Protesters denounce the Indian Consulate’s gurdwara event in Vancouver

A small but vocal group of demonstrators gathered across the street from the Khalsa Diwan Society gurdwara in South Vancouver on Saturday to protest the presence of Indian consulate officials at the temple.

The occasion was the first of two “consular camps” planned by the Indian Consulate at the gurdwara. The events are intended to give seniors of Indian descent an opportunity to meet officials and complete administrative tasks without having to go to the consulate downtown.

But against the backdrop of Canadian officials’ accusations that the Indian government has waged a campaign of violence and intimidation against Sikh separatists in Canada, protesters say the

Ajaypal Singh, one of about 20 protesters, told CTV News that attendees believe Indian officials should not be allowed access to Sikh temples.

“We want the embassies to be closed and we want the Indian consulate not to deal with Sikh gurdwaras,” Singh said.

He was referring to the Canadian government’s claim that Indian diplomats had gathered information about Indian nationals and Canadian citizens in Canada and then passed that information on to the Indian government in New Delhi, which is allegedly working with a criminal network linked to killings , murder plots, coercion and other matters. violent crime in Canada.

The allegations prompted Canada to expel six Indian diplomats last month, including High Commissioner Sanjay Kumar Verma.

“Mr Sanjay Verma, who was expelled, says in India that ‘we have threats to life from Sikhs’,” Singh said. “On the other hand, they come to our gurdwaras to transact their embassy business. I mean, this is the height of hypocrisy.”

Tensions between Canada and India have been rising for more than a year, since the June 2023 shooting of Hardeep Singh Nijjar outside a gurdwara in Surrey.

Nijjar was a Canadian citizen and a leading activist for the creation of an independent Sikh homeland known as Khalistan, which would be located in what is currently the Indian state of Punjab. The Canadian government claims that the government of India was involved in Nijjar’s death.

India has denied all allegations against the country.

Ahead of Saturday’s event, the BC Supreme Court granted an order requested by the Khalsa Diwan Society, creating a 50-metre “buffer zone” around the gurdwara amid concerns about “intense protests.”

“The society expects that the consular camps… will provoke intense protests from individuals who believe that all Indian consular offices in Canada should be closed, and that consular officers should not be allowed to enter the Ross Street Gurdwara in furtherance of official business on behalf of the Government of India ” the court documents said.

The court order prohibits protesting, blocking the sidewalks or intimidating anyone attempting to enter the premises within 50 meters of the roads surrounding the temple from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.

A second consular camp is planned for November 16.

With files from The Canadian Press