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Sikh Coalition expresses concern over shooting of Sikh activist
The statement also talked about the attempted assassination of a Sikh American activist in New York City.
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The Sikh Coalition, the largest Sikh civil rights organization in the United States, sent a letter to the Department of Justice regarding the drive-by shooting of a Sikh activist in California on August 11. In the letter, the coalition expressed concern that this attack might be an instance of transnational repression perpetrated by the government of India (GOI).
While the motive behind the shooting has not been publicly reported, this incident follows closely on the heels of the drive-by shooting of Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Canada last year, as per the letter. The Canadian government is investigating potential links to the government of India (GOI) to that case.
The statement also talked about the attempted assassination of a Sikh American activist in New York City.
“While we do not wish to speculate prematurely and we understand that local and federal law enforcement are investigating this crime, we do hope to draw your attention to the Sikh community’s continued demonstrable vulnerability to transnational repression and targeted hate, and to ask that your office consider this context when assessing the shooting that occurred on Aug. 11,” the letter stated.
The coalition noted that the DOJ recently unsealed a superseding indictment against Nikhil Gupta. It alleged that an unnamed employee of the GOI had recruited a weapons and narcotics trafficker to coordinate the assassination of a Sikh American activist in New York City.
In light of these incidents, the coalition expressed concern that the recent shooting in California, which targeted a Sikh activist and associate of Nijjar, may represent the GOI's latest effort to violently silence a member of the Sikh community in the United States.
Like Nijjar and the Sikh American targeted in New York City, the individual in California is an advocate for Khalistan, was involved in organizing a non-binding referendum to gauge international support for the Khalistan movement, and was also targeted in a drive-by shooting, the Sikh Coalition said in the letter.
“We believe this context is important to consider when assessing the events of Aug. 11, and to determine whether it is yet another example of the GOI attempting to assassinate a Sikh on American soil for engaging in protected political speech. We also believe that the GOI’s continued acts of transnational repression–potentially including this shooting, if it was indeed ordered by the GOI–necessitate a strong response from the U.S. government,” the letter added.
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