On the occasion of Gurpurab, India’s ambassador to the United States, Taranjit Singh Sandhu, led prayers at a gurudwara in Long Island, New York. A number of followers of Khalistani heckled him, but Sikh community members took them out.

As witnessed by the Hicksville Gurdwara, Sandhu was warmly welcomed despite the impression that Khalistanis were opposed. According to accounts, a few troublesome people attempted to heckle him but were removed out by Sikh community members.

Sandhu’s Speech at Gurudwara

During his speech at the gurudwara, Sindhu gave the Sikh community the assurance that Indian diplomats stationed in the US will offer them all assistance and support.

“Privileged to join the local Sangat, including from Afghanistan, at Guru Nanak Darbar of Long Island in celebrating Gurpurab- listened to Kirtan, spoke about Guru Nanak’s everlasting message of togetherness, unity, & equality, partook langar, and sought blessings for all,” Sandhu wrote on X on Sunday.

Along with Deputy Consul General Varun Jeph and Consul General Randhir Jaiswal in New York, Sandhu emphasized the expansion of the India-US collaboration in a number of areas, including healthcare, energy, IT, new and developing technologies, semiconductors, and education.

The Indian Ambassador was honored and felicitated on the occasion by the gurudwara members and officials.
Additionally, Sandhu discussed the historical ties that have existed between Afghanistan, Sikhs, and Sikh Gurus. He mentioned that Afghan Sikhs had demonstrated how to overcome hardships.

He claimed that in August 2021, following the Taliban’s capture of the war-torn nation, three Saroops of the Sikh scripture Guru Granth Sahib were transported from Kabul to Delhi.

Videos of the event are making the rounds, but it appears that some pro-Khalistan individuals heckled Sandhu and yelled questions about Khalistani separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar, who was slain in Canada in June of this year.

Earlier, while paying his respects at the Sri Guru Ravidass Temple in New York, Sandhu said in a separate tweet that Guru Nanak Dev ji’s eternal message of equality and universal oneness.

US Warns India to Plot against Khalistani leader Pannun

An article published in the Financial Times claims that US authorities stopped a plot to kill designated terrorist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun on US soil and warned New Delhi about possible cooperation from the Indian government.

Along with the “diplomatic warning,” the newspaper stated that federal prosecutors had filed a sealed complaint “against at least one alleged perpetrator of the plot in a New York district court.”

Only a few months have passed since Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau claimed in September that Indian government agents were responsible for the death of Khalistani Tiger Force head Hardeep Singh Nijjar as revealed by a report published in the Financial Times.

Who was Hardeep Singh Nijjar?

Hardeep Singh Nijjar was born in the Punjab state of North India, in the district of Jalandhar. He went to Canada in 1997 as a young man, got married, raised two sons, and worked as a plumber.

He established himself as a prominent proponent of Khalistan, a distinct nation for Sikhs, a religious minority comprising 2% of India’s populace, after moving to the British Columbian province.

He was declared a terrorist by India, where he was charged with being the “mastermind” of the Khalistan Tiger Force (KTF), an outlawed militant organization in the nation, among other allegations.

He was shot and killed by two gunmen in dark clothes and hoods outside a Sikh temple in a Vancouver suburb on a summer evening this June.

The gunshots smashed through the glass of his grey pickup truck. When he was struck, Mr. Nijjar was operating the vehicle as reported by BBC.

Mr. Nijjar, then 45, passed away at the scene, according to the police.
According to those close to him, he was informed that he was on a “hit list” by Canadian intelligence services prior to his passing.

India has consistently and categorically rejected any role in his murder and referred to Mr. Trudeau’s accusations as “absurd”.
Mr. Nijjar, who obtained Canadian citizenship in 2007, was regarded by his followers as a man who genuinely cared about his community and a nonviolent proponent of Sikh independence in British Columbia.
Outside the doors of the Surrey Gurdwara, where he presided, a sizable memorial has been built in his honor. Hundreds of people showed up for his funeral.

The Khalistani Movement

The Khalistani movement is a separatist movement that aims to establish an ethno-religious sovereign state in the Punjab region called Khalistan.

Different parties propose different borders for Khalistan; some claim Pakistani Punjab and other portions of North India, including Chandigarh, Haryana, and Himachal Pradesh, while others recommend the entire Indian state of Punjab, which has a Sikh majority. Lahore and Shimla have been suggested as Khalistani capital cities.

There are a number of active militant Sikh organizations that give the Sikh community structure and direction, including the Khalistani Council. There are various groups coordinating their military activities on behalf of Khalistan throughout the world.

These groups have decreased in activity after peaking in the 1980s and early 1990s. Although most of these groups are no longer operating from India, they continue to be politically active among Sikhs living abroad, particularly in nations like Pakistan where they are not legally prohibited.