'We're not backing down': Sikh activist to continue Khalistan campaign despite warning

Sikh activist warned of threat by police Inderjeet Singh Gosal took over the unofficial Canada-wide referendum for Khalistan independence after a Sikh activist was killed in Surrey.

Inderjeet Singh Gosal got the call after midnight Friday from Ontario police, warning him he was the subject of a “duty to warn” notice.

Gosal says police visited his home in Brampton, Ont., to notify him, but he was not home at the time, and later phoned him.

"There's always a sense of fear when someone is trying to eliminate you when you are doing something legally, of course that brings fear," explains Gosal.

He took over the unofficial Canada-wide referendum for Khalistan independence after Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar was gunned down outside the gurdwara in Surrey on June 18 of last year, where he was president at the time.

Nijjar was a prominent supporter of the Khalistan movement, organizing unofficial referendums in the Sikh diaspora to advocate for a separate Sikh state in India.

The death shocked many in the local Sikh community who saw the killing as a politically motivated assassination conducted on behalf of the Indian government.

In September 2023, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced that national security authorities were investigating "credible allegations" of a link between the killing and the government of India.

India has denied any allegations of foreign interference, but the diplomatic relations between the two countries have been strained for months.

Gosal says despite the duty to warn, he is not backing down.

"This just continues to show India's transnational repression and me just thinking what happened to Hardeep Singh Nijjar and they are after me shows they have a big problem with the Khalistan campaign."

Gosal is not the first to receive a duty to warn after Nijjar’s death. Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, Sikhs for Justice, was similarly targeted.

"There's no limit to what India will do, so those who struggle for the creation of Khalistan, they become even more galvanized," says Jatinder Singh Grewal with the organization.

The RCMP has issued other warnings to pro-Khalistan activists. They urged them to be vigilant but did not provide further information.

"What is the RCMP doing to eliminate this threat? I'm a Canadian citizen, I was born in Canada. What are they doing for me to provide safety for me?” says Gosal.

His family worries for his safety, but he says the fight is far from over.