Khalistanis ramp up attacks on Indian buildings to scare Canada's Hindu community

Indian Sikhs protest against the pulling down of the national flag from the Indian High Commission building in London gather with Indian flags outside the British High Commission in New Delhi. File photo

The vandalisation of a Hindu temple in Canada by Khalistani activists last week appears to be part of a string of similar attacks on Indian diplomatic missions, temples and buildings in various Western cities in recent months.

Video footage shows two masked suspected Khalistan supporters sticking posters on the entrance of the temple in Surrey, Canada, near the US-Canadian border, asking for a referendum to probe the killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar in June this year.

Nijjar, a Khalistani terrorist, was shot dead in Surrey. The Khalistanis have accused India of his death.

Authorities felt the Khalistanis were trying to scare the Hindu community living in Canada by putting up posters in the temple.

There have been attacks on several Hindu temples and Indian government assets in different Canadian cities in recent months, though such activities have not been limited to Canada.

On July 2, the Indian consulate in San Francisco was set on fire by suspected Khalistani activists. There have been attacks on Indian diplomatic missions, temples and buildings in various Western cities in recent months.

The US strongly condemned the incident and described it as a "criminal offence".

Yet the July incident was the second attack on the consulate in five months.
The spurt of attacks coincided with a significant rise in India’s diplomatic stock in the Western world as countries from the US to the UK and other European countries, as well as Asian allies Australia and Japan, engaged in developing close partnerships with India.

The attacks could be attempts to sow doubt in the minds of foreign governments and investors about peace and political stability in India.

Assets targeted

There have also been attempts to revive the Khalistan movement in Punjab by mobilising sections of youth in support of a separate Sikh state. Much of the support for such activities has come from outside sources, according to Indian intelligence agencies.

Indian high commissions, consulates and Hindu temples have been attacked in the US, UK, Canada and Australia in the past few months. In March, the Indian High Commission in London was attacked and attempts were made to dishonour the Indian national flag.

Attacks against Indian assets in Australia have also been carried out by anti-Indian elements in a number of cities in recent years. In Canada, Khalistan supporters have gone to the extent of circulating posters of Indian diplomats and threatening to kill them.

They have also taken out processions with tableaus glorifying Indira Gandhi’s assassination by her Sikh bodyguards and hailing them as martyrs.

Questions have arisen about whether some governments are encouraging Khalistani supporters because of domestic considerations. Though India has not accused any government of complicity, it has expressed serious disappointment at the failure to address India’s concerns.

"For us, how Canada has dealt with the Khalistani issue has been a long-standing concern. Because, very frankly, they seem to be driven by vote-bank politics," External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said.

India made it clear to Canada that if the activities impinge on its national security, it will respond.

There has been a spurt of anti-Indian attacks in Canada in recent years. Last year in Toronto, the walls of the Swaminarayan temple were painted with pro-Khalistan slogans, and in March, a statue of Mahatma Gandhi was defaced with Khalistani graffiti.

Sikhs for Justice (SFJ), an organisation banned in India for its close links with Khalistani terrorists, was allowed to mobilise support for a referendum seeking Punjab’s secession from India and was allowed to energise anti-Indian elements in different parts of Canada.

The Justin Trudeau government said it did not recognise the pro-Khalistan referendum. But elements in Canada, like the National Democratic Party, supported it, arguing that there was nothing illegal about it under the basic rights granted to Canadian Sikhs by local and international laws.

Canada has turned a blind eye to Khalistani activities in the past. According to reports, Toronto-based Punjabi language weekly ‘Sanjh Savera’ greeted Indira Gandhi’s death anniversary with a cover illustration and a headline asking readers to honour the "martyrs who killed the sinner".

It continues to receive government advertisements and is now a prominent daily newspaper in Canada.

"I think there is a larger underlying issue about the space that is given to separatists, extremists, and people who advocate violence," Jaishankar said.

He added, "I think it is not good for relationships, not good for Canada."

Timing of attacks

The attack on the San Francisco consulate came days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s successful visit to the US. This was Modi’s first state visit to the US, and the two sides successfully managed to elevate their strategic partnership to new heights.

Observers argue that attacks against India could continue in the US and other countries since the Khalistanis are well-organised.

But India will have to strengthen its security at diplomatic missions even as it engages with foreign governments against Khalistani supporters.
It will also have to involve its growing diaspora to isolate anti-Indian elements within its community.