• Rising anti-Sikh sentiment linked to India’s far-right Hindutva movement is sparking violence and unrest, spilling over from India to Canada.
• Sikh activists in Canada are facing discrimination and targeted violence as they campaign for Khalistan, a separate Sikh state.
I told you that these extreme Hindus in India are going absolutely crazy and feeling emboldened—to such a degree that, if not dealt with, if not stopped, if not condemned, it spills over to the rest of the world. Indians are a large population and exercise significant influence. We saw, a year or so ago in the UK in Leicester, what they were capable of, and now we are seeing it in Canada: smashing up cars, threatening cops, and threatening Sikh places of worship. The Indian army is being urged to come to Canada and storm those temples.
Some officials from India were visiting a temple in Canada, and just outside, you had Sikhs protesting—Sikhs who are pro-Khalistan. Now you may wonder, what on Earth is Khalistan? You’ve heard of Kazakhstan and Pakistan—is this like a mix of the two? No, it is a state that Sikhs want for themselves. I’ll tell you why: a number of events have left them feeling unsafe and unrepresented. So, these guys were outside protesting; naturally, some Indian Hindutva extremists incited them, and a skirmish broke out.
When you search about this incident, the majority of the news articles covering it are Indian because of India’s large population and extensive media presence. On Indian news sites, you’ll be convinced it was the Sikhs—the “aggressors,” as they are called by the Indians, who obviously disagree with them. And because Sikhs have limited media representation, people start thinking, “Yo, these bearded folk who look like Muslims are causing issues again.” But that’s absolutely false. If you look at the facts, nothing happened in the Hindu temple; the skirmish took place outside during a protest while officials were visiting. A lot of the situation is being severely misrepresented—Sikhs attacking a Hindu temple is the narrative.
Narendra Modi, India’s prime minister—the Butcher of Gujarat, once banned from entering America—is quick to condemn, which is ironic because, in India, many churches and mosques have been desecrated and destroyed. But, of course, that’s another issue, isn’t it?
This has worsened the already strained relationship between Canada and India. Justin Trudeau, Canada’s leader, publicly blamed the death of a Sikh on foreign interference by India. Who was killed? In 2023, it was Hardeep Singh Nijjar, an advocate for Khalistan and the president of the British Columbia Gurdwara. The Canadian spy agency had already warned him of threats to his life. After his death, Canadian police, among others, found strong evidence linking India to his murder—enough for Trudeau to confidently blame India in October 2024. Right after, both countries started expelling diplomats.
Meanwhile, the United States uncovered an unsuccessful plot to assassinate another Khalistan advocate, Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, allegedly organized by Indian agents, with one suspect being Ainash Yadav from India’s Research and Analysis Wing (RAW). India is clearly exporting its conflicts abroad. Canada is particularly significant because, after India, it has the highest Sikh population. Notably, the Punjab state Sikhs desire for Khalistan is 58% Sikh and only 39% Hindu. However, this crucial context will be absent from mainstream media—only “Sikhs attack temple” will be highlighted.
In Brampton, a predominantly Sikh area, Indians are indiscriminately attacking cars.
During protests, they mention the names of convicted gangsters like Lawrence Bishnoi, known to kill Sikhs and allegedly linked to the Indian government to target specific individuals.
A WhatsApp group went viral, showing Indians planning to throw petrol bombs at the police, which we shared on S2J News. A Hindutva extremist, Ron Banerjee, has gone so far as to demand the Indian army come to Canada and storm Khalistani temples—on Canadian soil. Are Canadians okay with that?
Here you have a Sikh just doing his job, identifiable only by his turban and beard, yet he faces discrimination. We are seeing chants encouraging hatred and violence toward the Sikh community. Now, this is just the tip of the iceberg. This tension is bound to escalate as Narendra Modi and his BJP government maintain their stronghold in India, promoting violence against minorities. But let’s focus on the Sikhs here. The Khalistan movement started when the British left India, gaining momentum in the 1970s when Sikhs felt underrepresented and unprotected by the government. In 1984, Operation Blue Star, sanctioned by then-leader Indira Gandhi, targeted the Sikhs’ holiest place, the Golden Temple, claiming extremists were there. Thousands died, including innocent worshippers, sparking outrage.
In response, Gandhi’s Sikh bodyguards killed her, leading to the 1984 Sikh Massacre. Sikhs claim this wasn’t just a massacre but a genocide. Independent estimates suggest 8,000 Sikhs were killed, women abused, and a pogrom ensued, with targeted violence to eradicate Sikhs. Muslims and other minorities protected them, but it was a hard time. Since then, with the BJP’s extremist Hindutva ideology permeating India, Sikhs have realized they’re in constant threat, even abroad.
Wikileaks later released cables acknowledging U.S. awareness of the Indian government’s involvement in the 1984 massacre, and Human Rights Watch in 2011 stated that India has yet to effectively prosecute those responsible. Is it any wonder Sikhs feel unsafe and unrepresented, fearing history may repeat itself? Don’t fall for Indian fake news.
