CHANDIGARH
A recent wave of crackdown across the country, particularly in Punjab, targeting sympathizers of Khalistan—including the revocation of OCI cards of pro-Khalistanis, and numerous raids by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) at over a thousand locations where separatists have taken refuge—has forced pro-Khalistani elements to go dormant on social media, at least temporarily. What has intensified the sense of insecurity among pro-Khalistanis in Punjab is the government’s move to confiscate properties linked to Khalistanis, including the recent seizure of Sikh for Justice (SFJ) leader Gurpatwant Singh Pannu’s assets in Chandigarh and Amritsar.
Just a few weeks ago, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau accused India of assassinating Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar on Canadian soil. However, Trudeau finds himself isolated on all fronts where he had expected support against India. Nijjar was granted Canadian citizenship months after a Red Corner Notice (RCN) was issued against him, a notice that had been in effect for nine years.
The initial RCN was issued following a case (FIR No. 159) filed against Nijjar by the Punjab Police at the Kotwali police station, Patiala. The second RCN was issued in FIR No. 19 filed at the Nurpur police station, Ropar, in 2016. Surprisingly, Nijjar acquired Canadian citizenship in 2015, raising questions from India about how he obtained citizenship despite being the subject of a Red Corner Notice. This led to a change in the Canadian Minister’s statement on Twitter. On a post on 19 September 2023, Canada’s Immigration Minister Marc Miller stated, “I can confirm that Nijjar became a Canadian citizen on 3 March 2015. I hope this dispels the baseless rumours that he was not a Canadian.” However, on Wednesday, 20 September 2023, Miller posted, “Nijjar became a Canadian citizen on May 25, 2007, earlier than I stated. The error in dates is my responsibility to assume.” Following this statement, Indian agencies expressed doubts about Miller’s latest claim, an issue that had already been brought to Canada’s attention and Interpol’s.
It’s essential to mention that after the issuance of an RCN, which is done through Interpol, a country is required to arrest the accused and deport them to the issuing country. However, Canada seemingly acted in the opposite manner, as revealed by a senior official who spoke anonymously.
The individual at the center of the controversy, Nijjar, whose death prompted Canada’s Prime Minister Trudeau to make a significant outcry in Parliament, was described as an activist, plumber, and Canadian citizen. He had arrived in Toronto on 10 February 1997, using a fraudulent passport issued under the name “Ravi Sharma”. Prior to this, he had been in hiding since 1995 when he was detained by the Punjab Police.
Upon reaching Canada, Nijjar submitted an affidavit in June 1998, along with medical records detailing alleged torture in India, in an attempt to seek refuge. However, his plea was rejected by Canadian authorities. Remarkably, less than two weeks after his claim was denied, Nijjar married a woman who sponsored his immigration. Officials noted that his wife had arrived in Canada in 1997, “sponsored by a different husband”.
On 25 September, SFJ chief Gurpatwant Singh Pannu called on the Sikh separatist diaspora to vote in favour of a Khalistani referendum. However, only a handful of people participated in the voting, and separatists were seen engaging in disrespectful acts towards the Indian flag, including using it in a football game. They also insulted Prime Minister Narendra Modi by kicking and throwing shoes at an effigy of him. Following this series of events and drama in Canada, the Khalistani referendum idea failed to gain significant support from the Sikh community.