Sikh protest outside the Indian High Commission in London highlighting Indian state terrorism
Monday 2nd October from 1-3pm
Sikh protesters will be showing solidarity with the Canadian Government and condemning Indian Government involvement in the deplorable extrajudicial killing of Canadian Sikh leader, Hardeep Singh Nijjar. Those protesting will be demanding the UK Government:
· confirm full support for the position of the Canadian Government and follow the example of the US by ensuring the Indian government understand it is totally unacceptable to carry out extrajudicial killings on foreign soil for which there must be serious consequences for India
· come clean on illegal Indian government activities in the UK targeting British Sikh activists campaigning for the re-establishment of a Sikh homeland
· provide sufficient security and protection to British Sikh activists where there is information or intelligence of a threat from the Indian state or its agents
London – 30 September 2023
Hundreds of Sikhs from across the UK will be protesting outside the Indian High Commission, Aldwych, London, WC2B 4NA on Monday 2 October from 1-3pm.
The protest is exactly two weeks after the Canadian Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau made an explosive statement in the Canadian Parliament accusing the Indian government of involvement in the assassination and extrajudicial killing on Canadian soil of Sikh leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar.
Hardeep Singh Nijjar was the President at Guru Nanak Sikh Gurdwara in Surrey, BC and a leading advocate for the re-establishment of a Sikh homeland. He was brutally shot dead in a well-orchestrated attack by assassins in the Gurdwara car park on 18 June.
Justin Trudeau confirmed in his statement in the Canadian Parliament on 18 September that he raised the extrajudicial killing in “no uncertain terms” with Indian PM, Narendra Modi at the G20 Summit in Delhi.
Canada’s Foreign Affairs Minister, Melanie Joly confirmed Justin Trudeau shared his concerns with Joe Biden and Rishi Sunak - both members of the Five Eyes intelligence gathering and sharing alliance. It has been confirmed Joe Biden raised the assassination in Canada with Narendra Modi at the G20 Summit. However, Rishi Sunak lacked courage to defend the rule of law and was too weak to stand up for a close ally by failing to raise the assassination of the Canadian Sikh leader with the Indian PM.
It has now been established the US provided intelligence to help Canada reach their conclusion on Indian involvement in the assassination and US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken has confirmed that the US are co-ordinating matters.
The Canadian government’s allegations against the Indian government were based on both human and signals intelligence provide by the US, including communications involving Indian officials. This was backed up with information gathered from surveillance of Indian diplomats.
It has been confirmed the UK as part of the Five Eyes has complete access to the intelligence information used by Justin Trudeau to make his allegations against the Indian government in the Canadian Parliament.
Canada’s national security and intelligence adviser Jody Thomas made two trips to India – the first for four days in mid-August and the second in early September for five days to provide evidence to her counterpart, discuss their findings and to ask for their co-operation in what has been described as ‘quiet diplomacy’.
Justin Trudeau was forced to make his statement in the Canadian Parliament as this ‘quiet diplomacy’ had failed as top Indian intelligence officials were arrogant, refused to co-operate and did not deny their involvement in the assassination.
Since Justin Trudeau’s statement and the information that has emerged some are speculating on Indian intelligence worryingly using third parties or agents to carry out killings of opponents in other countries.
In the UK questions are being asked about the safety and security of British Sikh activists including the mysterious death of Avtar Singh Khanda in Birmingham three days before the assassination of Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Canada, the activities of India’s National Investigation Agency (NIA) in the UK, NIA issuing a ‘hit list’ of 20 Sikhs in the Diaspora on Indian television and targeting the homes and families in India of around 40 British Sikh activists.
Two hours before the protest at 11am on Monday 2nd October a press conference will be held in Central London in the offices of barrister Michael Polak to announce a formal request has been submitted to the Chief Coroner to open an inquest into the death of Avtar Singh Khanda, a Sikh activist who died on 15 June 2023 in Birmingham in suspicious circumstances. His suspicious death followed the assassination of Paramjit Singh Panjwar on 6 May in Pakistan and the assassination by the Indian government of Sikh leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar on 18 June in Canada.
Avtar Singh Khanda had received a number of threats to his life from individuals connected to the Indian state after he was wrongly implicated in the removal of the Indian flag during a protest at the London High Commission on 19 March 2023. However, the British authorities failed to address the death threats and protect Avtar Singh Khanda with increased security measures.
Counter terror police told Sikh representatives in a meeting on 27 June 2023 after the mysterious death of Avtar Singh Khanda and the assassination of Hardeep Singh Nijjar that they were deeply concerned with the activities of the NIA in the UK.
The police suggested they were concerned that the NIA were sharing video footage and still photographs on social media of Sikh protesters in London. They suggested this may amount to “hostile activities” by a foreign government and would be deemed criminal activity and “state repression”.
This was followed by the NIA extraordinarily and outrageously issuing a “hit list” of 20 Sikhs in the Diaspora, including six Sikhs from the UK. Unbelievably at the end of the television footage the NIA claimed to have eliminated Paramjit Singh Panjwar, Hardeep Singh Nijjar and Avtar Singh Khanda.
Many believe the authorities in the UK raised concerns with the Indian authorities about the NIA after the NIA hit list was issued on Indian television. However in a tit-for tat response the NIA raided the family homes and harassed families of around 40 UK Sikhs in early August.
Dabinderjit Singh, the Principal Adviser of the Sikh Federation (UK) said:
“If India is ordering the killing of Sikh activists in western democracies, including the UK this represents a threat to Britain’s sovereignty.”
“The Sikh community in the UK is concerned for the safety and security of Sikh activists and looking to the UK Government to defend and protect British Sikhs from threats by the Indian state that has disturbingly been caught red-handed by the Canadian authorities involved in a terrorist attack on foreign soil.”
ENDS Jaspal Singh National Press Secretary Sikh Federation (UK)