The murder of Ripudaman Singh Malik, a controversial figure acquitted in the 1985 Air India bombing, continues to reverberate through the Canadian Sikh community and beyond. The July 2022 assassination of the 75-year-old Malik outside his Surrey, British Columbia, business has become a complex web of historical events, political controversies, and religious factions, with new details emerging that expose a deep-rooted feud within the Sikh community and its potential international ramifications.
Malik, who was acquitted in 2005 of involvement in the bombing of Air India Flight 182 – an act of terrorism carried out by pro-Khalistan extremists that killed 329 people – had long been a target of accusations due to his alleged links with Talwinder Singh Parmar, the suspected mastermind of the attack. The 1985 bombing, the worst aviation-related terrorist attack in Canadian history, attributed to the Babbar Khalsa group, continues to cast a shadow over the Sikh community and its relationship with India.
While two men, Tanner Fox and Jose Lopez, were arrested for Malik’s murder and subsequently pleaded guilty to second-degree murder, the identity of those who commissioned the assassination remains shrouded in mystery. Prosecutor Matthew Stacey revealed that the two men were hired and paid to kill Malik, leaving the question of who was behind the plot unanswered. This has only added to the growing sense of unease and distrust within the Sikh community.
The Nijjar Connection: A Feud Fueled by Politics and Religion
At the center of this complex saga is Hardeep Singh Nijjar, the leader of the Khalistan Tiger Force (KTF), who was himself assassinated in Surrey a year after Malik’s death. Nijjar, a vocal advocate for the creation of an independent Sikh state, was involved in a heated feud with Malik that escalated in the months leading up to his murder. Malik’s public praise for Prime Minister Narendra Modi in February 2022, where he lauded Modi’s efforts for the Sikh community, further ignited tensions between the two. This support for Modi, coupled with Malik’s return to Canada after visiting India in 2019 and receiving permission from the Shiromani Gurudwara Prabandhak Committee (SGPC) to print copies of the Sikh holy text, the Sri Guru Granth Sahib, angered Khalistani radicals like Nijjar. Nijjar and his close associate Moninder Singh Boyle, former president of the Sri Dashmesh Darbar Gurdwara, accused Malik of distorting the holy book and labeled him a “Quam ka Gaddar” (traitor to the Sikh community), launching a smear campaign that included public speeches and the distribution of pamphlets urging the community to boycott him.
Nijjar’s aggressive stance against Malik reached a peak in a high-profile speech on January 23, 2021, where he explicitly called for “teaching Malik a lesson.” This escalating conflict culminated in Malik’s assassination, creating a climate of fear and suspicion within the community.
Nijjar’s Killing: Retaliation or an Act of State?
While initially deemed a gang-related killing, Nijjar’s death on June 18, 2023, has come to be viewed by some as a potential act of retaliation for Malik’s assassination. Former Canadian National Security Adviser Jody Thomas testified that initial intelligence suggested a connection between the two high-profile murders. “It [Nijjar’s killing] was the second high-profile murder in the same gurdwara,” Thomas stated. “Mr. Malik’s murder had occurred almost exactly a year before. The initial hypothesis was that it was a retaliation.”
This theory of a cycle of revenge between rival Sikh factions has gained traction, particularly within intelligence circles. However, the situation took a dramatic turn when Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau accused the Indian government of orchestrating an “extra-judicial killing” of Nijjar, based on intelligence provided by the Five Eyes alliance. This accusation, despite its lack of concrete evidence, has ignited a diplomatic firestorm between Canada and India.
Diplomatic Fallout: A Growing Divide
Trudeau’s claims have exacerbated the already strained relations between Canada and India. India has vehemently denied any involvement in Nijjar’s killing, calling the allegations “absurd” and politically motivated. New Delhi accused Trudeau of playing to his Sikh vote bank, while insisting that Canada has produced no evidence to support its claims. Following these accusations, Canada expelled six Indian diplomats, while India responded in kind by recalling its own envoys from Ottawa.
The diplomatic fallout from these accusations has cast a long shadow on the ongoing investigations into both Malik and Nijjar’s murders. While Malik’s family continues to demand answers regarding who hired Fox and Lopez, investigations into Nijjar’s murder remain incomplete, further fueling speculation about foreign involvement and the role of separatist organizations like Sikhs for Justice (SFJ), headed by Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, who promoted the pro-Khalistan “Referendum 2020” campaign. Pannun had defended Nijjar, suggesting that he was targeted for his political opinions. These claims, however, lack concrete evidence.
The murders of Ripudaman Singh Malik and Hardeep Singh Nijjar have exposed the simmering tensions within the Sikh community, highlighting the complex interplay of politics, religion, and international relations. As investigations into these killings continue, the world awaits answers regarding who is behind these acts of violence and the extent of their reach. The legacy of these events, however, will likely continue to resonate for years to come, shaping the future of the Sikh community and Canada’s relationship with India.