Members of the B.C. Sikh community are mobilizing for an overnight watch at two local gurdwaras as rising Indian political tensions spill over into Surrey.
The political situation in India and its ongoing diplomatic dispute with Canada are at the heart of incidents at two places of worship in Surrey, the Guru Nanak Sikh Gurdwara and the Hindu Lakshmi Narayan Mandir, which have become focal points for the tension between pro-India and pro-Khalistan supporters in Canada.
Management from the gurdwara say a planned attack on the Guru Nanak Sikh Gurdwara over the weekend by what they call "anti-Sikh, pro-India" individuals was thwarted thanks to a tip.
Surrey RCMP reported Tuesday that it had not received complaints in regards to the incident.
However, a post shared on social media Tuesday (Nov. 5) calls on members of the Sikh community to mobilize for an emergency overnight watch at two Surrey places of worship, the Guru Nanak Sikh Gurdwara and the Gurdwara Sahib Dashmesh Darbar, saying that messages had revealed plans targeting certain gurdwaras advocating for Sikh self-determination.
"Now is the time to unite for the protection of our sacred spaces," it says. "Please be vigilant, calm and prepared."
Tensions between pro-India and pro-Khalistan supporters have continued to rise in Surrey and across Canada since six Indian diplomats were expelled from Canada last month over RCMP allegations that they used their positions to collect information on Canadians in the pro-Khalistan independence movement and then pass that on to criminal gangs who targeted the individuals directly.
Khalistan is the movement to create a separate sovereign Sikh state in the Punjab region of India to serve as a homeland for people of the religious faith.
There was similar unrest at a Hindu temple in Brampton, Ont., on Sunday, that prompted Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to condemn what he called a “deliberate attack on a Hindu temple in Canada” and “cowardly attempts to intimidate our diplomats.”
A similar incident took place on Sunday in Surrey at the Lakshmi Narayan Mandir.
Frontline officers were already at the Hindu temple, located on 140 Street in Surrey, to maintain public safety during consular camps — sessions where Indian consulate representatives are on hand to provide services to community members — when hundreds of protesters with opposing views arrived and began demonstrating, said a Surrey RCMP release.
"Violence broke out between groups and three persons were arrested. No individuals or police officers were injured. The crowd dispersed within the hour following the arrests," the release stated.
Representatives of the temple have called for the suspension of police officers involved in the situation, saying they used “unjustified violence against temple devotees."
Asked about the temple’s allegations of unjustified police violence, Assistant Commissioner Brian Edwards, the officer in charge of Surrey RCMP, said the RCMP “continues to meet with local temple leaders to address their concerns.”
After the protests at the Hindu temple, Surrey Mayor Brenda Locke called the incident “deeply disturbing” and said she had reached out to B.C. Premier David Eby.
“I am disappointed and upset by this incident. This is not who we are in Surrey,” she said in the statement Monday.
“I am speaking with all parties involved and I call for the Surrey community to remain calm.”
The Surrey Now-Leader has reached out to both the Guru Nanak Gurdwara and the Lakshmi Narayan Mandir. This story will be updated as more information becomes available.
-With files from Tricia Weel & Canadian Press
