Jatinder Singh: Is CSIS Capable Of Addressing Foreign Threats To Canada’s Sikhs?

"[T]he assassination of Hardeep Singh Nijjar in British Columbia, has raised a number of questions about Canada’s intelligence services, CSIS, about what it knew and what measures it took to protect."

Jatinder Singh
June 22, 2023 | 3 min. read | Opinion

During the 18th Century, Mir Mannu, the Governor of Lahore, placed a price on the head of Sikhs. They were to be killed, for a reward, wherever they could be found. Rather than cower in fear, the Sikhs remained in high spirits, or Chardi Kala, and the following saying became popular across Panjab,

Mannu is our sickle, 

we the fodder for him to mow 

The more he reaps, 

the more and more we grow

At least then, the “sickle” had the courage to reveal itself in the form of the Governor. Today, it hides cowardly, putting a price on Sikhs using the dark web.

With the assassination or sudden death of a number of Sikh activists outside of India in the recent past, there is legitimate concern among diaspora Sikh activists about the threats posed to them.

The most shocking and recent of these, the assassination of Hardeep Singh Nijjar in British Columbia, has raised a number of questions about Canada’s intelligence services, CSIS, about what it knew and what measures it took to protect.

I wrote previously about the threats posed by spies and foreign interference and that this was not being taken seriously within Canada’s national security apparatus. 

It is not clear how well the Sikhs are understood within the agency and the seriousness of the threats against them on Canadian soil. For example, India’s R&AW, which has no legal mandate within India and reports directly to the Prime Minister with no parliamentary oversight, is known for being purposeful and deliberate in its operations and is one of the top actors interfering within Canada. 

CSIS has been plagued with systemic racism, religiously motivated behaviour among its staff, and a concern about its required level of cultural competency. Is it truly capable of understanding and protecting Canada’s Sikhs and identifying those who pose a threat to them?

Does it know who the sickle is?

Hardeep Singh Nijjar was open about the threats to his life and had been informed as such by CSIS. His assassination on Gurdwara grounds was brazen and, one assumes, designed to send a message. You will note that mainstream media has focused on allegations of terrorism against him by India. Yet, one should also note that similar allegations and character assassinations were made against The West Midlands Three for years, with India being able to convince British authorities to target the three men. The subsequent collapse of an extradition case against them brought to light the weakness in the case and the clear fabrications made against them. 

It is time we, as a community, started asking more questions of both the intelligence services and law enforcement within Canada. With the World Sikh Organization of Canada (WSO) mentioning they had informed authorities of a hit list that had Hardeep Singh Nijjar’s name on it nearly a year ago, what exactly had the agencies been doing since being informed?

With the assassination happening so openly in public, questions must be asked on exactly what protocols and operating procedures the agency abides by after providing someone with a duty to warn about a credible threat to them. Can CSIS and law enforcement confirm what level of protection a community leader like Hardeep Singh Nijjar was afforded?

It is not known exactly how many CSIS agents are dedicated to investigating threats against Sikhs or interference from countries like India. We know Canada has eight trade offices across India and, one assumes, a large number of government workers focussed on trading with India within Global Affairs, but what about within the intelligence services and law enforcement?

It is time Canada took seriously, across all of its national security apparatus, the targeting and threat posed to Canadian Sikhs.

As for the Sikhs, we know the sickle is too cowardly to reveal itself, but we will remain in Chardi Kala, and Sikh activism will continue to grow more and more.

Jatinder Singh is the National Director for Khalsa Aid Canada. You can find him on Twitter, IG, and FB at @jindisinghka

---

Baaz is home to opinions, ideas, and original reporting for the Sikh and Punjabi diaspora. Support us by subscribing. Find us on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok at @BaazNewsOrg.  If you would like to submit a written piece for consideration please email us at editor@baaznews.org.