Nearly a year after the assassination of Sikh leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Surrey, members of his community are paying tribute to him and calling for the international community to be more critical of the Indian government.
The purpose of this gathering is to remember Hardeep and his sacrifice, but also to prepare for what comes next
testifies Moninder Singh, spokesperson for the Sikh Temples Association of British Columbia, BC Gurdwaras CouncilSunday morning.
The gathering took place at the Sikh temple in Surrey. It is near this one that almost a year ago to the day, on June 18, 2023, Hardeep Singh Nijjar was shot and killed.
Hardeep Singh Nijjar was the religious leader of the Sikh temple in Surrey. Originally from Punjab, in northern India, he supported the creation of an independent state, Khalistan.
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Sikh separatist leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar was assassinated on June 18 as he left a temple in Surrey, in the Vancouver region.
Photo: Radio-Canada / Christophe Barachet
The man, who was 45 years old at the time of his death, had immigrated to Canada in 1997. He was well integrated into his Greater Vancouver community.
His voice must have been looped
Due to his success in raising awareness for his cause, his voice needed to be cordoned off, which is why he was killed
considers Gurkeerat Singh, another spokesperson for the movement BC Gurdwaras Council.
According to members of this organization, the assassination of the Sikh leader brought Canada’s Sikh community closer together.
I think many people in Canada have firmly sided with the supporters of sovereignty and Khalistan because they see that while this violence happened in India before, it has now reached their doorstep in Canada . […] So I think it’s done a lot to galvanize the community, probably more so in this last year than in the last 40 years
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Spokespeople for the Sikh Temple Association of British Columbia are calling for more resistance to the Indian government at international meetings as the G7 in Italy has just concluded.
Photo: Radio-Canada / Christophe Barachet
The death of Hardeep Singh Nijjar significantly cooled diplomatic relations between Canada and India. The Prime Minister of Canada, Justin Trudeau, accused the Indian government of being directly involved in this premeditated murder.
In early May, four arrests were made in Alberta and Ontario in connection with this case.
The four men appeared in British Columbia Provincial Court shortly after their arrest. The date of their next appearance has been set for June 25.
The demonstrators, who gathered on Sunday, said that other events will be organized until Wednesday.
With information from Yann Lacoste
