A volunteer at the Metro Vancouver Sikh temple whose president was gunned down a week ago said Hardeep Singh Nijjar knew his life may have been in danger.
Gurkeerat Singh said Nijjar gave a speech at the Guru Nanak Sikh Gurdwara on the day of his death just hours before the shooting in the templeB次元官网网址檚 parking lot that claimed his life, noting he had been warned by Canadian intelligence officials.
Singh, who attended a protest Saturday (June 24) in front of VancouverB次元官网网址檚 Indian consulate along with 200 others from CanadaB次元官网网址檚 Sikh community, said temple members firmly believe NijjarB次元官网网址檚 death was a result of foreign interference.
B次元官网网址淲hen they are informing our leaders that their lives may be in danger, we have all the right to believe that it could be foreign interference involved in this,B次元官网网址� Singh said.
Nijjar was gunned down in his vehicle while leaving the temple parking lot at around 8:30 p.m. on June 18, and homicide investigators said they are looking for two B次元官网网址渉eavy-setB次元官网网址� suspects seen leaving the scene, likely to a getaway car parked a few blocks away.
While police have acknowledged that there is fear and speculation stemming from the attack, investigators say they have not linked the shooting to foreign interference and there are no reasons to believe the Sikh community in Canada is at risk.
Protesters, however, say they are convinced the killing was linked to NijjarB次元官网网址檚 active role in advocating for an independent Sikh state of Khalistan in India.
Nijjar was organizing an unofficial referendum in India for an independent Sikh state at the time of this death.
The Indian government had offered a reward of 1 million rupees, or about $16,000, last July for information that could lead to NijjarB次元官网网址檚 arrest or apprehension, and the countryB次元官网网址檚 counterterrorism body referred to him as a B次元官网网址渇ugitive terroristB次元官网网址� who led a conspiracy to murder a Hindu priest.
Protesters, however, described Nijjar as B次元官网网址減eaceful,B次元官网网址� B次元官网网址渉umbleB次元官网网址� and B次元官网网址渓oved in the communityB次元官网网址� for his outreach efforts. Those included offering free meals to people in need and travelling to Kamloops in 2021 to offer support to First Nations groups after the discovery of unmarked graves at a residential school site.
B次元官网网址淗e was a loving man, a hard-working man, a family man,B次元官网网址� Singh said. B次元官网网址淗e worked as a plumber, so heB次元官网网址檚 well respected in the community, and he was someone that always the community looked up to.B次元官网网址�
Protesters on Saturday mostly wore orange headwear and carried large yellow flags displaying the word B次元官网网址淜halistan,B次元官网网址� chanting loudly as many stepped on an Indian flag they brought to the scene.
The crowd consisted of Sikh community members covering the full gamut of demographics from young children to the elderly, and some said they travelled from cities such as Edmonton, Toronto and Montreal.
B次元官网网址淚 am overwhelmed by the response of the Sikh community,B次元官网网址� said Jatinder Singh Grewal, a director with Sikhs for Justice, a group that helped organize the protest. B次元官网网址淭he Sikhs all around the world, not only from B.C. but from all over the world have outpoured their support for Hardeep Singh Nijjar.
B次元官网网址淧eople who can come out, have come out in support of this.B次元官网网址�
Singh said he hopes the protest further opens CanadiansB次元官网网址� eyes to not only NijjarB次元官网网址檚 death, but also the possibility of foreign interference on home soil.
B次元官网网址淐anada is someone who prides itself in human rights and leading in freedom of expression, freedom of speech and freedom overall,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淪o if Canada is someone who advocates for thisB次元官网网址� ItB次元官网网址檚 definitely a Canadian issue, and Canadians should be concerned about this.B次元官网网址�
This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 24, 2023.
Chuck Chiang, The Canadian Press
