Global Courant
A volunteer at the Metro Vancouver Sikh gurdwara, whose president was shot down a week ago, said Hardeep Singh Nijjar knew his life might be in danger.
Gurkeerat Singh said Nijjar gave a speech at the Guru Nanak Sikh Gurdwara in Surrey, BC – southeast of Vancouver – on the day of his death, just hours before the building parking lot shooting that claimed his life, killing him. noted that he had been warned by Canadian intelligence officials.
Singh, who along with more than 200 others from Canada’s Sikh community attended a protest outside the Indian consulate in Vancouver on Saturday, said gurdwara members firmly believe Nijjar’s death was the result of foreign interference.
“If they inform our leaders that their lives may be in danger, we have every right to believe that foreign interference may be involved,” Singh said.
Sikhs protest outside the Indian consulate in Vancouver to honor the sacrifice of Shaheed Bhai Hardeep Singh Ji Nijjar and to speak out against the foreign interference that the Indian state continues to commit in Canada. pic.twitter.com/mBIgfyRTH2
Nijjar was shot in his vehicle at around 8:30 pm on June 18 as he exited Gurdwara car park. few blocks away.
While police have acknowledged fear and speculation over the attack, investigators say they have not linked the shooting to foreign interference and there is no reason to believe Canada’s Sikh community is at risk.
However, protesters say they believe the killing is linked to Nijjar’s active role in advocating for an independent state for India’s Sikh minority.
Khalistan is said to comprise the northwestern state of Punjab of India, where Sikhs are the majority.
Nijjar was organizing an unofficial referendum in India with an Indian majority for an independent Sikh state at the time of this death.
Gurdwara members fear that the death of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, who was killed on June 18, 2023, was a result of foreign interference. (Sikhs for Justice)
The Indian government had offered a reward of one million rupees or about $16,000 last July for information that could lead to Nijjar’s arrest or detention. Hindu priest.
However, protesters described Nijjar as “peaceful”, “humble” and “beloved in the community” for his outreach efforts.
Those include offering free meals to those in need and traveling to Kamloops in 2021 to provide support to First Nations groups following the discovery of suspected unmarked graves on a former Kamloops Indian Residential School site.
“He was a loving man, a hard-working man, a family man,” Singh said. “He worked as a plumber, so he’s well respected in the community, and he was someone the community always looked up to.”
A photo of Shaheed Bhai Hardeep Singh Nijjar is seen during a protest in Vancouver on Saturday, June 24, outside the office of the Consulate General of India following the recent shooting that killed Nijjar. (Ethan Cairns/The Canadian Press)
Saturday protesters mostly wore orange turbans and carried large yellow flags with the word “Khalistan”, chanting loudly as many stepped on an Indian flag they had brought to the scene.
The crowd consisted of members of the Sikh community spanning the full range of demographics from young children to the elderly, with some said they hailed from cities such as Edmonton, Toronto and Montreal.
“I am overwhelmed by the response from the Sikh community,” said Jatinder Singh Grewal, a director of Sikhs for Justice, a group that helped organize the protest.
“The Sikhs around the world, not just from BC but from all over the world, have expressed their support for Hardeep Singh Nijjar.
“People who can come out have spoken out for this.”
A bystander walks by as protesters hold a flag representing Khalistan outside the office of the Consulate General of India in Vancouver on June 24. Protesters say they believe the killing is linked to Nijjar’s active role in advocating for an independent state for India’s Sikh minority. (Ethan Cairns/The Canadian Press)
Singh said he hopes the protest will further open Canadians’ eyes to not only Nijjar’s death, but also the possibility of foreign interference on home soil.
“Canada is someone who takes pride in human rights and is a leader in freedom of speech, freedom of expression and freedom in general,” he said.
“So if Canada is one to advocate for this… it’s definitely a Canadian issue, and Canadians should be concerned about this.”
