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Canadian authorities make fourth arrest in Sikh activists murder case, straining relations with India

Published: 12 May 2024 at 06:25

Politics

Canadian authorities have arrested a fourth Indian national, Amardeep Singh, for the murder of Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Vancouver. Three other Indian nationals were previously arrested, leading to tensions with India over allegations of government involvement. Nijjar was campaigning for Khalistan, an independent Sikh homeland. The US also charged an Indian citizen for plotting a similar assassination attempt on a Sikh-American activist, with alleged involvement of a top Indian spy official. The case highlights strained diplomatic relations between Canada, the US, and India amid accusations of state-sponsored violence.

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Sikh activists in North America demand justice for threats and allege Indian government involvement in the killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar


Canadian Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar's killing in British Columbia led to the arrest of three Indian nationals in Canada while allegations of Indian government involvement continue to cause unease in the Sikh community across Canada.

Canadian Police Arrest Alleged Hit Squad Linked to Murder of Sikh Activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar


Canadian police have detained members of an alleged hit squad linked to the murder of Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in British Columbia last year. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced allegations linking Indian government agents to the fatal shooting, which has strained relations between Canada and India. The suspects were under surveillance for months, and are believed to be connected to multiple murders in Canada. India has denied involvement in Nijjar's killing.

Canadian police arrest three suspects in the slaying of Sikh separatist leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar, investigating possible ties to Indian government


Canadian police have arrested three Indian nationals in their 20s for the killing of Sikh separatist leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar outside Vancouver. The suspects were living in Canada as non-permanent residents, and authorities are investigating potential connections to the Indian government, sparking tensions between Canada and India.

India Can't Establish Delhi's Involvement in Sikh Leader's Murder in Canada


India has been informed by Canada about the arrest of three Indian men charged with the murder of Sikh separatist leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar in British Columbia, but no evidence of Delhi's involvement has been shared. India accuses Canada of providing shelter to those advocating violence against India and highlights pending extradition requests for organized crime individuals residing in Canada. Diplomatic discussions are ongoing amidst threats and obstruction faced by Indian diplomats. The killing sparked tensions after Canadian PM Trudeau mentioned allegations of Indian involvement, which India denied.

Hardeep Singh Nijjar (Wikipedia)


Hardeep Singh Nijjar (11 October 1977 – 18 June 2023) was a Canadian Sikh separatist leader involved with the Khalistan movement, which calls for an independent Sikh state.Born in India, Nijjar migrated to Canada in the mid-1990s. Sikh organizations viewed Nijjar as a human rights activist, while the Indian government accused him of being a criminal and terrorist affiliated with the militant Khalistan Tiger Force, and sought his arrest. Nijjar and his supporters rejected these allegations, saying he advocated peaceful means for creation of Khalistan. Nijjar gained prominence in 2019, when he became the leader of Guru Nanak Sikh Gurudwara (temple) in Surrey, British Columbia, and became an advocate of Sikh separatism. Nijjar was also associated with Sikhs for Justice (SFJ), and spearheaded the group's Khalistan Referendum 2020 campaign.On 18 June 2023, Nijjar was shot and killed in the parking lot of a Sikh temple in British Columbia. On 18 September 2023, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau stated that Canadian intelligence agencies were "pursuing credible allegations of a potential link" between Indian government agents and the assassination of Nijjar. After the killing, Canada expelled an Indian diplomat from the country. India's foreign ministry denied involvement in the killing, and expelled a top Canadian diplomat in a tit-for-tat move. As of October 2023, the Canadian authorities have not yet made any arrests in connection with the murder but stated they were investigating three suspects, and Canada has provided no evidence implicating the Indian government, citing the need to protect sensitive intelligence sources and methods.

Canadian PM Trudeau Acknowledges Fear in Sikh Community Amid Arrests of Indian Nationals for Killing Sikh Separatist


Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau acknowledges fear in Canada's Sikh community following the arrests of three Indian nationals charged with the murder of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar, emphasizing faith in the justice system and the country's commitment to protecting all citizens. India's Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar dismisses allegations of Indian involvement, attributing Canada's actions to internal politics and vote bank interests. The investigation and strained diplomatic relations stem from Nijjar's assassination in Vancouver last year.

India Summons Canadian Deputy High Commissioner Over Pro-Khalistan Slogans


India summoned the Canadian Deputy High Commissioner to express deep concern and protest after separatist slogans were raised at an event addressed by Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. The tensions between the two countries escalated after Trudeau alleged Indian involvement in the murder of Sikh separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Canada. India denies any government role in Nijjar's murder but criticizes Canada for allowing separatist activities. Trudeau pledged to protect Sikh rights in Canada amidst rising anti-India sentiment. The incident occurred during the Khalsa Day Celebrations in Toronto.

Khalistan Tiger Force (Wikipedia)


Khalistan Tiger Force (KTF) is a militant outfit of the Khalistan movement. In February 2023, it was designated as a terrorist organization by the Indian government.In May 2023, India's National Investigation Agency (NIA) arrested two wanted persons at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport, who allegedly were close aides of KTF's Arshdeep Singh, an “individual designated terrorist” based in Canada. In June 2023, NIA arrested Gagandeep Singh who allegedly is a close-aide of KTF operatives. Gagandeep Singh was also arrested previously in July 2021.In June 2023, Hardeep Singh Nijjar, the alleged chief of Khalistan Tiger Force, was shot dead outside a Sikh Temple by unidentified assailants in Surrey, Canada. In September 2023, the Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said they had "credible allegations" linking the murder to India. Further, Canada expelled a top Indian diplomat, who was allegedly an Indian Intelligence agent and possibly linked to the murder. In retaliation, India expelled a senior Canadian diplomat.

1984 anti-Sikh riots (Wikipedia)


The 1984 anti-Sikh riots, also known as the 1984 Sikh massacre, was a series of organised pogroms against Sikhs in India following the assassination of Indira Gandhi by her Sikh bodyguards. Government estimates project that about 2,800 Sikhs were killed in Delhi and 3,350 nationwide, whilst other sources estimate the number of deaths at about 8,000–17,000.The assassination of Indira Gandhi itself had taken place after she had ordered Operation Blue Star, a military action to secure the Harmandir Sahib Sikh temple complex in Amritsar, Punjab, in June 1984. The operation had resulted in a deadly battle with armed Sikh groups who were demanding greater rights and autonomy for Punjab and the deaths of many pilgrims. Sikhs worldwide had criticized the army action and many saw it as an assault on their religion and identity.In the aftermath of the pogroms, the government reported that 20,000 had fled the city; the People's Union for Civil Liberties reported "at least" 1,000 displaced persons. The most-affected regions were the Sikh neighborhoods of Delhi. Human rights organizations and newspapers across India believed that the massacre was organized. The collusion of political officials connected to the Indian National Congress in the violence and judicial failure to penalize the perpetrators alienated Sikhs and increased support for the Khalistan movement. The Akal Takht, Sikhism's governing body, considers the killings a genocide.In 2011, Human Rights Watch reported that the Government of India had "yet to prosecute those responsible for the mass killings". According to the 2011 WikiLeaks cable leaks, the United States was convinced of the Indian National Congress' complicity in the riots and called it "opportunism" and "hatred" by the Congress government, of Sikhs. Although the U.S. has not identified the riots as genocide, it acknowledged that "grave human rights violations" occurred. In 2011, the burned sites of multiple Sikh killings from 1984, were discovered in Hondh-Chillar and Pataudi areas of Haryana. The Central Bureau of Investigation, the main Indian investigative agency, believes that the violence was organised with support from the Delhi police and some central-government officials.After 34 years of delay, in December 2018, the first high-profile conviction for the 1984 anti-Sikh riots took place with the arrest of Congress leader Sajjan Kumar, who was sentenced to life imprisonment by the Delhi High Court. Very few convictions have taken place in the pending 1984 cases, with only one death penalty conviction for an accused, Yashpal in the case of murdering Sikhs in the Mahipalpur area of Delhi.

India Denies Allegations of Conducting Targeted Killings in Pakistan


The Indian foreign ministry has refuted claims in a report by The Guardian accusing India of targeted killings in Pakistan, calling it false propaganda. The report alleges up to 20 assassinations by RAW since the 2019 Pulwama attack, drawing inspiration from Mossad and the KGB. Pakistan supplied evidence for the report, mentioning sleeper cells in the UAE. Previous accusations by the US and Canada on Indian involvement in such activities, including the killing of Khalistani separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Canada, have been denied by India.

Indian Diplomats Were Threatened, Intimidated In Canada: S Jaishankar


India expects action against the culprits involved in last year's attacks on its high commission in London and consulate in San Francisco as well as those involved in threatening the Indian diplomats in Canada, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Monday said. The external affairs minister said India had to suspend issuance of visas in Canada as its diplomats were repeatedly "threatened and intimidated in many ways" and we "got very little comfort from the Canadian system that time". In September last year, India temporarily suspended issuance of visas to the Canadian citizens, a move that came days after Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's allegations of a "potential" involvement of Indian agents in the killing of Khalistani separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar. The visa services were resumed several weeks later. India strongly rejected Trudeau's allegations.

Indian Government Employee Accused of Directing Foiled Assassination Plot of Sikh Activist in the US


The White House views the reported involvement of an Indian intelligence officer in two assassination plots in the US and Canada as a serious matter. India's foreign ministry denied the allegations, calling them unwarranted. The plot involved a foiled plan to assassinate a vocal critic of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and a Sikh activist. The Biden administration is faced with balancing ties with India amid concerns about China's power. The delicate situation arose as Canada also investigated Indian agents' potential involvement in another Sikh separatist's murder.

Is India's spy agency increasingly targeting dissidents and separatists abroad?


Recently, reports from The Washington Post and Australian Broadcasting Corporation alleged that India's intelligence service, RAW, was involved in planned assassinations and espionage abroad, including a foiled plot to assassinate a US-based Sikh separatist. The Indian government denied these claims, stating they were unwarranted. Similar incidents were reported in Australia and Canada, implicating Indian spies in various activities. The US is cooperating with India in investigating these allegations. Allegations have also been made against India in Canada and Pakistan for targeted killings of separatists. Investigations and diplomatic tensions are ongoing between the countries involved.

Khalistan movement (Wikipedia)


The Khalistan movement is a separatist movement seeking to create a homeland for Sikhs by establishing an ethno‐religious sovereign state called Khalistan (lit. 'land of the Khalsa') in the Punjab region. The proposed boundaries of Khalistan vary between different groups; some suggest the entirety of the Sikh-majority Indian state of Punjab, while larger claims include Pakistani Punjab and other parts of North India such as Chandigarh, Haryana, and Himachal Pradesh. Shimla and Lahore have been proposed as the capital of Khalistan.The call for a separate Sikh state began during the 1930s, when British rule in India was nearing its end. In 1940, the first explicit call for Khalistan was made in a pamphlet titled "Khalistan". With financial and political support of the Sikh diaspora, the movement flourished in the Indian state of Punjab – which has a Sikh-majority population – continuing through the 1970s and 1980s, and reaching its zenith in the late 1980s. The Sikh separatist leader Jagjit Singh Chohan said that during his talks with Pakistani prime minister that Zulfikar Ali Bhutto affirmed "we'll help you and make it the capital of Khalistan" and claimed Bhutto wanted revenge over Bangladesh.The separatist militant insurgency in Punjab started in the early 1980s. Several militant groups were involved in the armed insurgency, including Babbar Khalsa and Khalistan Commando Force, among others. In 1986, Khalistan Commando Force took responsibility for the assasination of General Arun Vaidya, in retaliation for 1984's Operation Blue Star. By the mid-1990s, theinsurgency petered out, with the last major incident being the assassination of Chief Minister Beant Singh, who was killed in a bomb blast by a member of Babbar Khalsa. The movement failed to reach its objective for multiple reasons, including heavy police crackdowns on separatists, factional infighting, and disillusionment from the Sikh population.There is some support within India and the Sikh diaspora, with yearly demonstrations in protest of those killed during Operation Blue Star. In early 2018, some militant groups were arrested by police in Punjab, India. Former Chief Minister of Punjab Amarinder Singh claimed that the recent extremism is backed by Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) and "Khalistani sympathisers" in Canada, Italy, and the UK. Simranjit Singh Mann, elected in 2022 from Sangrur, is currently the only openly Khalistani MP in the Indian parliament and his party, and Shiromani Akali Dal (Amritsar) is currently the only pro-Khalistan party in the Indian parliament.

Nijjar (Wikipedia)


Nijjar is a surname found in India. Notable people with the surname include:Aron Nijjar (born 1994), English cricketerRob Nijjar (born 1967), Canadian politicianSunny Singh Nijjar, Indian actorSurinder Singh Nijjar (1949–2021), Indian judgeHardeep Singh Nijjar (1977–2023), Canadian Sikh separatist leader

Inderbir Singh Nijjar (Wikipedia)


Inderbir Singh Nijjar is an Indian politician and the MLA from Amritsar South Assembly constituency. He is current President of Chief Khalsa Diwan. He is a member of the Aam Aadmi Party.He is also elected as Protem Speaker of Punjab Legislative Assembly

Gurpatwant Singh Pannun (Wikipedia)


Gurpatwant Singh Pannun is one of the main leaders of the Khalistan movement, which advocates for a religion-based separate state to be split out from Punjab and many neighbouring areas in India, to be known as Khalistan. He is the legal advisor and spokesperson for Sikhs for Justice (SFJ), which aims to promote the idea of a separate Sikh state. As of July 2020, the Ministry of Home Affairs of India has declared Pannun a terrorist on the grounds of sedition and secessionism, and has requested an Interpol red notice for him.

Expect Pak, But A National Party...: Minister On Congress Amid Video Row


Rajeev Chandrasekhar said it was "shocking that there is a Chief Minister who is party to it". Union Minister Rajeev Chansekhar said today that the deep fake video on his cabinet colleague Amit Shah is a "deliberate violation of the law" by the Congress and appears to be part of a pattern, indicating it is a strategy. The minister also expressed shock that while efforts to disrupt the election can be made from across the border, or by Khalistanis from Canada, it was inconceivable that a national party would stoop to it. "I expect the elements in Canada to do this. I expect people in Pakistan to do, I expect people in the northern country to do this.

S. S. Nijjar (Wikipedia)


Surinder Singh Nijjar (7 June 1949 – 26 March 2021) was a British-Indian judge of the Supreme Court of India. Post-retirement, Nijjar practised as an arbitrator. Prior to his elevation as judge, Nijjar was a Senior Advocate and practised at the Punjab and Haryana High Court.

Khalistan Commando Force (Wikipedia)


The Khalistan Commando Force (KCF) is a Sikh Khalistani militant organisation operating in the state of Punjab, India with prominent members based in Canada, United Kingdom and Pakistan. Its objective is the creation of a Sikh independent state of Khalistan through armed struggle. KCF is also responsible for many assassinations in India, including the 1995 assassination of Punjab Chief Minister Beant Singh. It is designated as a Terrorist Organisation by the Government of India.

Australian journalist pressured to leave India due to reporting on Sikh separatism


Australian journalist Avani Dias was pressured to leave India after her reporting on Sikh separatism angered Indian authorities, leading to her journalist visa not being renewed. Despite Australian diplomatic efforts, she was only granted a two-month visa extension at the last minute before her departure. Indian officials refute Dias' claims of difficulties and state she could have covered the elections if she had stayed. Dias' case highlights the challenges faced by foreign journalists in India, with mounting pressure experienced by many other foreign nationals in the country.

Rob Nijjar (Wikipedia)


Rob Nijjar (born 1967) is a Canadian Liberal politician. He has lived all his life on Vancouver's East side. He attended school in southeast Vancouver and Langara College before attending Simon Fraser University, where he earned a Bachelor's degree in General Studies in 1992. After graduation and before becoming active in politics, Nijjar worked as a business manager for several firms including Jenny Craig, some family-run restaurants, and other service industry businesses. Nijjar worked at various levels of government, including municipal, provincial, and federal politics.Nijjar was first elected to the BC Legislature in the 2001 provincial election as a Liberal. Nijjar was the chair of the Government Caucus Committee on the Economy. At one time he was also sat on the Legislative Standing Committee for Education and chaired the Sub-Committee on Youth Employment.Nijjar was defeated in the provincial election of 2005 by Adrian Dix.

Sikhs (Wikipedia)


Sikhs (singular Sikh: sik or seek; Punjabi: ਸਿੱਖ, romanized: sikkh, IPA: [sɪkkʰ]) are an ethnoreligious group who adhere to Sikhism, a religion that originated in the late 15th century in the Punjab region of the Indian subcontinent, based on the revelation of Guru Nanak. The term Sikh has its origin in the Sanskrit word śiṣya, meaning 'seeker', 'disciple' or 'student'. According to Article I of Chapter 1 of the Sikh Rehat Maryada ('code of conduct'), the definition of Sikh is: Any human being who faithfully believes inOne Immortal BeingTen Gurus, from Guru Nanak Sahib to Guru Gobind Singh SahibThe Guru Granth SahibThe utterances and teachings of the ten Gurus and The initiation, known as the Amrit Sanchar, bequeathed by the tenth Guru and who does not owe allegiance to any other religion, is a Sikh.Male Sikhs generally have Singh ('lion') as their last name, though not all Singhs are necessarily Sikhs; likewise, female Sikhs have Kaur ('princess') as their last name. These unique last names were given by the Gurus to allow Sikhs to stand out and also as an act of defiance to India's caste system, which the Gurus were always against. Sikhs strongly believe in the idea of sarbat da bhala ('welfare of all') and are often seen on the frontline to provide humanitarian aid across the world.Sikhs who have undergone the Amrit Sanchar ('initiation by Khanda'), an initiation ceremony, are known as Khalsa from the day of their initiation, and they must at all times have on their bodies the five Ks:kesh, uncut hair usually kept covered by a dastār, also known as a turban;kara, an iron or steel bracelet;kirpan, a dagger-like sword tucked into a gatra strap or a kamar kasa waistband;kachera, a cotton undergarment; andkanga, a small wooden comb.The Punjab region of the Indian subcontinent has been the historic homeland of the Sikhs, having even been ruled by the Sikhs for significant parts of the 18th and 19th centuries. Today, Canada has the largest national Sikh proportion (2.1%) in the world, while the Punjab state in India has the largest Sikh proportion (58%) amongst all administrative divisions in the world. Many countries, such as Canada and the United Kingdom, recognize Sikhs as a designated religion on their censuses, and, as of 2020, Sikhs are considered as a separate ethnic group in the United States. The UK also considers Sikhs to be an ethno-religious people, as a direct result of the Mandla v Dowell-Lee case in 1982.

Amardeep Singh (disambiguation) (Wikipedia)


Amardeep Singh is a Singapore-based Punjabi writer, photographer and documentary filmmaker.Amardeep Singh may also refer to:Amardeep Singh Aujla, Indian Army generalAmardeep Singh Bhinder, Indian Army generalAmardeep Singh Gill (born 1968), Punjabi director, screenwriter and lyricistAmar Kaleka (Amardeep Singh Kaleka, born 1978), Indian-American film director

Amardeep Singh (Wikipedia)


Amardeep Singh is a Singapore-based Punjabi researcher, writer, photographer and documentary filmmaker. Currently, he and his wife, Vininder Kaur, are the managing directors of Lost Heritage Productions, a media production house started by them. He formerly worked in the financial sector as an executive. He won the Guru Nanak Interfaith Prize in 2022 for retracing the journey of Guru Nanak, the first Sikh Guru, in his docu-series Allegory: A Tapestry of Guru Nanak's Travels.

Sikhism in the United States (Wikipedia)


American Sikhs form the country's sixth-largest religious group. While the U.S. Census does not ask about religion, 70,697 Americans (or 0.02% of the total population) declared Sikh as their ethnicity in the 2020 census. The U.S. Census Bureau cites the 2008 American Religious Identification Survey's estimate of the adult Sikh American population at 78,000. The Pew Research Center estimated the Sikh American adult population to be 140,000 and the total population at 200,000 in 2012 while the World Religion Database at Boston University estimated the American Sikh population to be at 280,000 in 2012. Sikh organizations like the Sikh Coalition and American Sikh Congressional Caucus estimate the Sikh American population to be as high as 1,000,000, but do not provide any sources for these figures; 500,000 nevertheless remains the most cited Sikh American population size. With 1% of Asian Americans being Sikh, and 90.7% of Sikh Americans being Asian American, the American Sikh population can be estimated at around 200,000–300,000 in 2021. The largest Sikh populations in the U.S. are found in California (52%), New York (11%), and Washington (6%).Sikhism is a religion, originating from medieval India (predominantly from the Punjab region of modern-day India and Pakistan) which was introduced into the United States during the 19th century. While most American Sikhs are Punjabi, the United States also has a number of non-Punjabi converts to Sikhism. Sikh men are typically identifiable by their unshorn beards and turbans (head coverings), articles of their faith. Following the 9/11 terrorist attacks, and subsequent other terrorism related activities by Islamic groups, Sikhs have often been mistaken as Muslims or Arabs, and have been subject to several hate crimes, including murders. Sikh temples have also been targets of violence due to being mistaken for mosques. A 2012 shooting at a Sikh temple in Oak Creek, Wisconsin garnered national and international attention, with then President Obama ordering flags to be half-staffed at all federal buildings.

Khalistan Referendum (Wikipedia)


The Khalistan Referendum is an unofficial non binding referendum organized by the Sikhs for Justice across multiple countries regarding the potential creation of a separate Sikh state from within the territory of India. The proposed state will include Indian Punjab, as well as Chandigarh, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana and several districts of Uttarakhnad, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan. Its goal is to seek a consensus among diasporic Sikhs for the creation of a nation-state to be called Khalistan.

Council of Khalistan (Wikipedia)


The Council of Khalistan is a non‐profit political organization based in Washington, D.C., United States. It is seeking to create a homeland for Sikhs by establishing a sovereign state called Khalistan. The Council of Khalistan is one of the key fighting forces of the Khalistan movement. It played important role during the Insurgency in Punjab.The organization was created On 12 April 1980, when separatist leader Jagjit Singh Chohan officially announced the formation of the Council of Khalistan at Anandpur Sahib and declared himself to be the president. Balbir Singh Sindhu as its Secretary-General. Chohan presented himself as the president of the Republic of Khalistan, set up a cabinet, and issued Khalistani passports, stamps, and currency. On 13 June 1984, Chohan announced a government in exile. On 24 January 1993, It was briefly admitted in the UNPO, as a representative of Khalistan, but was suspended in just a few months.

History of Sikhism (Wikipedia)


Guru Nanak founded the Sikh religion in the Punjab region of the northern part of the Indian subcontinent in the 15th century and opposed many traditional practices like fasting, janeu, idolatry, caste system, ascetism, azan, economic materialism, and gender discrimination.Guru Gobind Singh, tenth of the ten Sikh Gurus, founded the Khalsa panth in the Punjab region of the northern part of the Indian subcontinent in the end of seventeenth century. He baptised five Sikh people from different parts of India, with different social backgrounds, to form the Khalsa. Those five Beloved Ones, the Pañj Piārē, then baptised him into the Khalsa fold. This gives the order of Khalsa a history of around 500 years. Historical theory and analysis suggests that Sikhism came into existence during the early Medieval period of the Bhakti movement and also after repeated invasions by Muslim rulers upon the Hindu community during Mughal rule, which lasted between (1526–1857 AD) especially in the region of North India.The history of the Sikh faith is closely associated with the history of Punjab and the socio-political situation in the north-west of the Indian subcontinent during the 17th century. From the rule of India by the Mughal Emperor Jahangir (r. 1605–1627), Sikhism came into conflict with Mughal laws, because they were affecting political successions of Mughals while cherishing Sufi saints from Islam. Mughal rulers killed many prominent Sikhs for refusing to obey their orders, and for opposing the persecution of Sikhs. Of the ten Sikh gurus, two, Guru Arjan and Guru Tegh Bahadur, were tortured and executed, and close kin of several gurus (such as the seven and nine-year old sons of Guru Gobind Singh), were brutally killed, along with numerous other main revered figures of Sikhism (such as Banda Bahadur (1716), Bhai Mati Das, Bhai Sati Das and Bhai Dayala), who were also tortured and killed by Mughal rulers for refusing their orders, and for opposing the persecution of Sikhs and Hindus. Subsequently, Sikhism militarised itself to oppose Mughal hegemony. The emergence of the Sikh Confederacy under the misls and Sikh Empire under the reign of the Maharajah Ranjit Singh (r. 1792–1839) was characterised by religious tolerance and pluralism with Christians, Muslims and Hindus in positions of power. The establishment of the Sikh Empire in 1799 is commonly considered the zenith of Sikhism in the political sphere, during its existence (from 1799 to 1849) the Sikh Empire came to include Kashmir, Ladakh, and Peshawar. A number of Hindu and Muslim peasants converted to Sikhism. Hari Singh Nalwa, the Commander-in-chief of the Sikh army along the northwest Frontier from 1825 to 1837, took the boundary of the Sikh Empire to the very mouth of the Khyber Pass. The Sikh Empire's secular administration integrated innovative military, economic and governmental reforms.Sikh organizations, including the Chief Khalsa Dewan and Shiromani Akali Dal led by Master Tara Singh, strongly opposed the partition of India, viewing the possibility of the creation of Pakistan as inviting persecution. The months leading up to the partition of India in 1947, saw heavy conflict in the Punjab between Sikhs and Muslims, which saw the effective religious migration of Punjabi Sikhs and Hindus from West Punjab and organized ethnic cleansing of Punjabi Muslims from East Punjab. Currently, most Sikhs live in the Indian state of Punjab, where they formed about 60 percent of the state population.

Khalistan Zindabad Force (Wikipedia)


The Khalistan Zindabad Force (KZF) is a militant group and is part of the Khalistan movement to create a separate country Sikh homeland called Khalistan by carving Punjab and some parts of neighbouring states of Haryana, Rajasthan and Himachal Pradesh out of Indian union.

Canadian authorities make fourth arrest in Sikh activists murder case, straining relations with India Canadian authorities make fourth arrest in Sikh activists murder case, straining relations with India

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Canada Makes Fourth Arrest In Khalistani Terrorist Hardeep Nijjar's Killing

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Fourth Indian arrested and charged in Canada over Sikh activist’s killing

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Canadian police announce the arrest of a fourth Indian suspect in the killing of a Sikh activist

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Canadian police announce the arrest of a fourth Indian suspect in the killing of a Sikh activist

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Canadian police announce the arrest of a fourth Indian suspect in the killing of a Sikh activist

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