Honourable Commissioner Hogue,

Thank you for opening an inquiry into the growing foreign interference in Canada, which is home to people from almost all the countries across the globe.

I, being a journalist of Indian origin, who came to Canada in 2001, have been following these developments very closely.

It’s good that you are looking into an issue which has deeply impacted my compatriots residing in this country for a very long time.

It gives us hope that you aren’t just focusing on China, Russia or Iran, but also on how the government of the world’s so-called largest democracy in New Delhi has been spreading its tentacles in Canada through its spies to suppress any voice of dissent in the diaspora.  

Since I have covered the Air India tragedy, and have interviewed the families of the victims of the worst incident in the history of aviation terrorism before 9/11, I call upon your inquiry commission to look into the circumstances that led to the bombings that left 331 people dead. Radical Desi, an online magazine which I started, has already launched a petition asking for a focused inquiry into the whole episode. We will continue to gather signatures both online and on physical petitions, until Vaisakhi in April.

Community members are signing the petition with a desire to see justice being served. There has been a feeling out there that the Indian agencies could be involved behind the crime that has largely been blamed on Sikh separatists, leading to only one conviction.  

This has become even more necessary after the murder of Surrey-Delta Gurdwara President Hardeep Singh Nijjar in June, 2023. The events leading up to his assassination demand a fresh investigation into the role of Indian spies behind the Air Indian blasts.  

Let’s take a quick look at some of the facts.   

331 people died in two bombings on June 23, 1985. This included the mid-air blast of Air India Flight 182 that killed all 329 people aboard. While the incidents were blamed on Sikh separatists seeking revenge from the Indian government, community activists continue to believe that this was the handiwork of Indian intelligence to discredit the movement for a Sikh homeland of Khalistan. They have pointed to a flawed investigation, destruction of surveillance tapes, and facts such as the last minute cancellation of travel plans by some people known to be close to the Indian consulate, and the proximity of some of the suspects to Indian officials.

Two of the persons charged were acquitted. Inderjit Singh Reyat was the only individual to be convicted for manslaughter and perjury, for concealing the identity of another potential suspect.

Among the acquitted was Sikh millionaire Ripudaman Singh Malik, who was not only given visa to visit India in 2019, but was allowed to meet the head of the Indian spy agency R&AW. Malik was shot to death under mysterious circumstances in July 2022. A section of the Indian media speculated that he was killed by the supporters of Khalistan.

Nijjar was portrayed as a suspect, raising apprehensions of retaliation within the community. He had been facing threats to his life, and had been on the radar of the Indian government that was seeking his extradition. A month before his murder, he told me during a radio interview that he is on the Indian watch list and could be eliminated through contract killers. So much so, I was labeled as a provocateur against Malik by the same media group, as I have been questioning Malik’s meeting with the R&AW chief and his growing loyalty towards right wing Hindu nationalist Prime Minister Narendra Modi. A dossier made on me by the Indian government accused me of indulging in anti-India activities around the same time, even though I have been critical of Khalistan movement and had received threats for criticising Malik and others charged in the Air India case. 

The Indian government was outraged over Nijjar’s support for a referendum on Khalistan and for glorification of the late Talwinder Singh Parmar, a militant leader who is widely accused as a mastermind behind the Air India carnage. Notably, while Parmar was never convicted for the crime, he was killed by the Indian police in cold blood in 1992, giving credence to the conspiracy theories. Many believe that his killing was a part of the cover up.  

In June, 2023, Nijjar was murdered near the gurdwara parking lot, despite the fact that he was repeatedly cautioned by Canadian authorities about the danger to his life.

The Canadian Prime Minister acknowledged in the House of Commons that the Indian government could be behind the murder. Later, US authorities unearthed a plot to kill Nijjar’s colleague Gurpatwant Singh Pannu, and indicted Nikhil Gupta, who hired an undercover police officer for the job on behalf of an unidentified Indian government official.

The series of events has made the demand for another Air India inquiry even more relevant than before. Previous investigations mainly looked into the hand of Sikh separatists in the bombings and have remained unresolved, so let’s go beyond and try to look into other possibilities with an open mind.

I urge you to kindly examine this question urgently and bring closure that is much needed before it is too late. Not only the victims’ families deserve that, but also the Sikh community that remains under a microscope because of this ugly affair.

Gurpreet Singh 

An independent journalist and the author of Fighting Hatred With Love: Voices of the Air India victims' families 

To mark the beginning of the Black History Month, the Vancouver-based online magazine that covers alternative politics has picked the President of South Africa for the title, in recognition of his government’s initiative to make Israel accountable for Palestinian genocide in the International Court of Justice, something which the western democracies, like Canada and US, have failed to do.

Through this historic action, South Africa has proved itself to be a true human rights leader in the world.

Prominent columnist and author Anand Teltumbde, who was arrested and thrown behind bars by the Indian government under trumped up charges for questioning the power, recently received an award in the name of Basavaanna, a great reformist and philosopher of Karnataka. Currently on bail, he had to obtain permission from the court in his native state of Maharashtra to travel to Bengaluru to receive the honour from  the Karnataka government. Teltumbde had been to Canada before being framed at the behest of right wing Hindu nationalist forces, and was declared "Person of the Year 2020" by Radical Desi while being incarcerated. The Karnataka government award was in recognition of his work for an egalitarian and just society, and for standing up for the poor and marginalized. He happens to be the grandson-in-law of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, a towering Indian scholar and the architect of the Indian constitution. Below are the speech made by Teltumbde on this occasion, and a congratulatory letter sent to him by his co accused from inside the jail:

Dr Anand Teltumbde on the Conferment of Basava Rashtriya Purashkar by the Government of Karnataka

[Speech prepared to be delivered in the Award Function on 31 January 2013. Its fraction was however spoken out due to paucity of time]

I am extremely happy to be honoured by the conferment of this prestigious award of the Government of Karnataka. I am especially happy to be in your midst to receive the award in person. It’s my first travel out of the jurisdiction of the Bombay High Court after my coming out on bail, with the permission from the court. In the context of my condition, the honour being done to me here is not really my personal honour but it is the honour of those countless and faceless activists who have been making huge sacrifices to make this world a little better place to live. Unfortunately, they are being targeted by the present regime at the centre as the enemies of nation.

I am thankful to the Government of Karnataka and particularly its honourable chief minister Shri Siddharamiah and his honourable cabinet colleague Shri Shivaraj Tangadagi, Minister of Kannada and Culture for doing this honour. Within the constraints of real politik, they deserve our complements for keeping alive the legacy of Basavanna. 

I may also express my appreciation to the Selection Committee that found in my jumbled bio data something that deserved it. But most of all I thank the people of Karnataka, who have been bestowing their love and affection and treating me as one of their own. It is Karnataka that honoured me with my first honorary doctorate and it is Karnataka’s Ambedkar Habbba that not only stood in solidarity with me but conferred its highest Bodhisattva Award while I was made an accused in an UAPA-case.  These are significant honours Karnataka did me besides many minor ones. Yesterday, one of my Kannadiga friends proudly said, “People of Karnataka love you so much that they wanted to honour you before your own state did it”. Unbeknownst to him, my state had already done me the greatest honour by putting me in jail.    

I highly value the spirit behind this award that Basavanna’s legacy is not bound by the artificially drawn boundaries of states and nations.  I greatly appreciate the acknowledgment that I do not belong only to Maharashtra but to the entire India, nay the world. I consider myself belonging to the multitude of the downtrodden people of the world who are engaged with incessant struggle just for their survival. This sense of belonging gives me the motive force to carry on my struggle in face of all odds. 

It is an honour to receive the award in the name of Basavanna, whom I hold in highest esteem as one of the greatest humanist philosophers.  When I read his Vachanas in English some two decades ago, I was stunned to note refreshing progressive tone and modernist flavour in his words. It was incredible that they flowed from twelfth century, some half a millennium before even the dawn of European renaissance. He was not a saint who renounced the samsara and acquired enlightenment in forest through penance. He was a human quite like us and rather beyond us, in being the chief minister of the Kalyani Chalukya/ Kalachuri kingdoms. He rejected every kind of social discrimination, temple worship, Brahminic rituals, and concepts of papa and punya (sin and merit). Instead, he propagated love and compassion. I read secondary literature on him by some western scholars who saw him in the lineage of Lokayata, Buddha down to Marx of our times, who considered human emancipation here and now and not in the speculative heaven or of the next birth or in the next birth. He valorized labour and condemned exploitation. As a civil rights activist for more than four decades, I may say that Basava’s Vachanas contained the essence of all 30 articles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights by UNO in 1948, which inspired all post-colonial states to incorporate fundamental rights into their respective constitutions.  It is amazing that in the thick of feudalism, he could promulgate such a humanist vision.    

He would stand as beacon to our politicians who hold the reins of the state that flaunts as democracy. The kings then despite being the sovereign seem to be carrying the sense of responsibility towards their praja, the people. But today our rulers, who hold power as representative of people, live in a style that would embarrass even the most extravagant of the kings, without any concern to the people. They have transformed the framework of liberal democracy into an illiberal monstrosity. In relation to Basaveshwara’s Vachanas, we have fast traversed in opposite direction. Our Constitution, carrying an imprint of Babasaheb Ambedkar’s vision of liberty, equality and fraternity is trampled upon with impunity day in and day out at the altar of Hindutva politics. People have been turned into zombies to follow the leader. This republic is reduced to be a zombie nation singing requiem to the rationality, scientific temper and all that goes with the spirit of India’s constitution.

In such depressing times this award brings me blessings of Basaveswara to carry on my struggle to fight for civil rights of people.     

I thank you all for your patience. 

I am glad that the present chief minister of Karnataka , who within the contsraints of real politics that engulfs him, is trying to carry the legacy of Basaveshwara in his state. 

A Congratulatory Letter from the Accused in Bhima-Koregaon Case to Dr Anand Teltumbde on his being given the Karnataka Government’s Highest Award, Basava National Award

Dear Anand,

We all felt overjoyed hearing about the conferment of Basava National Award of the Government of Karnataka on you on 31 January 2024. You have exposed the sanatan disease of caste system inflicting this country in the context of fast changing reality before the people; showed them the practical roadmap of annihilation of the caste system. While the emancipation-icon of Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar was getting deified and brahminised, you have re-presented the comprehensive thought, practice and life struggle of Dr Ambedkar and pushed forward the wheel of democratic revolution of annihilating the caste system. 

With this scarce and unique contribution of yours the movement of ending the caste-class-and gender slavery became profound in ideological terms and at the same time, it became more accurate, more precise and deeper at the plane of understanding and practice.  Your analyses resolved not only the entanglements in individual contemplation but also the ideological contradictions in collectives. Those who honestly want to bring about fundamental change in the extant system have taken a serious note of your analyses. And those who wanted to run their businesses played games of besmirching your image with various stamps and labels. The Fascist regime has persistently tried to defame you calling some time Maoist and some other times ‘Mayawi Ambedkarwadi’ (Mayawi translates as ‘illusive’ but it is used in the sense ‘monsterous demon’ that deserves to be destroyed as in the Hindu epics) and also incarcerated you with its oxymoron, Urban Naxal. However, your words and deeds never paid heed to such repressive assaults in your life. Your words could never be suppressed. On the contrary, they became increasingly sharper, resolute and fearless. These razor-sharp formulations, ironclad logic, profound analyses, accompanied by practical life-struggle have transformed you into a real public intellectual. 

While the fascist regime in your own state has incarcerated you by labelling anti-national and terrorist, soon after your release on bail the Government of Karnataka unanimously selected you for its highest national award, the ‘Basava Rashtriya Puraskar’, being conferred at the hand of its Chief Minister. This incident can be seen as a small streak of light in the present era fraught with darkness.  The award in the name of Basaveshawara, the humanist philosopher who had rejected the Brahminic system of caste-and gender slavery and propounded the value of compassion and fraternity in the twelfth century, being given to you, the one who has been imprisoned for over two and half years under the charges of terrorism, in itself is an unprecedented incident. The award is given to you as an ideal legatee of Basava, the prophet of daya (compassion), ahimsa (nonviolence) and samata (equality). It indicates that a small section of the ruling class is slowly emerging that wants to stand steadfastly against the Brahminic Hindutva fascism. The award function that took place in Bangalore leads us to such an optimistic inference. This function has awakened an expectation that the forces fighting against caste-class-gender slavery and fascism may turn into a deluge in not so distant future. Therefore, we feel great importance of your getting this award.

You have been honoured with several national and international awards so far in your life.  We have seen people getting excessively over-joyed and strayed away from their ideological stand with awards or willingly adjusting their stance for seeking awards. However, you have never let your own existence whose roots have been well entrenched in the soil of struggle for the annihilation of the caste-class-gender slavery get shaken with awards or the latter going to your head. You have never adjusted your ideological stand or the radical and revolutionary profundity of your analyses. Therefore, we the prisoners accused in the Elgar Parishad case wish to send our revolutionary congratulations and good wishes to our own co-accused Dr Anand Teltumbde who has been unstintingly and persistently working inside as well as outside the prison on his getting the Basava National Award.   

Yours

BK-7

It’s you who needs to repent, Mr. Amit Shah

Hello Mr. Shah,

I was amused to see your video the other day, in which you were telling an Akali Dal MP from Punjab that Balwant Singh Rajoana, a jailed Sikh militant, does not deserve amnesty.

You were apparently outraged at her statement asking to free him and other Sikh political prisoners who have already served their time. Your anger might be also because Akali Dal once used to be the alliance partner of your party in power, before they fell apart when your own government brought a bill that was anti-farmer. Only you would know the real source of your annoyance.

Your piece of advice, that Rajoana should not expect any compassion or leniency, as he doesn’t regret his action of being involved in terrorism and the assassination of Punjab Chief Minister Beant Singh, left me laughing.

First of all, you have no moral right to make that kind of suggestion to any political extremist, considering that your party has itself been involved in terrorism.

We can begin with the murder of Mahatma Gandhi in 1948. His killer was a part of RSS, the mother organization of Hindu supremacy to which you and your Prime Minister belong. The story does not end there. You have MPs who glorify his murderer, one of whom, Sadhvi Pragya Thakur, had been involved in bombings in a Muslim locality. You yourself had once mocked Gandhi by calling him a cunning Baania.

Let’s fast forward to December 6, 1992 when your party folks razed an ancient mosque in Ayodhya, after which you targeted Muslims for years through mob violence, including the one in Gujarat in 2002. Modi and you were the leaders of Gujarat back then, and we all know about your complicity. Then you both allowed Muslims to be killed in staged police shootouts in the name of war on terror.

Ever since you both formed a majority government in New Delhi, Hindu extremism has become a new norm and attacks on religious minorities have grown. All those self-styled cow vigilantes going after beef-eating Muslims are no less than Taliban.

Even a child can make out that the Supreme Court under your government humiliated Muslims by allowing the construction of Ram Temple in Ayodhya. Modi, who has inaugurated the temple just now, has marked another black day in our history. Until now you have been claiming that the Muslim rulers destroyed the birthplace of Lord Ram to build the mosque in Ayodhya. For the sake  of argument, if one believes what you have been saying, your party in power is a mirror image of those Muslim emperors who have already gone down in history as tyrants.

With so much baggage of your own, how can you single out Rajoana and others like him?

Rajoana was responsible for the death of a controversial political figure who had given a free hand to the Punjab police to crush an insurgency for Khalistan, as a result of which many innocent Sikhs were also abducted and killed in state violence. This is not to defend the wrongdoings of the supporters of Khalistan, but to be fair, most of them were killed through extra-judicial means, even while your party people continued to indulge in terrorism with impunity. Unfortunately, the majoritarian media did not even dare to call you terrorists, and neither were your men tried and convicted under anti terror laws.

Just because you are in power does not make you a lesser evil. If asking for Khalistan is a crime, so is turning India into a Hindu state which you have already done.

Lastly, today is the 25th anniversary of the gruesome murders of Australian Christian missionary Graham Staines and his two sons, who were burnt to death in 1999 by the right-wing Hindu goons who have been getting their oxygen from hate-mongers like you.

It’s time that you repent your actions and do some penance, instead of lecturing others.

May Lord Ram bless you.

Gurpreet Singh

An independent Canadian journalist of Indian heritage

January 23, 2024.    

An online magazine that covers alternative politics wants another probe into the role of Indian agencies behind the worst incident of aviation terrorism before 9/11.

On Thursday, January 11, Radical Desi cofounder Gurpreet Singh launched a signature campaign on a petition from the spot where Surrey-Delta Gurdwara President Hardeep Singh Nijjar was killed in June, 2023.

According to Singh, the events leading up to Nijjar's assassination demand a fresh and focused investigation into the role of Indian spies in the Air Indian episode.  

It is pertinent to mention Mewa Singh was executed on January 11, 1915 for murdering controversial immigration inspector William Hopkinson.

Hopkinson was instrumental behind the killings of two community leaders, Bhaag Singh and Badan Singh, at the Vancouver gurdwara in September, 1914. Bhaag Singh led a campaign against racism and colonialism, and was targeted by the agents of Hopkinson.

Since the history of those killings has been repeated by the Indian state, Singh said that it was appropriate to launch the petition on Mewa Singh’s martyrdom day.  

331 people died in two bombings on June 23, 1985. This included a mid-air blast of Air India Flight 182 that left all 329 people aboard dead. While the incidents were blamed on Sikh separatists seeking revenge from the Indian government, community activists continue to believe that this was the handiwork of the Indian intelligence to discredit the movement for a Sikh homeland of Khalistan. They have pointed to a flawed investigation, destruction of surveillance tapes, and facts such as last minute cancellation of travel plans by some people known to be close to the Indian consulate and the proximity of some of the suspects to Indian officials.

Two of the persons charged were acquitted, while Inderjit Singh Reyat was the only person to be convicted for manslaughter.

Among the acquitted was Sikh millionaire Ripudaman Singh Malik who was not only given visa to visit India in 2019, he was allowed to meet the head of the Indian spy agency R&AW. Malik was shot to death under mysterious circumstances in July 2022. A section of the Indian media speculated that he was assassinated by the supporters of Khalistan.

Nijjar was portrayed as a potential suspect, raising apprehensions of retaliation within the community. He has been facing threats to his life since then, and he has been on the radar of the Indian government that was seeking his extradition. Also, the Indian government was outraged over his support for a referendum on Khalistan and for glorification of the late Talwinder Singh Parmar, a militant leader who is widely accused as a mastermind behind Air India. Notably, while Parmar was never convicted for the crime, he was killed by the Indian police in cold blood in 1992, giving credence to the conspiracy theories. Many believe that his killing was a part of the cover up.  

In June, 2023, Nijjar was murdered near the gurdwara parking lot, despite the fact that he was repeatedly cautioned by Canadian authorities about the danger to his life. The Canadian Prime Minister acknowledged in the House of Commons that the Indian government could be behind the murder. Later, US authorities unearthed a plot to kill Nijjar’s colleague Gurpatwant Singh Pannu, and indicted Nikhil Gupta, who hired an undercover police officer for the job on behalf of an unidentified Indian government official.

The series of events has made the demand for another Air India inquiry even more relevant than before. Previous investigations mainly looked into the hand of Sikh separatists into the bombings and have remained unresolved.

Protecting the human rights of LGBTQ+ people: Why Canada does not need homophobic and transphobic immigrants!

Canada prioritizes inclusivity and diversity, fostering an environment where all individuals can thrive regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity. Allowing homophobic and transphobic individuals to immigrate can undermine this commitment and potentially threaten the safety and well-being of LGBTQ+ communities. Here are ten compelling reasons why such attitudes shouldn't be welcomed in Canada:

Violates Human Rights: Homophobic and transphobic beliefs directly contravene the fundamental human rights of LGBTQ+ individuals, creating an unsafe environment for them.

Undermines Equality Laws: Canada's laws protect LGBTQ+ rights; allowing those opposed to these rights can lead to social regression and undermine hard-won equality.

Threatens Mental Health: Intolerance fuels discrimination, leading to increased mental health risks among LGBTQ+ individuals, contradicting Canada's commitment to mental well-being.

Promotes Exclusion: Homophobic and transphobic views propagate exclusion, harming the social fabric and diversity that Canada values.

Increases Hate Crimes: Importing such attitudes can contribute to a rise in hate crimes, compromising the safety of LGBTQ+ communities.

Hampers Workplace Diversity: Tolerance and acceptance are crucial in workplaces; importing intolerance can create hostile environments for LGBTQ+ employees.

Contradicts Education Principles: Canada prioritizes inclusive education; importing intolerance conflicts with the goal of providing safe learning spaces for LGBTQ+ youth.

Lack of Cultural Competence: Healthcare professionals with intolerant views may lack understanding or sensitivity towards the specific healthcare needs of LGBTQ+ individuals, leading to subpar or inappropriate care.

Undermines National Values: Canada prides itself on tolerance and diversity; allowing intolerant views to flourish contradicts these core national values.

Stifles Social Progress: Welcoming individuals who hold homophobic and transphobic beliefs impedes social progress and counters efforts to build an inclusive society.

Canada's commitment to inclusivity and diversity forms the bedrock of its social fabric. Upholding these values means ensuring that those who oppose them do not threaten the safety, rights, and well-being of LGBTQ+ communities and the broader Canadian society.

Alex Sangha is an award-winning social worker, counsellor, documentary film producer, and author.  For more information check out:  https://www.youtube.com/@alex.sangha

Gurpreet Singh

Let’s make the world’s so-called largest democracy accountable for incarcerating a disabled scholar.

A wheelchair-bound former Delhi University Professor, who is struggling with multiple ailments, is serving a life sentence under trumped up charges, for merely questioning the power and standing up for the poor and marginalized, as well as for the religious minorities who are being persecuted in India.

GN Saibaba was convicted on March 7, 2017,after being branded as a sympathizer of Maoist insurgents.

The United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention has asked for his release on humanitarian grounds due to his deteriorating health and brutal  jail conditions. Thousands of people across the world have signed petitions asking for his liberation. But the right wing Hindu nationalist government in New Delhi refuses to let him go.

On the contrary, attacks on political dissidents and minorities have increased ever since Narendra Modi became the Prime Minister in 2014.

It is pertinent to mention that when Mahatma Gandhi, the father of the Indian nation and a towering leader of the passive resistance movement against British rule, was sentenced on March 18, 1922 his followers decided to observe the 18th of every month as “Gandhi Day” until he was released.

It’s a shame that the country that  once fought against foreign occupation and its draconian laws is now being ruled by its own people, who have brought in even more stringent laws to suppress the voices of freedom. Saibaba is just one example of the extreme barbarity, while many continue to suffer the state violence in an independent India. Let’s reclaim the country of Gandhi’s dreams, and make noise for the release of Saibaba and all other political prisoners being jailed unfairly. For now, we can follow in the footsteps of the freedom fighters, and start observing every 7th of the month as “GN Saibaba Day” until he comes back home with dignity and respect. Nothing will be more fitting than to launch this initiative in the month of August, when the double-faced Indian leadership celebrates independence from the British, while continuing to oppress its own citizens to retain power and control by taking the refuge of patriotism.

Gurpreet Singh

The brazen murder of the President of Surrey-Delta Gurdwara on Sunday, June 18 has left many of us devastated.

Hardeep Singh Nijjar was a tireless community activist and a hardworking family man, who earned his livelihood as a plumber.

He was shot to death by at least two unidentified assailants on  Father’s Day, when he was heading home to spend time with his sons after finishing his work at the Gurdwara. 

Even as the authorities are looking into the incident and the motives behind it, there are strong speculations suggesting that Nijjar’s assassination was potentially orchestrated by contract killers hired by the Indian intelligence. 

Nijjar has been declared a 'martyr' by thousands of individuals who gathered at the Gurdwara on June 25 to pay their final respects to the deceased. Demonstrating their concern, they signed a petition urging the Canadian government to thoroughly investigate the possible involvement of Indian agents in the incident. Nijjar’s body had been brought to the Gurdwara in a casket before the funeral ceremony.   

Nijjar was associated with Sikhs For Justice (SFJ), an advocacy group fighting for an independent Sikh homeland of Khalistan. SFJ is banned in India,  and Nijjar had been branded as a designated terrorist by the government in New Delhi. He was constantly targeted by a section of the Indian media at the behest of Indian intelligence agencies and was relentlessly accused of being involved in violent activities and political murders in the country. This was despite the fact that he had never been convicted or faced any criminal charges in Canada.

The Indian government had been trying to get him extradited. It was  claimed that he was running a terror training camp in Mission, BC - a claim that proved to be a hoax. 

In fact, Nijjar lived under constant fear for his life at the hands of foreign actors active in Canada. More than once, he had confided in me about threatening messages and being cautioned by the Canadian police to remain vigilant.

In May, upon hearing news about the murder of a Pakistan-based prominent Khalistani leader Paramjit Singh Panjwar, Nijjar’s apprehensions about his own life grew.   

India has been asking Pakistan to handover Panjawar and others like him hiding in that country.

Nijjar had made a statement accusing the Indian establishment of killing Panjwar through hired hitmen and later organized special prayers for him at the Surrey-Delta Gurdwara. 

On May 18, I interviewed him for Spice Radio during which he revealed that he too was on the radar of the Indian state and feared he could meet the same fate as Panjwar, here in Canada. In a nutshell, despite foreseeing his death he remained steadfast in his fight for Khalistan through peaceful means. He insisted that all they want was a right to self-determination through ballot and not bullet (read referendum).

Which is why, exactly a month later, when I first heard about his murder on the night of June 18, I was shocked, but not surprised.

While it remains to be seen if the Canadian authorities will seriously look into this possibility of targeted attack on Nijjar and make any progress, his final interview serves as an eye opener for Canada to delve deeper into growing foreign interference in this country by India. Recently, Nijjar’s close associate Moninder Singh, also on radar of the Indian intelligence, had produced a report on Indian government’s interference in Canada. 

In the meantime, the right-wing Indian media commentators and pro Delhi trolls on social media continue to malign Nijjar as a terrorist, with some even celebrating his death. Though it’s all very disheartening and insensitive, Nijjar needs no validation from them.  I never fully agreed with his politics  and nor do I support Khalistan, but I recognize his legacy of standing up for human rights and social justice.  

He was firm, polite and humble. Not only did he advocate for the rights of Sikhs facing persecution in India, but he  also stood up for the rights of Muslims, Christians and Dalits. He had once attended our rally for the jailed Delhi University Professor GN Saibaba, who is disabled below the waist and is being incarcerated on fabricated charges. The professor’s only 'crime' was daring to question those in power and  defending the poor and marginalized. 

Nijjar had announced whole-hearted support to the campaign for the freedom of Saibaba on behalf of the Gurdwara.

When Canada was mourning the heartbreaking discoveries of unmarked graves of  indigenous kids at the former residential school sites, Nijjar took the initiative to organize  special prayers. In recognition of this, I presented him with Radical Desi medal, for which I also came under attack on twitter from a former Indian envoy in Vancouver.

Earlier this year, Nijjar held another event in memory of Nirmal Singh Gill, a temple keeper, who has been murdered by white supremacists at the Surrey -Delta Gurdwara 25 years ago. During the pandemic, the gurdwara under Nijjar’s leadership provided free food to the needy and the foreign students They also generously extended support to communities affected by floods and wildfires in British Columbia.  

So let India and its apologists call him whatever, he will always be our hero. It’s rather bizarre that a government run by bigots in the world’s so called largest democracy that has turned the country into an intolerant Hindu theocracy is labeling those asking for a right to self-determination on religious grounds as 'criminals' and 'separatists'. If the Indian government can allow Hindu majoritarianism to do what it likes, it should let people like Nijjar speak their minds. 

Instead of listening to the falsehoods propagated by a prejudiced government under which repression of religious minorities and political dissidents have surged, let’s listen to our hearts and give Nijjar his due. 

Gurpreet Singh

It’s good to know that the City of Surrey has been prompt in responding to calls by Ukrainian groups for pulling out the Russian pavilion from this year’s Surrey Fusion Festival.

After all, the Canadian government is sympathetic to Ukraine, which is under constant attack from Moscow.  It makes sense that the City of Surrey decides to do so, but not surprising considering the widespread anti-Russian sentiments across Canada.

What is really upsetting is that nobody questioned the inclusion of the Indian pavilion in the event. This is despite the fact that people of Indian origin not only have a sizeable population in Surrey, they have huge political representation at three levels of government from the city. It’s rather depressing to note that Indian democracy and diversity is being taken for granted. Information given on the Fusion Festival website about India is misleading, especially under the current political environment.

Attacks on religious minorities, especially Muslims, have grown under a right wing Hindu nationalist BJP government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. If Putin is bad, Modi is even worse. He belongs to a Hindu supremacist organization called RSS that is determined to transform India from an open and tolerant society to an oppressive Hindu state.

The Fusion Festival website gives an impression that India celebrates its diverse landscape, including the iconic Taj Mahal, the gift of the Mughal culture, but in reality the BJP and RSS are at work to erase Muslim history. They have already demolished an ancient mosque in the province of UP, the home of Taj Mahal. A section within this political combine also claims that Taj Mahal belongs to the Hindus, and Muslims are systematically targeted by the UP police with impunity. 

Do we have to remind the City of Surrey how Indians, particularly the Sikhs, campaigned for almost a year in the city against the Modi government’s controversial farming laws that were aimed to marginalize the farmers and cultivators, resulting in protests all over the world? The City of Surrey also showed its solidarity with the protesters who were intimidated and demonized by the Modi government, which is well documented. Will it be too much to ask the City of Surrey to pull out the Indian pavilion to send a strong message to Modi? Will the City of Surrey dare to bell the cat, or will it remain selective and unconcerned about India’s war against its own people?