirmed that, along with Hardeep Singh Nijjar, RAW agents had planned to kill at least four prominent Sikh leaders in June, 2023.
Owing to timely surveillance and intelligence, US was able to foil killings of Sikh leaders in its various cities and also and informed Canadian Government to take necessary measures for the protection of Sikh leaders.As disclosed by British newspaper, the target this time was Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, General Counsel’ of the “Sikhs for Justice” Movement. Indian Government was infuriated with him since he along with thousands of workers is working for Independent Khalistan. Moreover, he asked all Sikhs not to travel by Air India. He was wanted by infamous India’s National Investigation Agency (NIA).Earlier, killing of Sikh leader, Hardeep Singh Nijjar on Canadian soil has attracted international attention and deep anger of Sikh community. Indeed, he was killed by RAW through secretive means, since he was an advocate for the independent state for Sikh community; Khalistan as a separate homeland for Sikhs. He along with many others was working for the internationalization of Khalistan Movement.
The movement started in 1990s, just few years after the massive genocide of Sikh community in so-called Secular India. The Sikh community was massively killed by Hindus and state machinery of India to the level of genocide after two Sikh security guards killed than Indian Prime Minister Indira Ghandi on October 31, 1984. Despite massive persecution of Sikhs in India, they decided not to surrender to Indian powerful military might. Rather, they formally organized them and decided to have their own homeland, thus started political and social struggle for their right of self-determination. While there was an on-going Sikhs movement against Hindu rule in India, the Sikh Diaspora devised wider strategy of pursuing international community to recognize their right of self-determination by having their own homeland with the name of Khalistan. In order to achieve their legal right, over the years Sikhs have transformed their movement at Global level.
The US based Sikhs for Justice (SFJ) organisation has already mobilized its-self for the conduct of Referendum in US with the sole objective of a separate homeland for Sikh with the name of Khalistan. Indeed, Sikh’s Referendum for their independent homeland; Khalistan had entered into its conclusive stage which India could not digest and planned the killing of Sikh leaders all over the globe. Killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar in June 2023 was in fact, the beginning of this nefarious Indian campaign. The right to self-determination is ingrained in international law, including Charter of the United Nations.
Canada and United States took very serious view over Indian State sponsored killing of a Sikh leader and a plot to kill another prominent Sikh leader in US. US intelligence officials gave solid proofs to India on both cases. RAW officials were getting orders ad directives from Indian Government; PM office and personally by Ajit Kumar Doval, Indian National Security Advisor. On its part Indian BJP Government under Modi has been misleading the US and Canada in last over one year that, Rogue officials may be involved in these assassination attempts of Sikh leaders. Canada and U.S have proved that, India is involved in killing/ plot to kill Sikh leaders’ on Canadian and American soil through covert form of terrorism. On their part, Sikh community is of the view that, international community should support them in their right of self-determination since Sikhs have principally decided to have their own home land. International community and the UN must take note of Indian state sponsored terrorism against Sikhs. Indeed, Indian RAW should be declared as an international terrorist organization.
—The writer is Professor of Politics and IR at International Islamic University, Islamabad.
