As Trudeau ramps up campaign against India, here are top Khalistan groups & terrorists in Canada

As Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has stepped up his campaign against India, the focus is back on the Canada-based Khalistan movement.

The Khalistan movement seeks to carve a Sikh nation called ‘Khalistan’ out of India. For decades, the seccessionist movement waged a bloody insurgency in India, primarily in Punjab, that ebbed only in the 1990s. While the insurgency ebbed in India, it found safe havens abroad, most notably in Canada, from where it continues to operate against India.

In 2015, the Khalistan movement in Canada was revitalised after Trudeau became the premier. He began his ongoing patronage of the Khalistan movement and campaign against India to garner support of a domestic vote bank.

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Trudeau turning a blind eye to terrorists and criminals on Canadian soil meant that the nation became a hub of Khalistani terrorists and organised crime syndicates working against India. Here we detail the top terrorists and organisations active in Canada.

Terrorist organisations & gangs active in Canada

1. Babbar Khalsa International (BKI)

Babbar Khalsa International (BKI) is a transnational terrorist organisation dedicated to the Khalistan movement. It is responsible for numerous terrorist attacks, including in the Air India ‘Kanishka’ bombing that killed over 300 persons, which remained the deadliest terrorist attack in Canadian history.

Like many others, BKI has had a safe haven in Canada for a long time and, since Trudeau became premier, has only grown in strength over time.

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Trudeau’s patronage of the Khalistan movement is such that even though Canada has formally listed BKI as a terrorist organisation, its leaders such as Lakhbir Singh Sandhu, also known as ‘Landa’, continue to operate in the country with impunity.

2. International Sikh Youth Federation (ISYF)

The International Sikh Youth Federation (ISYF) was founded in the United Kingdom in 1984 and has since branched out to Canada and other places.

Even as Canada has listed ISYF as a terrorist organisation, the organisation continues to operate in the country.

3. Khalistan Tiger Force (KTF)

The Khalistan Tiger Force (KTF) is another anti-India terrorist organisation in Canada.

It was headed by Hardeep Singh Nijjar, the terrorist whose death Trudeau used as cannon fodder for his anti-India campaign.

The KTF has been engaged in weapons smuggling and extortion activities in addition to planning terrorist attacks inside India.

Last year, the NIA in a charge sheet said that KTF operatives based abroad were involved in regular recruitment and handling of their terror syndicate associates from abroad. It further said that they are also involved in the smuggling of arms, ammunition, and explosives from across the border through drones and these terror hardware supplies are then used for carrying out terrorist activities on Indian soil.

4. Sikhs for Justice (SFJ)

The Sikhs for Justice (SFJ) is active in both Canada and the United States.

In Canada, the SFJ is at the fore of anti-India activities, such as targeting of Indian diplomats and missions and calling for violence against India.

Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, a designated terrorist, is the most recognisable face of the SFJ who frequently calls for violence against India.

After India withdrew diplomats, including High Commissioner Sanjay Kumer Verma, from Canada, the SFJ announced the allocation of $500,000 to continue unlawful tracking of Verma even outside of Canada.

The SFJ is the driving force behind ‘Khalistan Referendum’ movement, which aims to conduct a referendum over the Khalistan issue.

5. Dal Khalsa

Dal Khalsa is one of the armed organisations which waged a bloody insurgency in India before it ebbed in 1990s.

Dal Khalsa’s founder Gajinder Singh was the hijacker of an Indian passenger plane in 1981. He later moved to Pakistan, which has been a traditional launchpad for terrorism directed at India.

Top terrorists & criminals harboured by Canada

1. Lakhbir Singh Sandhu ‘Landa’

Landa is a leader of the Babbar Khalsa International (BKI), according to Hindustan Times.

Landa is based in Canada and is one of the most wanted persons in India. He carries a reward of Rs 15 lakh.

One of Landa’s close associates, Deepak, was arrested for a rocket attack on Punjab Police’s intelligence headquarters in Mohali in 2022. The CNN-News 18 reported that Deepak was previously involved including in multiple cases, including murder.

2. Arshdeep Singh Gill ‘Arsh Dalla’

Arsh Dalla is a designated terrorist associated with the Khalistan Tiger Force (KTF), a designated Khalistan terrorist organisation headed by Nijjar before his killing last year. Dalla is still understood to be associated with the KTF. India designated Dalla last year as a terrorist.

Last year, a chargesheet filed by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in a weapons smuggling and terrorist recruitment case said that Dalla from Canada indoctrinated and recruited four persons —Amritpal Singh aka Ammy, Amrik Singh, Jassa Singh, and Gagandeep Singh aka Mithi— for terrorist activities.

Ammy and Amrik Singh were actively engaged in inducting youth into the terrorist gang led by Dalla and their activities extended to smuggling of arms and explosives from Pakistan as well as carrying out extortion and the subsequent channelisation of extortion proceeds for terrorist activities, said the NIA.

These activities were part of a larger conspiracy focused on raising funds for the Khalistan Tiger Force and investigations revealed that the accused persons had entered in criminal conspiracy to raise funds for Khalistan Tiger Force, said the NIA.

3. Parvkar Singh Dulai

Parvkar Singh ‘Parry’ Dulai is another Khalistani supporter.

Dulai’s activities have been such that even Canada put him on a no-fly list and a Canadian court rejected his appeal to be taken off the list.

The court said that there were reasonable grounds to suspect that Dulai along with another Khalistani, Bhagat Singh Brar, intended to engage in terrorism-related activities, according to The Times of India.

Dulai is said to be a close associate of NDP leader Jagmeet Singh, a leading Canadian politician who is also a Khalistan supporter. Until last month, Trudeau was running his government on the back of Jagmeet’s support. As Singh’s support is crucial to his political survival and Singh supports the Khalistan cause, Trudeau considers patronising Khalistan movement central to his politics.

Brar is the son of Lakhbir Singh Rode, another Khalistani leader designated as a terrorist by India.

4. Gurpatwant Singh Pannun

Pannun is arguably the most recognised face of the Khalistan movement in the United States and Canada.

Pannun frequently makes videos in which he calls upon people to attack India, Indian missions abroad, and Indian diplomats in Canada.

After Trudeau went after Indian diplomats last week, Pannun urged him to go after Canadian MP Chandra Arya, who has been critical of the Khalistan movement. Pannun is associated with Sikhs for Justice, an outlawed organisation dedicated to the Khalistan cause.

Pannun is considered to be central to Khalistan’s activistic activities abroad, including promoting the cause of Khalistan and building an anti-India narrative.