All articles tagged with #sikh community
Protests erupted across the UK, including Southampton, after 18-year-old Henry Nowak was murdered by Vickrum Digwa. Demonstrators clashed with police as anger followed Digwa’s conviction and life sentence (minimum 21 years). Authorities are reviewing arrest actions, while leaders condemn violence; Sikh groups emphasize the context around Kirpan symbolism and call for peaceful responses amid community tensions.
Rep. Mary Miller faced criticism after a deleted social media post where she expressed her 'deeply troubled' feelings about a Sikh man leading a House prayer, mistakenly identifying him as Muslim and calling for America to be recognized as a Christian nation, sparking condemnation from various lawmakers and civil rights groups.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau stated that pro-Khalistan separatists do not represent the Sikh community in Canada, emphasizing that violence and intolerance have no place in the country. His remarks, made during a Diwali event, followed clashes between pro-Khalistan supporters and others at a consular camp in Brampton. Trudeau also noted that Modi supporters do not represent the Hindu community in Canada, reiterating in the House of Commons that those inciting violence do not reflect the broader Sikh or Hindu communities.
Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, the head of banned organization Sikhs for Justice, has threatened to disrupt Air India flights on November 19 and warned the Sikh community to avoid traveling on Air India as their lives would be in danger. Pannun also threatened to shut down Indira Gandhi Airport in Delhi on the same day, which marks the birth anniversary of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. He claimed that the struggle for Punjab's independence had already begun with the Khalistan referendum and believed that Indian forces could not prevent its realization.
Canadian Sikhs staged protests outside India's diplomatic missions in Toronto, Vancouver, and Ottawa, expressing their support for making India's Punjab region an independent state for Sikhs. The protests were sparked by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's statement linking the Indian government to the murder of a Sikh separatist advocate in British Columbia. Canada's Sikh community, which is the largest outside of Punjab, has been the subject of recent tensions between Canada and India, resulting in the expulsion of diplomats and visa suspensions. The Indian government has denied the allegations and warned travelers of "anti-India activities" in Canada.
The killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a Sikh plumber in Canada, has sparked a diplomatic war with India. The incident has raised concerns in Canada's parliament and put Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in a delicate position. Canada's allies are also approaching the situation cautiously. The podcast episode explores the aftermath of the killing, including a visit to Nijjar's birthplace and the heartland of India's Sikh community.
Bollywood actress Kangana Ranaut faced backlash after urging the Sikh community to distance themselves from Khalistani individuals, sparking controversy amid rising tensions between India and Canada. Many Sikhs and Punjabis found her remarks hurtful, with critics arguing that the actions of a few Khalistanis should not define the entire community. The incident highlighted the complexity of the Khalistani issue in the context of strained India-Canada relations.
Hundreds of members of Canada's Sikh community protested outside the Indian consulate in Toronto, accusing the Indian government of being responsible for the unsolved murder of Sikh leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar. Nijjar, who advocated for the creation of an independent Sikh state called Khalistan, was gunned down in Vancouver last month. The demonstrators called for accountability and urged the Royal Canadian Mounted Police to investigate the murder as a political assassination. Tensions between Canada and India have escalated since the incident, with New Delhi accusing Ottawa of laxity in handling Sikh protesters in Canada.
Hundreds of members of Canada's Sikh community protested outside the Indian Consulate in Toronto, accusing the Indian government of being responsible for the unsolved killing of Sikh leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar. Nijjar, who advocated for the creation of an independent Sikh state called Khalistan, was declared a wanted terrorist by India. The demonstrators, carrying flags representing their separatist movement, clashed with a smaller group supporting the Indian government. Tensions have risen between Canada and India since the killing, with New Delhi accusing Ottawa of laxity in handling Sikh protesters.
Manmohan Singh, a Pakistani Sikh shopkeeper, was shot and killed by unidentified motorcyclists in Peshawar, Pakistan. This is the third attack on the Sikh community in Pakistan this year. The incident occurred just two days after another Sikh shopkeeper, Tarlok Singh, narrowly escaped a similar attack. Peshawar’s Sikh community has appealed to the international Sikh community for assistance in ensuring their safety and security.
Gunmen shot and killed a member of Pakistan’s minority Sikh community, Manmohan Singh, in an overnight attack in Peshawar. The Islamic State group claimed responsibility for the killing, saying Singh had been a follower of what it called a “polytheistic” Sikh sect in Peshawar. It's the third killing of a Sikh community member this year in Pakistan. Most Sikhs migrated to neighboring India in 1947, but thousands stayed in Pakistan, where they generally live peacefully.
Authorities in Northern California have arrested 17 men from two warring criminal syndicates responsible for multiple shootings, including one at a Sikh temple and another at a parade. The feud between the two groups was fueled by intense personal connections, and the violence began in 2018 at the annual Sikh Parade in Yuba City. The arrests are not related to the murders of a Sikh family last year. The investigation involved multiple law enforcement agencies, and 41 guns were seized. The men have not yet had court appearances, and five others have not yet been arrested.
17 people have been arrested in connection with 11 gang-related shootings between rival Sikh groups in Northern California. The violence began with fistfights and sword attacks at a 2018 Sikh parade and escalated to a shooting at a September 2021 wedding. Two suspects were described as "fugitives from India who are wanted on a number of murders out of India." A total of 41 firearms were confiscated from suspects responsible for violent crimes and shootings in six counties. California Attorney General Rob Bonta said there is more to be done to prevent gun violence.
Voices from the Sikh clergy and intelligentsia are calling for Pro-Khalistan preacher Amritpal Singh to surrender to the police. They argue that his supporters have been arrested only because they follow him, and he should stand by his own words. Amritpal Singh has been on the run since a police crackdown on his outfit, Waris Punjab De, on March 18. The Punjab Police have expanded their search for him to deras and seminaries.
The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) has said that the convening of a "sarbat khalsa" congregation is the sole prerogative of the Akal Takht chief after fugitive radical preacher Amritpal Singh sought such a meeting to discuss issues concerning the Sikh community. Responding to the demands, SGPC general secretary Gurcharan Singh Grewal said, "It is the personal wish of Amritpal Singh.... To call or not to call 'sarbat khalsa' is the sole prerogative of Akal Takht jathedar and no one else."