Pro-Khalistan Sikhs protest on second anniversary of Hardeep Singh Nijjar's death
The Khalistan movement refers to a Sikh separatist movement that seeks to create an independent Sikh state in parts of northern India.
Nijjar, a key organizer for an unofficial overseas referendum on Khalistan, was gunned down in the parking lot of Surrey, B.C.'s Guru Nanak Sikh Gurdwara, where he was president, on June 18, 2023.
Moninder Singh, spokesperson for the Sikh Federation (Canada), said Nijjar's death has galvanized the community over the last two years.
"It was a wake-up call that that violence has made its way to Canada, unfortunately." Singh said at the Vancouver protest.Four Indian nationals — Karan Brar, Kamalpreet Singh, Karanpreet Singh and Amandeep Singh — have been charged with murder and conspiracy to commit murder in connection with Nijjar's killing.
Months after Nijjar's death in 2023, then-prime minister Justin Trudeau accused the Indian government of being linked to Nijjar's killing, leading to strained relations between India and Canada.
On Wednesday, Singh highlighted that the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) has said India's government continues to be a foreign interference concern, according to its annual report released Tuesday.
"Links between the Government of India and the Nijjar murder signals a significant escalation in India's repression efforts against the Khalistan movement and a clear intent to target individuals in North America," said the CSIS report.
Singh said the issue of foreign interference extends beyond the Sikh community.
"That's actually violating Canada's sovereignty, undermining its electoral process, its democratic institutions," he said.
"So for us this is really very much a Canadian issue, and not just a Sikh issue."
The anniversary rally comes a day after Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi attended the G7 summit in Alberta and met with his Canadian counterpart, Mark Carney.
After the meeting, the two countries agreed to reinstate their high commissioners and are eyeing renewed visa services to each other's citizens and businesses, in a sign that Canada-India relations are defrosting.
Singh said it was "frustrating" to see Modi at the meeting, and added that rebuilding the bilateral relationship without set outcomes is "very, very premature."
He said without clear objectives, the Canadian government won't be able to share how it has mitigated the threat of India's foreign influence.
At the G7, Carney did not directly answer a journalist's question about his discussion with Modi about Nijjar's murder.
"We have had a discussion, the prime minister and I, about the importance of having the law enforcement-to-law enforcement dialogue, not just dialogue, but co-operation," Carney said during a G7 news conference Tuesday.
"Obviously there is a judicial process underway, and I need to be careful about further commentary."
Modi's government has denied ordering killings in Canada.
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26 minutes ago
- Politico
Hold for Mark Carney
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Fox News
an hour ago
- Fox News
Canadian columnist muses how Canada can 'extricate ourselves' from US amid Trump presidency
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Newsweek
an hour ago
- Newsweek
Map Shows Where Chinese Ships Have Been Detected off Alaska
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. China has simultaneously deployed five research vessels in or near the Arctic around Alaska recently, according to the U.S. Coast Guard, which is currently monitoring their movements, telling Newsweek the service "remains ready to respond to adversaries operating in and around Alaskan and U.S. Arctic waters." Newsweek has contacted the Chinese Foreign Ministry for further comment via email. Why It Matters China has long asserted itself as a "near-Arctic state" and an important stakeholder in Arctic affairs. It has steadily expanded its presence in the region—surrounded by NATO member states and Russia—including deploying three research vessels simultaneously last summer. 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While the U.S. Coast Guard did not identify the remaining two Chinese vessels operating near Alaska, gCaptain reported them to be the Shen Hai Yi Hao and the Tan Suo San Hao. As of August 6, the Shen Hai Yi Hao was tracked operating in proximity to the Xue Long 2, while the Tan Suo San Hao was heading toward the Bering Strait, Newsweek's map shows. At the same time, the Healy was sailing south of the U.S. Extended Continental Shelf, and it has not been in visual contact with Chinese vessels, the U.S. Coast Guard told Newsweek. "The Coast Guard remains ready to respond to adversaries operating in and around Alaskan and U.S. Arctic waters," the service said in a written response to Newsweek on Friday. The Chinese research vessel "Zhong Shan Da Xue Ji Di" operates in waters in the Arctic region near Alaska on August 6, 2025. The Chinese research vessel "Zhong Shan Da Xue Ji Di" operates in waters in the Arctic region near Alaska on August 6, 2025. U.S. Coast Guard According to Chinese authorities, the Xue Long 2 is the country's first domestically made icebreaker, designed specifically for conducting polar research. The Ji Di is classified as a new-generation icebreaking research vessel, delivered just a little over a year ago. The Zhong Shan Da Xue Ji Di is an icebreaker operated by Sun Yat-sen University in China. The Shen Hai Yi Hao, also known as the Deep Sea No. 1, is a scientific expedition vessel specially designed to serve as the mothership for a manned submersible, the Jiaolong. The Tan Suo San Hao—or the Exploration No. 3—is China's first scientific research ship designed for global deep-sea exploration and capable of operating in polar regions. An image of the Chinese research ship "Xue Long 2," photographed by a U.S. Coast Guard aircraft, on the U.S. Extended Continental Shelf in the Arctic on July 25, 2025. An image of the Chinese research ship "Xue Long 2," photographed by a U.S. Coast Guard aircraft, on the U.S. Extended Continental Shelf in the Arctic on July 25, 2025. U.S. Coast Guard Meanwhile, USCGC Storis, the first polar icebreaker acquired by the U.S. Coast Guard in over 25 years, was commissioned in Juneau, Alaska, on Sunday. Its acquisition is part of the Coast Guard's efforts to ensure access to the polar regions and protect U.S. sovereignty. In addition to U.S. and Chinese vessels, the Canadian Coast Guard vessel CCGS Sir Wilfrid Laurier was tracked sailing along the northern coast of Alaska and Canada eastward as of August 6. It was deployed for icebreaking and scientific support in the Western Arctic. What People Are Saying The U.S. Coast Guard said in a press release on Friday: "The Coast Guard Arctic District works in conjunction with international partners, U.S. Northern Command, and Alaskan Command to constantly monitor the activity of foreign vessels operating near U.S. sovereign waters and the extended outer continental shelf to ensure homeland security, homeland defense, and compliance with U.S. and international law." China's Embassy in Washington, D.C., previously told Newsweek: "China has always conducted normal maritime activities in relevant waters in accordance with international law, including the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. We hope the parties concerned will view this matter in a proper manner, without undue suspicion or groundless speculation." What Happens Next It remains to be seen how long Chinese ships will operate in the Arctic near Alaska. The U.S. Coast Guard said its responses are aimed at countering malign activities, defending sovereign interests, and promoting maritime conduct consistent with international law and norms.
