Vancouver Police Department spokesperson Sgt Steve Addison said that police are looking into the graffiti sprayed at the Ross Street Gurdwara, Vancouver Sun reported. He added that the police do not have a suspect
The Khalsa Diwan Society, which runs the gurdwara, blamed the vandalism on a small group of Sikh separatists advocating Khalistan
“This act is part of an ongoing campaign by extremist forces that seem to instil fear and division within the Canadian Sikh community,” the society said in a statement.
“Their actions undermine the values of inclusivity, respect, and mutual support that are foundational to both Sikhism and to Canadian society,” it said, urging Canadians to stand strong in the face of extremism.
Khalsa Day festivities in Canada’s Toronto were marked by slogans raised in favour of the Khalistan movement during a speech by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Indian media outlets reported on Monday.
The festival of Vaisakhi — also known as Baisakhi — honours the founding of the Sikh community known as the Khalsa in 1699. It also marks the beginning of a new solar year and the harvesting season.
India’s New Delhi Television Ltd reported that “loud chants” were raised in Sunday’s celebrations attended by “thousands” amid the presence of the Canadian premier, opposition leader Pierre Poilievre, Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow and prominent Canadian Sikh leader Jagmeet Singh, chief of the New Democratic Party.
“Trudeau, in a staunch assurance to the Sikh Community in the country, has said that the government is always there to protect their rights and freedoms at all costs,” the report said.
“To the nearly, 800,000 Canadians of Sikh heritage across this country, … we will always defend your community against hatred and discrimination,” he was quoted as saying in the report.
“The Canadian prime minister mentioned that they’re improving security and infrastructure by adding more security to community centres and places of worship, like gurdwaras,” reported IndiaToday.
Meanwhile, India summoned the Canadian deputy high commissioner and expressed “deep concern and strong protest” after the separatist slogans were raised.
Bilateral diplomatic relations soured last year after Trudeau said Canada was “actively pursuing credible allegations” that Indian agents were potentially linked to the June 2023 murder of a Canadian citizen.
India’s foreign affairs ministry said it had conveyed “deep concern and strong protest” at such actions “being allowed to continue unchecked at the event”.
The Canadian foreign ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The movement wants an independent Sikh state carved out of India and dates back to India and Pakistan’s independence in 1947 when the idea was pushed forward in negotiations preceding the partition of the Punjab region between the two new countries.
The Sikh religion was founded in Punjab in the late 15th century and currently has about 25 million followers worldwide. Sikhs form a majority of Punjab’s population but are a minority in India, comprising two per cent of its population of 1.4 billion.
Sikh separatists demand that their homeland “Khalistan”, meaning “the land of the pure”, be created out of Punjab.
The demand has resurfaced many times, most prominently during an insurgency in the 1970s and 1980s which paralysed the Indian Punjab for over a decade.
The Khalistan movement is considered a security threat by the Indian government. The bloodiest episode in the conflict between the government and Sikh separatists occurred in 1984.
Then-prime minister Indira Gandhi sent the military into the Golden Temple, the holiest shrine for Sikhs, to evict separatist leader Sant Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale and his supporters, which infuriated Sikhs around the world.
A few months later, Gandhi was assassinated by her Sikh bodyguards at her home in New Delhi. The army launched operations in 1986 and 1988 to flush out Sikh militants from Punjab.
Sikh militants were also blamed for the 1985 bombing of an Air India Boeing 747 flying from Canada to India in which all 329 people on board were killed off the Irish coast.
The insurgency killed tens of thousands of people and Punjab still bears the scars of that violence.
Although the Khalistan movement has little support now in India, it has small pockets of backing among sections of the Sikh diaspora in Canada, which has the largest population of Sikhs outside Punjab, and in Britain, Australia and the US.
As advance polling for Canada's federal elections concludes on Monday, leading up to the final voting day on April 28, a series of unsettling incidents within the past 24 hours has spotlighted the delicate tensions simmering within the Indian diaspora and Indo-Canada relations.
The vandalism of a gurdwara and a Hindu temple in Surrey on Saturday—allegedly by pro-Khalistan activists—alongside the emergence of anti-India and anti-Hindu slogans at the Khalsa Parade in Surrey later in the day, starkly underline these frictions. Adding to the charged atmosphere, Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre's Saturday visit to Brampton's Guru Nanak Mission Centre (GGNMC) has drawn attention to the complex interplay of cultural, religious, and political dynamics within the communities.
The vandalisation of the gurdwara and the temple with pro-Khalistan and anti-India graffiti coincided with the Khalsa Parade, where “wanted” posters of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah and External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar were paraded. While this has attracted significant criticism, it speaks volumes about the simmering tensions and attempts to polarise communities. Social media is teeming with videos showing pro-Khalistan activists, with flags, asking Indians (read Hindus) to “go back to their country”.
Mocha Bezirgan (@BezirganMocha), who describes himself as an “anti-corruption and anti-terrorism investigative journalist”, wrote on X: “Happening now: World’s largest Khalsa Day Parade in Surrey, B.C. Chants of 'Kill Modi Politics' echo throughout the parade route, accompanied by Sikh hymns and martial arts demonstrations…”
The event attracted politicians of all shades, with Conservative and NDP leaders Poilievre and Jagmeet Singh attending in person. Liberal leader Mark Carney was notably absent. The event saw participation from over 5,50,000 people, and many have criticised the open display of Khalistani and anti-India sentiments amidst the glorification of the alleged Air India bombing mastermind.
Ahead of the Khalsa Parade, the Indian diaspora in Canada awoke to the news of vandalisation of the gurdwara and the temple in Surrey with hate graffiti. While both incidents are under police investigation, the Khalsa Diwan Society, which runs the gurdwara, blamed the vandalism on a small group of Sikh separatists advocating for Khalistan. “This act is part of an ongoing campaign by extremist forces that seek to instil fear and division within the Canadian Sikh community. Their actions undermine the values of inclusivity, respect, and mutual support that are foundational to both Sikhism and Canadian society,” the statement said. Incidentally, the management of this gurdwara promotes Sikh-Hindu unity and has kept Khalistani ideologues at bay.
Around 3 am., Lakshmi Mandir in Surrey was also vandalised with the same kind of graffiti. According to reports, CCTV footage with the temple management shows two men vandalising the walls. This was the third time the temple had been vandalised.
Daniel Bordman (@DanielBordmanOG), a journalist, wrote on X: “I went to the Lakshmi Mandir in Surrey that was vandalized last night by Khalistanis. This is the third time it has been vandalized. I spoke to management and the devotees, and they do not feel like the police or the political establishment cares at all.”
Poilievre's Saturday visit to Brampton's GGNMC has also sparked controversy as this centre is viewed to be pro-Khalistani, having dubbed Nijjar a “martyr”. Poilievre was accompanied by his close but controversial associate, MP Tim Uppal. Tim’s wife is said to be associated with the World Sikh Organisation, and his brother, Raymanpreet Singh Uppal, was charged in 2014 but later acquitted in a drug case.
While these incidents have undoubtedly shaken communities, it is crucial to recognise the broader context in which they occur. The Sikh diaspora in Canada is diverse, with a vast majority dedicated to peaceful co-existence, cultural preservation, and community development. The actions of a few hardliners must not weaken multicultural ties.
Irrespective of who wins the polls, it’s imperative that political leaders must take a stand on these sensitive issues and ensure that the rhetoric does not exacerbate these divisions. The focus should remain on unity, mutual respect, and the democratic principles that define Canada.