Sikh separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar, whose assassination near Vancouver in June sparked a diplomatic crisis between India and Canada, had long advocated for the creation of an independent state governed by the principles of his faith.
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This preacher, wanted by authorities in India, was shot dead by two masked men in the parking lot of the Sikh temple he led in Surrey, near Vancouver, British Columbia (West). He died on site from his injuries.
Nijjar was wanted by Indian authorities for alleged acts of terrorism and conspiracy to commit murder, which he denied to Canadian media.
Little is known about his early life. He was born in 1977 in the Indian state of Punjab, the spiritual center of Sikhism, where almost 60% of the population are followers of the religion.
He was just a child in the 1980s when Punjab was the scene of a violent uprising by Sikh separatists pushing for the creation of “Khalistan,” an independent Indian homeland.
Nijjar came to Canada in 1997 after Indian security forces brought the insurgency under control.
“Terrorist”
According to Canadian broadcaster GTN, he used a false passport to enter Canada, home to the largest Sikh community outside of India.
He later started a plumbing business before running a gurdwara, a Sikh temple, in Surrey, where he lived.
Nijjar was allegedly involved in organizing referendums for Sikh immigrants to Canada to show their support for “Khalistan.”
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India’s National Investigation Agency (NIA) labeled him a “terrorist” and last year offered a reward of one million rupees ($12,000) for information leading to his arrest.
According to the newspaper India Today, Nijjar was particularly wanted for an explosion that killed six people and injured 42 in the Punjab city of Ludhiana in 2007.
He denied allegations, according to the World Sikh Organization of Canada, a nonprofit that claims to defend the interests of Canadian Sikhs.
“Targeted assassination”
India has often complained to foreign governments, including Canada, about the activities of Sikh extremists in the Indian diaspora who allegedly tried to rekindle the 1980s Punjab insurgency.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau had visited Punjab in 2018, where the state’s chief minister demanded action against Nijjar and eight other Sikh separatist leaders.
After his murder, the World Sikh Organization of Canada denounced a “targeted assassination” and claimed that Canadian intelligence services had already warned Hardeep Singh Nijjar of threats against him.
Justin Trudeau told Parliament in Ottawa on Monday that there was “credible evidence” that India could be responsible for his assassination.
New Delhi on Tuesday morning called the allegations “absurd” and denied “any act of violence in Canada.”
Since then, Canada and India have been in a serious diplomatic crisis, marked by mutual expulsions of diplomats.