Sikh activists in the United States and Canada are increasingly facing threats and harassment, a year after Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau suggested that the Indian government might have been involved in the assassination of a Sikh separatist leader in British Columbia. These activists, many of whom advocate for the creation of an independent Sikh state, are reporting a surge in intimidation tactics, including surveillance, doxxing, and online harassment.
Dr. Jasmeet Bains, the first Sikh American elected to the California Assembly, has experienced more than 100 threatening messages and incidents of surveillance since August 2023, when she sponsored a resolution declaring the 1984 killings of Sikhs in India a genocide. The threats intensified after Trudeau’s comments in September, prompting the FBI to contact her and conduct a security assessment at her home.
Bains is not alone. Reuters interviewed 19 Sikh community leaders across the U.S. and Canada, many of whom reported being warned by the FBI or the Royal Canadian Mounted Police about potential threats to their lives. Some activists suspect these threats are linked to Indian government supporters, although the origins are difficult to trace.
The situation has raised concerns about “transnational repression,” where foreign governments attempt to silence dissent abroad. The FBI has issued warnings to the Sikh community and held meetings with Sikh advocacy groups to address these concerns.
The tensions come amidst ongoing criminal investigations in both countries. In Canada, four Indian nationals have been charged in connection with the assassination of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, while in the U.S., Nikhil Gupta faces charges of attempting to arrange the murder of separatist leader Gurpatwant Singh Pannun on behalf of an Indian intelligence official.
The Indian government has denied involvement in these incidents, with Indian officials dismissing the allegations as baseless.
