OTTAWA, Canada: Thousands of Canadian Sikhs participated in a “Khalistan Referendum” in Ottawa organised by the separatist group Sikhs for Justice (SFJ), which campaigns for an independent Sikh state in the Indian Punjab.
The referendum was held amid freezing temperatures, snowfall, and high winds, yet voters formed lines stretching nearly two kilometres at the McNabb Community Centre.
The referendum, part of a global campaign by the Sikhs for Justice, aims to highlight Sikh political grievances and draw international attention to the call for an independent Sikh homeland, Khalistan.
Last week, SFJ leader Gurpatwant Singh Pannun said the vote was a response to “Hindutva violence and state oppression” in India and framed it as a democratic alternative to violence.
High voter turnout
The referendum organisers said that more than 53,000 Sikhs from Ontario, Alberta, British Columbia, and Quebec participated in the voting.
Many attendees travelled long distances to Ottawa despite harsh weather conditions. Officials extended polling hours to allow all voters to cast their ballots.
Pannun argued that the Sikh diaspora’s mobilisation reflects growing frustration over human-rights violations and restrictions on religious and political freedoms in India.
He said the government’s approval confirms Canada’s commitment to freedom of expression, political participation, and the democratic process.
He said referendum is a peaceful struggle through voting, rather than violence to free Punjab from Indian occupation.
Gurpatwant Singh urged the entire Sikh community to use their right to vote to free Punjab from India’s occupation.
Earlier, the Sikh separatist group questioned why Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney’s government held G20 trade meetings with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the same day, particularly after Canadian intelligence agencies publicly linked Indian government operatives to assassination plots, foreign interference and criminal networks targeting Canadians.
Focus on political accountability
Speaking via satellite, Pannun described the referendum as part of a decades-long struggle for Sikh political rights.
“History shows Indira Gandhi ultimately faced the political consequences of her actions,” he said, referring to the 1984 anti-Sikh violence.
He added that SFJ’s campaign seeks political accountability rather than physical confrontation, aiming to challenge Modi’s policies through “ballots, international accountability, and the continued rise of the Khalistan movement.”
As voters exited the venue, volunteers asked whether they supported the Canadian government’s trade engagement with India, given the assassination of Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in 2023.
Security concerns
The Canadian chapter of SFJ is now led by Inderjeet Singh Gosal, who took over following the assassination of Hardeep Singh Nijjar.
Gosal has received credible threats to his life. He told CBC News that the organisation took additional security measures to protect Sunday’s event.
The voting site was moved from Billings Estate National Historic Site to the McNabb Community Centre to ensure safe access for voters during inclement weather. Law enforcement officers were present throughout the event.
Indian interference in Canada
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) has previously warned that Indian diplomats and consular officials in Canada have allegedly engaged in clandestine activities targeting the South Asian community.
According to an RCMP statement issued in October 2024, Indian agents collected information through coercion and proxies, with links to violent acts and interference in democratic processes.
Gosal said the situation has not improved, claiming that “if anything, it’s gotten worse,” and stressed that the referendum is a peaceful and legal way for Sikhs to express political views.
This is the seventh referendum SFJ has conducted in Canada since September 2022, following earlier votes in Brampton, Surrey, Mississauga, and Calgary.
