THE Canadian Government has established through a secret but meticulous investigative system that Sikh leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar was killed by an operative of Indian spying network; Research and Analysis Wing (RAW). It had been an enormous and complicated task since the killing was done through a much concealed process at British Columbia, Canada in June, 2023. There remained a secretive silence in Canada during the entire investigation process, since it was feared that Indian RAW and Indian lobbies might have influenced the investigation system. The Canadian Government, its investigation system and especially the Canadian Prime Minister deserve a lot of appreciation. Upon announcement of a clear Indian involvement in this act of terror on Canadian soil, the killer (s) and Indian Government officials behind this entire chain of killing must be brought before the Canadian justice system.
As disclosed by Canadian officials, “Canada worked “very closely” with the United States on intelligence that Indian agents had been potentially involved in the murder of a Sikh leader in British Columbia earlier this year.” On September 20, 2023, the spokesman of White House, Mr John Kirby unambiguously stressed Indian Government to cooperate with Canadian Government over this act of killing of Sikh leader. He said, “We believe a fully transparent comprehensive investigation is the right approach so that we can all know exactly what happened, and of course, we encourage India to cooperate with that.” This killing of the Sikh leader who had Canadian citizenship has far-reaching consequences on international law, thus the US has clarified its position which has shaken the Indian Government. Indeed, through this act of terror Indian state-sponsored terrorism has been exposed.
Killing of Sikh leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar on Canadian soil has attracted international attention and deep anger of Sikh community. The international community has questioned as to why the Indian Government wanted to kill Mr Hardeep Singh Nijjar, born in Jalandhar, North Indian State of Punjab and settled in Canada. Indeed, he was killed by RAW through secretive means, since he was an advocate of an 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 the 1990s, just a few years after the massive genocide of Sikh community in 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 former Indian Prime Minister Ms Indira Ghandi on October 31, 1984. Many Sikh youths managed to escape the Indian atrocities from the 1980s through the 1990s to various parts of the world, mostly in the United States and Europe.
Despite massive persecution of Sikhs in India, they decided not to surrender to Indian military might. Rather, they formally organized them and decided to have their own homeland, thus starting a political and social struggle for their right of self-determination. While there was an ongoing Sikhs movement against Hindu rule in India, the Sikh Diaspora has devised a wider strategy of pursuing the 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.
For global coverage and international recognition, the Sikh Diaspora has decided to organize Referendums in all countries wherever there is a presence of Sikhs. So far, there have been dozens of phases of referendum for a separate Sikh homeland (Khalistan). This referendum was conducted in various cities of Britain having Sikh Diaspora. The referendum for a separate Sikh homeland started from London on October 31, 2021 with participation of over 30,000 Sikhs. All Indian attempts to stop Sikh referendum exercises in Britain and other western world failed miserably, despite good diplomatic relationship between India and these countries. The movement for the Khalistan referendum had sent a strong message to India to accept the Sikh’s long-awaited demand for a separate homeland and to put an end to discrimination against Sikhs.
Sikh community has decided to share the results of the referendum with United Nations Organizations, the major powers and other international forums, since they are a separate community in India by all means. Sikh’s referendums were conducted in the United States, Canada, Australia and elsewhere. The US-based Sikhs for Justice (SFJ) organisation has already mobilized itself for the conduct of Referendum in the US with the sole objective of a separate homeland for Sikhs with the name of Khalistan.
Top Sikh leadership in India and elsewhere in the world have reached a consensus that “India is a fascist state which believes in the supremacy of Hindus only and doesn’t tolerate other religious minorities”. The map of Khalistan shows not just Punjab but Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and several districts of Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh as part of Khalistan. The new map depicts that the area will be cut off from India and made into the Sikh country “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 the Charter of the United Nations.
The Sikh community is of the view that if international community believes in a free and open society that respects fundamental and universal concepts like democracy, freedom of expression, human rights, respect for the rule of law and the rights of the individual, then surely they also believe in the right of different peoples to determine for themselves how they wish to be governed and by whom? Killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar is an act of terrorism by India which must be investigated through an international tribunal and all those behind this planning of terrorism must be punished.
— The writer is Professor of Politics and IR at International Islamic University, Islamabad.
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