Baaz’s Newsmakers of 2024
The top ten newsmakers from the Sikh and Punjabi diaspora in 2024
From The Editors
December 30, 2024 | 13 min. Read | Editorial Team
2024 saw Sikh and Punjabi individuals and organizations across the diaspora make and create news. We published many stories written by an eclectic group of contributors worldwide to capture it all.
With this in mind, we prepared a list of ten newsmakers from the Sikh and Punjabi diaspora (individuals, organizations, or moments rooted or based in communities outside Punjab and India) that stood out and made headlines over the last 12 months. When preparing this list, we tried to reflect a range of themes and backgrounds - from activists to artists - that have left a mark on the Punjabi or Sikh universe this year.
There are many we wish we could add to this list, but they fall outside of its scope.
For example, Amritpal Singh’s stunning landslide electoral victory in Punjab smashed Indian narratives around Sikh activism, Khalistan, and Sikh politics. However, it was not a diaspora-based event, even though Amritpal Singh was once from the diaspora (the UAE, to be exact.)
Another example concerns the growing Anti-Sikh rhetoric online, led and driven by right-wing actors in the West, amplified by Hindu Nationalist and Indian bots. The growth of these ecosystems has grown so noticeable that the CBC even wrote an article about it. However, these actors are not Sikhs and are outside this list's mandate.
In a final example, Sikhs for Justice (SFJ) continues to make headlines for their Khalistan Referendum, their digital content, and even protesting the Indian Consulate in Canada holding consular camps at various locations, including outside the Hindu Sabha Mandir (more on that later). However, we had already recognized them as a 2022 newsmaker for many of the same themes. We commented on the staying power of their work - which would include, in 2023, India’s assassination of SFJ supporter Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Surrey, as well as failed attempts on many others across North America, such as SFJ leader Gurpatwant Singh Pannun.
This list is not a “power ranking” or a “who’s who.” It is a snapshot in time of interesting people, bodies, or moments that made this year what it was, as decided upon by the Baaz editorial team.
The list is sorted alphabetically by the first name.
Diljit Dosanjh
Setting World Records Across the Diaspora - Canada, UK, and USA
Whether you love, hate, celebrate, or criticize him - you must respect him.
In April of this year, Diljit Dosanjh kicked off in Vancouver what would become a record-smashing global tour, putting Punjabi music on the world stage.
“The Dil-Luminati Tour was not only a big moment for Punjabi music, but for the Punjabi Wave in Canada,” Billboard Canada wrote in an in-depth piece on Dosanjh and the Punjabi music scene in the diaspora, a large chunk of which is anchored in the Canadian cities of Brampton and Surrey.
Over 50,000 fans descended upon BC Place in April, making history as the largest Punjabi show outside of India. It generated so much mainstream hype the Vancouver Canucks even got in on the action, posting “Vibe Teri Meri Mildi,” while quote-tweeting a Dosanjh tweet of him in a Canucks jacket.
He would also fill stadiums elsewhere, from Los Angeles to Toronto, making the Dil-Luminati Tour the largest North American tour ever by a Punjabi artist, before conquering Europe as well, including selling out three separate shows at the world-famous O2 Arena in London (another record-breaking showing from Daljit for not just a Punjabi artist, but of any South Asian performer).
This all comes on the heels of Diljit performing at Coachella, making history as the first Punjabi singing artist there, and collaborating with prominent American artists like NLE Choppa and Saweetie. The tour also got him on American late-night television this year, where he was seen performing on Jimmy Fallon, achieving another first for a Punjabi artist.
With the fame came the haters, especially from India, who attacked Dosanjh for being a proud Punjabi. Or, Panjabi.
In any case, “Punjabi aa gaye oye” (“the Punjabis have arrived”) has become Diljit’s go-to tagline, and he's made it clear he's not stopping anytime soon.
Harjit Singh Sajjan
Controversy During the Fall of Kabul - Canada
Earlier this year, Minister Harjit Sajjan was embroiled in a national controversy following a Globe and Mail report accusing him of prioritizing Afghan Sikhs and Hindus during the chaotic fall of Kabul in 2021, allegedly at the expense of other evacuation priorities.
The blowback was intense and brought to the forefront the harrowing story of persecution Afghan Sikhs and Hindus had faced from ISIS and the Taliban over the years, including attacks on Gurdwaras in Afghanistan.
What the story missed, however, was that there were public Government of Canada policies and statements that clearly outlined the establishment of a special program to assist vulnerable populations and religious minorities during the Kabul evacuations of 2021.
That included Afghan Sikhs and Hindus.
Sikh Canadian community efforts over the years to privately sponsor Afghan Sikhs and Hindus facing persecution, led by the MBSF and WSO, have safely brought 600 of them to Canada, with more continuing to be processed. The two organizations expressed disappointment with the Globe story for missing important context and assuming that the mission to save Afghan Sikhs and Hindus would mean that resources were not available for others in the evacuation.
The firestorm brought with it some critical questions about the double standards faced by Sikh politicians who speak or act on community concerns and what exactly is the place of Sikhs in Canada if they cannot even privately sponsor refugees under an assigned government program without criticism.
“If Minister Sajjan directed CAF members to assist other groups listed in this special program with whom he did not share a religion, would that be more palatable?” Tarjinder Kaur Bhullar of MSBF, and the sister of the late Manmeet Singh Bhullar, asked in an opinion piece for Baaz, raising this issue of double standards on Sikh decision-makers.
The backlash also came as Anti-Sikh rhetoric and hate rose in Canada, led by far-right and Hindu Nationalist online ecosystems. These ecosystems were quick to amplify the Afghan evacuation story, falsely suggesting that it is evidence that Sikhs control the government and cannot be trusted.
Harmeet Kaur Dhillon
President Trump's Civil Rights Lawyer - USA
Harmeet Kaur Dhillon has a long track record advocating for Sikh civil rights in America. Earlier this year, Baaz reported on her role in representing Trilochan Singh Oberoi in a famous workplace discrimination case, squaring off against the then Attorney General of California, Kamala Harris.
“[T]he Attorney General doesn’t get to say she was just doing her job. She sets policy. She had the choice early on to do the right thing in this case, and she didn’t,” Dhillon told Baaz, criticizing Harris for needlessly pushing the matter forward and those suggesting she was just fulfilling her duties.
It's the kind of aggressive stand on civil rights issues Dhillon has become known for, even if she may be more famous for leading an Ardas at the Republican National Convention earlier this year.
So when President-elect Donald Trump nominated Dhillon as Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights at the U.S. Department of Justice, it generated significant coverage inside and outside the Sikh world.
For Indian and Hindu Nationalists, it was a cause of worry, as Dhillon has called out India's transnational repression, including the use of organized crime to kill Sikhs extrajudicially on American soil, as evidenced by the US Indictments against Nikhil Gupta and Vikash Yadav.
For Sikhs, it was a moment of relief that Trump will have some Sikh perspectives around him, as his other appointments have attracted scrutiny for their links to Hindu Nationalist networks.
Dhillon’s influence also includes the appointment of David Warrington, a partner at her law firm, as Trump’s White House counsel and advisor.
If all goes well and Dhillon is sworn in, she will likely be a major player in the Trump administration for years to come. That's a powerful role to play in the Western world's most influential country.
International Students
The Boom is Over - Canada
Baaz was one of the first outlets to write about the issues impacting international students in Canada over the past few years. Our coverage assisted in gaining mainstream traction on a host of problems - from labour exploitation and mental health crises to questionable private colleges and evolving government policies.
But something changed this year. International students moved from the periphery and became the topic of mainstream debate. More importantly, they unfairly became the scapegoat for the many issues impacting Canada, including affordable housing, entry-level jobs, and immigration.
At the end of 2023, there were 1,040,985 international students in Canada at all levels of study. Almost half are from India. Over the past 10 years, it is estimated that over one million international students from India have come to study in Canada, with many then working towards permanent residency. The most significant cohort has been from Punjab.
The scale of the population is massive when you consider Canada is barely a country of 40 million people.
Over the past 100-plus days, international students have set up a permanent protest camp in Brampton, demonstrating against rapidly changing government policies impacting the ability of these young folks to make Canada a permanent home. The abrupt changes have essentially made the initial promise, which said that we, as in Canada, do not just want you to study here, but settle here, impossible. These changes have already caused a downward spike in students seeking to come to Canada from India.
What happens to these students next is the big question.
Will they return home to Punjab after spending a fortune to see their Canadian dream disappear? Or will they go underground, desperately finding a way to stay, even crossing into America? And for those that do go back, what does that mean for Punjab, which had been fighting a brain drain of young people for years? What do these youth do next when they return home with diplomas for a job market that may not exist?
Baaz declared in a long-read piece earlier this year that the international student boom “might be over.”
Now, we can unequivocally say that it is.
Jus Reign
A TV Show by Punjabis for Punjabis - Canada
Jus Reign, a popular YouTube content creator that went dark for years, reemerged with a long-awaited and much anticipated full-fledged television show this year.
"Like I said from the onset, go in with tempered expectations, and [Late Bloomer] will either pleasantly surprise you or insult your very being,” Shinda Singh wrote for Baaz in a review. For many fans, it was a welcome return to Jasmeet Raina’s comedic style after he stopped consistently creating content, although his old clips still go viral on platforms like TikTok years after the fact.
More important, however, is how his show put Punjabi and Sikh representation front and centre in a major TV production. Seldom have we seen anything in the diaspora match what Jus Reign pulled off with Late Bloomer. From characters and locations to themes and humour - diasporic Sikh and Punjabi cultural cues anchor the show's dynamics.
“It’s great seeing local talent rise up,” Shinda Singh continues in his review, “If this acts as a springboard for even more shows in this subgenre, I’m here for it.”
With a second season in production, the question now becomes what the staying power of this ceiling-breaking TV moment is for Jus Reign personally and future Sikh-led television content. We hope that this is only the beginning of much more.
Ontario Gurdwaras Committee (OGC)
Confronting Violent Hindu Nationalist Mobs - Canada
On the evening of November 3rd of this year, a weapon-wielding mob of Hindu Nationalists attempted to storm Sri Guru Singh Sabha Malton. The mob assembled after hate-inciting Anti-Sikh speeches were delivered outside the Hindu Sabha Mandir, including by a local priest. In one speech given by members of the Shiv Sena, a Hindu Nationalist organization connected to the RSS, Hindus were promised swords to attack Sikhs.
The violence could have been deadly if not for the fast defensive action of Sikhs and the Peel Regional Police. Multiple individuals would be arrested that night in connection to the attack on the Gurdwara.
But that would not be the last attempt to storm Sikh places of worship, as less than 24 hours later, on the evening of November 4th, at a protest organized by the pro-India organization CoHNA, Hindu Nationalist mobs attempted once again to storm Gurdwaras near the Hindu Sabha Mandir.
The mob violence became so intense that the police had to call an emergency Public Order to disperse the crowds. The police made some arrests concerning the events of November 4th and continue investigating more.
The triggering act to all of this was SFJ protests against Indian Consulate camps that were being held in Mandirs, Gurdwaras, and community centres to process pension paperwork. SFJ was denouncing the visits by Indian Consulates which had been orchestrating organized crime to target Sikh Canadians with arson, homicides, extortion and more, as per an October 15 RCMP press conference.
The protests outside the Hindu Sabha Mandir stood out, as the SFJ demonstrators, standing on a public sidewalk outside the temple, were attacked by pro-India counter-protestors. The ensuing melee saw the pro-India attackers retreat into the Mandir parking lot before police set up a buffer zone between the two groups. Later that day, the Indian and Hindu Nationalist mobs began their almost 48 hours of mayhem.
In the middle of the Sikh response to that mob violence was the Ontario Gurdwara Committee, of which Sri Guru Singh Sabha Malton is a member. They organized the defence of Gurdwaras, press conferences to combat Indian disinfo about the violence, and a community gathering that saw thousands descend on Malton Gurdwara to speak about what comes next.
It was a galvanizing moment for Sikhs in Canada and around the diaspora. If India-style Hindu Nationalist mob violence targeting minorities comes to the West, how would we respond?
OGC made it clear: fearlessly.
The Sikh Coalition (WSO, OGC, and BCGC)
Public Inquiry into Foreign Interference - Canada
If Sikh Canadians dominate this year’s newsmakers, it is mainly because of the very public specter of Indian foreign interference in the country. Ever since the assassination of Hardeep Singh Nijjar in 2023, India and its relationship with Sikhs has been a staple of domestic politics.
In 2024, Canada finally began its long-awaited Public Inquiry into Foreign Interference. While it was initially to focus primarily on China and interference in the two recent general elections, the scope quickly grew.
The World Sikh Organization of Canada (WSO), the British Columbia Gurdwaras Council (BCGC), and the Ontario Gurdwaras Committee (OGC) wrote to the Inquiry asking to be given status to participate, including cross-examining witnesses brought to testify.
The request was accepted, with the Inquiry combining the three organizations and naming it the “Sikh Coalition” (not to be confused with the Sikh Coalition in the United States).
The addition of India meant that, for the first time in the open, how it conducts foreign interference and transnational repression was put on the public record. Everything, from its disinformation networks to targeting democratic institutions, was discussed.
It marked a pivotal moment for Sikhs around the world in offering official reporting and evidence of the sort of threats Sikhs face from India.
This was combined with an explosive RCMP press conference regarding the ongoing investigation into violent Indian transnational repression, which exposed in clear terms how the Indian government is using organized crime to conduct extortions, homicides, and arson against Sikhs in Canada.
2025 will see the continuation of these investigations, promising more details. However, will the change of government in America and the very likely change of government in Canada next year alter the trajectory or vigour of the fight against Indian transnational repression? Sikhs could have some reasons to be concerned.
The Sikh Court
New Institutions for a Bigger Sikh Community - UK
A photograph of a swearing-in ceremony at the Honourable Society of Lincoln's Inn went viral in the spring of this year.
The imagery was powerful and hard to ignore. Sikhs draped in regal navy blue robes and white dastars sat neatly on court benches smiling as the Sikh Court officially launched, triggering celebration within the community and some debate across the UK.
“The Sikh Court is an ADR forum – it offers a mediation and arbitration service applying UK Laws, in the form of a Med-Arb process, which melds together mediation and arbitration. This encourages resolution in a mediation stage, but can deliver a binding decision to give finality in a mandatory arbitration stage,” its website reads.
The inauguration of the Court initiated discussions on how the model could be replicated elsewhere in the Sikh diaspora as families look for options to resolve disputes without getting sucked into adversarial, lengthy, and costly formal legal proceedings.
At the time of the launch, Baldip Singh, the Chief Judge of the Sikh Court, shared that “Today, we honour our fathers and forefathers who sacrificed so much— their own happiness and health— working in factories and foundries to provide us with the education and positions we all now hold. They sowed the seeds, knowing that one day we might be able to do something for the betterment of the Sikh Panth.”
As Sikhs continue to establish themselves in the West, we suspect we'll see a growth in these kinds of sophisticated institutions serving the community’s needs.
UK Sikh MPs
Historic Election Results - UK
It was a historic election in the UK, not just because the Labour Party regained power after a 19-year hiatus but also because it saw a dozen Sikh MPs elected to Parliament.
The sweep was reminiscent of the 2015 federal election in Canada, in which 17 Sikhs were elected into Parliament and celebrated as a coming-of-age moment for Sikhs.
“[W]atching a new generation of British Sikh MPs swear into Parliament for the first time made me proud and reflect on the great strides our community has made over the years,” MP Preet Gill wrote in an opinion piece for Baaz, reflecting on what the moment meant for their representation in the mainstream of the country.
The Sikh community had a trying relationship with the previous Conservative government, including harsh criticism over the weak efforts to free Scottish national Jagtar Singh Johal from arbitrary detainment in India over the past seven-plus years.
In January of 2024, the Federation of Sikh Organisations (FSO) led a national conference at Guru Nanak Gurdwara, Smethwick, in the West Midlands, inviting representatives from all UK Gurdwaras, Sikh organisations, and the wider Sikh community.
A strong condemnation was expressed during that conference at the then UK Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, and his government for their reluctance to publicly confront the Indian government's foreign interference targeting Sikhs in the UK.
“Sikhs need to demand that a successive government restates the primacy of British citizens' right to free speech over the desires of foreign governments to silence dissent and not kowtow to what is now widely recognised as transnational repression,” Mankamal Singh wrote for Baaz in the lead up to the election.
Will the Labour government be different? There are some signs that they are saying the right things on specific issues, including the Johal one, and the party also boasts vastly stronger Sikh representatives.
Still, it remains to be seen if the numerous demands made by the FSO on the new government, including the call for a judge-led inquiry into UK involvement in the June 1984 Indian army invasion of the Darbar Sahib Complex, will find its way into Labour policy.
Various Museums
Protecting Sikh Stories and Artefacts - Canada and UK
A growing Sikh diaspora has also meant that there is a growing appetite for Sikh cultural experiences, including temporary and permanent exhibits in museums. And while there have been some successful museum experiences in the past, 2024 saw significant developments on multiple fronts.
In the UK, the Wallace Collection’s Ranjit Singh: Sikh, Warrior, King was a major hit, not only securing rave reviews but attracting Sikhs from around the world to its halls. The success of the temporary exhibit has ignited hopes for more such opportunities in the future in the UK and abroad.
In Canada, the Royal Ontario Museum (ROM) is set to open Canada’s second permanent gallery dedicated to Sikh heritage in 2027, thanks to an impressive $16.6 million raised by the Sikh community and supporters. The federal government is providing an additional $6 million, as outlined in their 2024 budget proposal, bringing the total investment to $22.6 million.
The importance of Sikhs establishing such spaces to record and accurately present their history and story to the world was highlighted by another museum story this year as well. The Museum of Surrey hosted an exhibit by the HSS, the international arm of the Hindu Nationalist RSS, which claimed Sikhi was an extension of Hinduism. Going as far as to suggest the Sri Guru Grant Sahib was a “Hindu manuscript.” Sikh community backlash was able to get the exhibit removed after its Anti-Sikh contents were made clear to city officials in charge of overseeing the museum.
The ordeal highlighted how the battle over Sikh representation will extend beyond the digital or political but into institutions of knowledge, too.
Baaz is home to opinions, analysis, and original reporting for the Sikh and Punjabi diaspora. Support us by subscribing. Find us on Twitter, Instagram, and Bluesky at @BaazNewsOrg. If you would like to submit a written piece for consideration please email us at editor@baaznews.org.