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u/fried_in_CanadaDry 8d ago edited 8d ago
“ Canadians are fighting to liberate Punjab” is the funniest thing I’ve read today 😂😂
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u/RvB051 8d ago
As a Punjabi this is the most ridiculous movement. None of these people "fighting" for it will move back even if the separation ever happens. And the people that live there don't care for this movement either
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u/DisastrousWonder8598 9d ago
Someone please explain like I’m 5 which side are these sign makers taking? Pro-separatist or remain in Canada? Cause this thing makes no sense at all
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u/ShipSignificant3051 9d ago
This sign talks about separation of the Punjab from India, not Alberta from Canada. It’s pro-separation for an independent state they call Khalistan.
It has nothing to do with the Alberta referendum besides coasting on the visuals, making some comparisons on democratic separatism and being close in date.
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u/MapleViking1 9d ago
It does now, as I've seen several with the Alberta referendum next to it. With a quote from the UN about people being allowed to self determination.
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u/Hazard_Fox 9d ago
Tl;dr we have imported the Hindu vs Sikh race war that has been brewing in India for the past 50 years.
Try google translating some of their car decals some time.
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u/gjmelenk 9d ago
This is for the upcoming Khalistan referendum hosted in Edmonton, which is calling for an independent sikh state in India. They host them in diaspora communities at different cities across the world.
It's not related to the upcoming Alberta referendum, but they're having it the day before just to jump on the separation referendum train.
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u/Upstairs-Carob-8153 9d ago
Why the fuck are we having a referendum about something happening in India??
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u/gjmelenk 9d ago
Because it's to gather support from Sikh communities across the world, so they can eventually take the votes to the UN and use it to ask for self determination.
That, and the Indian government has responded with force, the Canadian government alleged India was commiting transnational repression and they were involved in the assassination of a Sikh activist in BC.
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u/Vk_1987 9d ago
Cause if they try this stunt in India they would be thrown in Jail !!
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u/Facts_pls 9d ago
You realize that's not a great look for India, right? In Canada we have peaceful referendums if enough people think they want to secede.
I'm not saying they should secede. I'm saying that in true democratic countries you don't get jailed or killed for saying you want to.
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u/ImportantCare1109 7d ago
India is not a democracy.
Look into the Sikh genocide and how they covered it up, how they killed infants, mass raped children and women, slaughtered entire families with legal state sanctioned violence and burned kids and parents alive.
Jaswant singh Khalra got killed for exposing this. He's an activist that exposed how Indian police would kill Sikh youth and men randomly and then illegally cremate their bodies or throw them in the Sultej river without notifying their family
Operation shud Karo is when they planned to rape women on purpose to "remove dna"
Corruption runs deep and the govt and police worked hand in hand with gangs and criminals.
Even today they will just illegally arrest you without charges until you die of old age and even after 20 years where you're supposed to be released in Indian law they still keep you locked up if you're a Sikh that supports or speaks up about Khalistan.
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u/Vk_1987 8d ago edited 8d ago
Before you call them peaceful at least do some basic research about them. Read what kind of blood bath they did with both sikh and non sikh people in the 70s and the 80s. They would drag non sikhs out of overnight buses and shoot them up, surround entire villages and would kill all the non sikhs. And most importantly dont know in which book assassination of a Prime Minister is considered as peaceful!!! Lets not forget the air India bombing of 1985.
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u/ImportantCare1109 7d ago
Sikhs didn't drag anyone out of busses. Those were black cats, aka Indian agents that would dress as Khalistan fighters to kill Hindus and rob Sikh civilians in order to defame the Khalistan movement which had many village support. Real Khalistan fighters actually came out and challenged those black cats and killed some of them.
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u/Sharp-Ebb686 8d ago
consider that canada has not undergone a bloody partition. who in their right mind would want to repeat that?
you hear secession we hear partition. add to that it is coming entirely from a foreign country this time.
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u/miserableSperm 8d ago
lmao most of these are photo ops. the model immigrant goes there, signs up for the referendum, clicks a few photos, and applies for asylum claiming that they fear their life in india because of their support for khalistan.
this is also the reason the frequency of these referendums have gone way down than before after all of the new immigration regulations came in on asylums.
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u/Sharp-Ebb686 8d ago
yes in its present form it is just an excuse for fake asylum. but that wasnt always the case.
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u/jinxskunk366 8d ago
India has allegedly assassinated several pro-seperatist advocates here on canadian soil and has made threats against sikh canadian politicians as well
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9d ago edited 9d ago
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u/NorthDriver8927 8d ago
Considering Canada has 2 official languages, it’d be great if they were used more for the sake of communication.
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u/That_Guy_Mojo 8d ago
You're not even remotely accurate.
Punjabi is the 6th most spoken language in Canada.
In 3rd is Mandarin, in 4th is Hindustani, and in 5th it's Spanish.
Punjabi isnt even the most spoken South Asian Language in Canada. Hindustani is with 1,176, 295 speakers.
When you look at Punjabi speakers in Canada a significant portion comes from Pakistan where Punjabi is the most spoken language in the country.
The Punjabi language is the 11 most spoken language in earth comparable to Japanese and Russian in total speakers of the language.
It isnt some small regional language like you're presenting.
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u/cardgamesareforplay 9d ago
I know diaspora is a big word for you word word numbers but I beleive in you to look up why a group of people in multiple different places might vote on something
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u/SexuaIRedditor 8d ago
It's just some dipshit(s) stoking fear/hatred of brown people, it's not obviously pro or anti separation because it is neither
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u/StevenMcStevensen 9d ago
Oh come on get out of here with this shit. These people need to either leave that shit behind, or go back and fight for it there if it’s so important to them. Not our problem.
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u/Astral_Vastness 8d ago edited 8d ago
As an Indian myself, I couldn't agree more. Leave your politics at home.
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u/mrwobblez 5d ago
Seriously, why move here if all you so is air grievances and make it everyone else’s problem
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u/gjmelenk 9d ago
"why don't you go back to your own country?!"
Group tries to advocate for a homeland so they can go to a home where they aren't persecuted
"No, not like that!"
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u/petgoats 9d ago
My unfathomably hot take is not nation should be founded or governed or administered under the concept or ideal of some religious homeland. The function of a country should be as separate from that of ones religion as possible.
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u/Banderchodo 9d ago
This is remarkably short-sighted. They have a homeland: it's India. There's something to be said about nation-states and federalism. If every faction of humanity needed their own nation state due to some minor cultural or religious difference, we'd devolve into small, fractured tribes. Human civilization depends on large-scale cooperation, and nation states and federalism have been proven to work. They're not persecuted, but are the most prosperous state in India. Much of the separatist motivation really comes down to money and economics: Punjab is a "have" state and a net contributor to national coffers, so they want to separate to make themselves wealthier. Naturally, the Indian federal government does not want this. The persecution narrative is really just that, a narrative. It's not what things are actually like if you're from India or know about Indian politics. Hint: they're about as persecuted as rich rural Albertans who feel persecuted by the Canadian federal government.
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u/Aggressive_Ad_5174 8d ago
There is no persecution “narrative” it’s a legitimate concern. Sikhs do not always feel safe or respected in India, especially under the current government who is very sectarian for votes. Heres an example of the sort of things people undergo: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1984_anti-Sikh_riots?wprov=sfti1#
By the way, this isn’t just a Sikh thing. You can search up the anti muslim riots that occurred in gujurat in the 2000s (by the way, the man that enabled that is currently india’s prime minister), or the antj muslim sentiment the ruling BJP stokes.
Same goes for some south indians at the moment, there is distinct animosity to those that don’t fit the mold; states with strong and effective regional governance.
At the end of the day though, the khalistanu movement is largely irrelevant in india and in the diaspora. People remember the disaster that was partition and don’t want to repeat it.
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u/Optimal-Fix-2997 8d ago
If india was their homeland they wouldn't have been persecuted and leave for canada in the 80-90s via asylum. Theres a reason why canada has one of the largest sikh populations outside of india.
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u/alphagettijoe 8d ago
Sorry you have provided a detailed and informative answer. The internet is actually supposed to be one sentence rants and memes.
Maybe check your user manual?
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u/Order-Classic 8d ago
He is speaking nonsense though. Indian government assisinated a khalistani leader in Canada and tried to do the same in USA that FBI found out. So if you are publicly khalistan supporter you will be killed if you go to India.
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u/Banderchodo 8d ago
I won't condone the killing. But the Khalistani movement is trying to galvanize support for its cause in every western country, where low-information westerners are easily swayed using the persecution narrative. This is absolutely not okay from an Indian federalist lens. This is the exact same scenario as Alberta separatists going down to the US to get MAGA support for separation: totally, completely, unacceptable. If you're a federal government trying to keep the federation together, you can't have this take place. Now, with respect to the killing, I'm afraid to say, this is just what life is like in most of the world outside the west. There isn't the same degree of humanitarian consideration in day to day life.
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u/ImportantCare1109 8d ago
the Sikh genocide still goes on just more covert. Go look up Bhai Amritpal singh and the Indian governments attempts at labelling him a terrorist.
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u/HankHippoppopalous 9d ago
Until recently that was considered an extremely racist viewpoint.
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u/PrettyMuchMediocre 9d ago
I think there's a difference between wanting people to leave their culture behind, and wanting them to leave their foreign political grievances behind. It might be a fine line.
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u/apastelorange 9d ago
trust it still is bruh
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u/modsaretoddlers 9d ago
I don't give a fuck what anybody calls me: if you go to another country and link your political movement that has absolutely nothing to do with your host country with a movement in your host country that seeks to break it apart, only the biggest right wing and left wing nutcases will try to justify it. Fuck this bullshit and they can pack it up and ride it back to wherever they came from.
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u/apastelorange 9d ago
the dramatic irony of this in a country “founded” by immigrants committing a hostile takeover is…..a thing to behold
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u/painfully--average 9d ago
Why are there politics from the other side of the planet in Alberta?
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u/dirtoperator69 9d ago
Because boomers voted for it.
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u/duckdigglerpuuu 9d ago
Fucking Harper's TFW program screwed us good
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u/modsaretoddlers 9d ago
Trudeau made it 10,000 times worse.
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u/The_Dutch_Canadian 9d ago
wtf in sweet home Alabama is this bullshit?
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u/ParaponeraBread 9d ago
If you’re talking about why all the names are similar, it’s a Sikh naming convention thing, they aren’t all related by blood.
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u/Ambitious_Tie3629 9d ago
The last name is Singh so as to eliminate class / caste identity and emphasise equality of humans in Sikhism. Casteism is one of the big ills of past and present India.
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u/ParaponeraBread 9d ago
I imagine the “Shaheed” is also confusing for others, so i’ll add that it just denotes dead martyrs
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u/soThatsJustGreat 9d ago
I was really hoping someone would explain exactly this. Thank you for saving me some googling, friend!
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u/Hideo_Von-Hapsburg 9d ago
It put them all on the class of krystia and were common rajput names, so it was more making everyone warriors, and some still stuck to caste
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u/T100022 7d ago
The REAL question is where did this sign come from? Who made it, who spent money on it to be there ?
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u/Even-Ad-5366 7d ago
Real question is when did Albertan's suddenly start caring about guns so much?
Reminds me of when the black panthers did a open carry walk and suddenly the republics wanted stricter gun control.
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u/bananabomber 9d ago
I guess I can't be surprised that they're pointing the guns at each other lmao
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u/MothaFungus 9d ago
I’ve been a Canadian my whole life and I’ve never once even thought about liberating punjab with arms or ballot. Thanks sign
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u/Turbanator182 9d ago
A lot of people not understanding what a psyop is in this thread: no respectable Sikh in their right minds would promote separate via violence. This is clearly some right wing funded nonsense meant to stir the population into favoring separatism.
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u/Conscious-Lime-4112 9d ago
I think you’re right - if you know true Sikh, it’s typically pacifist.
I’d say this a manipulation to create a dominoe effect; get folks rowled up about immigrants, get those sympathetic about this political issue rowled up.→ More replies (11)12
u/tribxy 9d ago
I can't believe this isn't extremely obvious to everyone with eyes. This sign is very blatantly wanting to drum up hatred towards immigrants (especially Indian immigrants, who take the brunt of the hate) from both sides of the political spectrum. Disgusting.
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u/Kind_Palpitation9814 8d ago
Just because you're unfamiliar with a certain topic doesn't mean that something that surprises or displeases you is a pysop. I'm an Indo-Canadian with roots in Punjab, and it is well known in the diaspora that many Sikh separatists glorify violence and guns. Look at Surrey and Brampton and how many cars from Punjabi immigrants have AK47 decals and other provocative messaging about supporting violence and extremism in the name of religion.
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u/TraderVics-8675309 9d ago
Clearly you missed history and the news. Air India was brought down by Sikhs. Babbar Khalsar is a listed terror group thats been known to organize in canada. The 80’s&90’s had many attacks against moderate voices.
Personally, if you’re against alberta separation groups seeking outside advice and actively working towards it, as I am, why don’t people take the same stance with these groups? If anything they should contain their actions to the county’s they would like to break apart.
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u/Odd_Ingenuity7763 9d ago
Sorry but no Sorry - Let's focus on Canada for a moment, keep your BS out of Canada, what is the guarantee that you will not do the same for Canada in the future
Cut the BS and go do this if you want in India not here in Canada please
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u/Hotdog_Broth 8d ago
Lmao the guy who’s replying to you blocked me for saying that people probably have their “panties in a bunch” because the sign is worshipping the organizer of the largest terror attack in Canada’s history
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u/SIGNANDSELFIEFRAMES 9d ago
As Canadian born Sikh Punjbai, I have no idea why these idiots put these signs around town lol. This is an INDIA issue. Go back there and go politic. I want to rip all of these down when I see one. Hope others actually do. So dumb.
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u/Sharp-Ebb686 8d ago
even if somehow khalistan is formed, these people will never return. the whole movement is based purely on religious fundamentalism and not much else
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u/Fun-Mountain1106 8d ago
This is honestly so weird. How does this have anything to do with our country or province? I truly don’t understand why these people are bringing their issues into our country. When you move to a new country, you assimilate. That is what everyone else does. If you are this concerned about the politics of the country you left behind, then go back there where you can actually try doing something to change it.
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u/ImportantCare1109 8d ago
You realize in India they'll torture you , your family and illegally hold you in prison without formal charges for the rest of your life for speaking up about this right lol
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u/djkarts_ 8d ago
So does ICE in America. Saudis just hung a guy for speaking negatively about Islam in facebook comments.
No one in Canada cares about this. Who is funding these guys? Do hardworking Canadian families really want to spend their after tax money on this BS?
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u/Hotdog_Broth 8d ago
Does this mean we should be cool with people putting up signs worshipping the mastermind behind the largest terror attack in our history?
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u/polarplasma 8d ago
Then you have to ask yourself if freedom is worth more than that. People of the past fought and died for such liberties maybe they should fight and die just the same
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u/GoldMegidramon 8d ago
The Khalistan movement is literally outlawed in India because they’re a terrorist organization but we allow this shit here. Absolute insanity
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8d ago
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u/Impressive_Play_2599 8d ago
Yes, the separatists need to be called out for the hateful bigotry and diversionary tactics.
We already know that Mitch Sylvester is a self admitted racist we now hear Jeff Rath has stolen money from indigenous tribes and scammed 🇺🇸investors who are both suing him.
Reports are coming out that there was meeting of parliamentary UCP leaders & the Cheeto PEDO SA Felons officials where water/resource and royalty rights were offered up to 🇺🇸 in exchange for their help separating Alberta from Canada.
So, I whole heartedly agree there is absolutely no place in Alberta or Canada for this type of garbage.
This is EXATLY what makes conservatives DESPISED in every facets of the educated world.
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u/Projectflintlock 8d ago
Scottish-German 4th generation Canadian. I couldn’t give a fuck and am not offended nor do I despise anyone
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u/TootinFartin-ll 8d ago
you're the problem
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u/Ziiffer 6d ago
History of Canada is full of Immigrant groups coming to Canada and still supporting independence movements, revolutions, or political movements back home. It is moronic to be a bitch about one movement while being fine with all the others. Or even worse, literally knowing nothing about Canadian history.
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u/corryvreckanist 8d ago
“Despised”. Poor spelling is what makes your people despised in this country.
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u/Key_Recognition6632 7d ago
I'm brown and there many many other Indians from other states that hate it too.
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u/PostApocRock 8d ago
We are supposed to be offended that they have taken the Canadian style of fighting their battles with words instead of guns?
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u/Unlikely_Bus_6593 8d ago
They absolutely do fight their battles with guns... even in Canada. There was quite literally an assassination here, along with multiple assaults over the years.
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u/PostApocRock 8d ago
Really? The only assassination with this group I recall is when the Indian government (allegedly) offed one of them in Vancouver somewhere.
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u/Dreamsofchange 8d ago
The assassination was by India against these people for this movement im pretty sure.
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u/Impressive_Play_2599 8d ago
It’s a good thing the Hells Angels, Outlaws MC, Rock Machine, Wolfpack Alliance, Mexican Cartels and the Rizzuto Family (not to mention the many other criminal organizations operating in Alberta & Canada) don’t use violence or weapons.
Par for the course in Alberta, if you’re white it’s no big deal, but if you’re not, our bigoted ignorance will not allow this to go w/o being called out.
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u/Evolvum 8d ago
None of the gangs you listed have ever had a billboard put out on the side of the streets
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u/surfingstranger 7d ago
u r wasting your time. been like this, like a boogie man in their minds.. shape shifts into an asian, or romano, or blacks, jews, blah blah.... the crazy thing to me is while they internet hate, most of these groups are manifesting their own lives in the country which will lead to more and more division.. and whos knows what.. goes both ways where the bigot will become more and more isolated from real people who want to have community, then lash out... makes no sense.
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u/TJ-Humming 7d ago
Don’t forget the Khalistani’s blew up a Air India flight in 1982 killing all 392 people on board.
There is a reason they are designated a terrorist organization within India. The Indian government can’t believe we let them promote this shit here which is why the Indian government has been trying to assassinate these guys within Canada in recent years. CSIS is a joke, truly btw.
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u/uprightshark 7d ago
Or that their politics got one of their own leaders murdered in BC. This is a violent and extremist movement that has no place in Canadian society.
We saw enough PJ wearing kids with AK's in Afghanistan. My grandkids do not need to see this in Canada.
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u/Ziiffer 6d ago
Its literally no different than widespread support for the IRA by Canadians of Irish decent, or before that for Irish independence. But lots of people want to completely forget that because brown people.
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u/LeNoName87 9d ago
Ah yes 2 referendums that make absolutely no sense. Alberta separatists acting like they won't be forcibly taken over by the US if they don't go willingly and Khalistan separatists acting like they won't be forcibly dragged back to India and be given 0 rights as a state after the stunt or be treated like Kashmir where they're under attack by India and Pakistan more often than not.
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u/Orjigagd 8d ago
Immigration interviews should ask what your thoughts are on Khalistan, and the only correct answer is 'huh?'
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u/FinancialFront4733 8d ago
These fools had their own separatist sign combined with the Alberta separatists sign… bro the Albertans want you out.
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u/stormywoofer 8d ago
Wondering if this is a sign used to stimulate hate and no punjab person actually made it.
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u/Hotdog_Broth 8d ago
I see a shocking number of talwinder stickers on cars. I’ve seen billboard with his face over the years as well. I wouldn’t be surprised if this is genuine.
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u/Full_Practice3013 9d ago
I personally know a Sikh family where I am. I mentioned ONE TIME that I wasn't sure if I could buy groceries. This guy asks me at least once a week now if I'm still eating right.
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u/Careless-Scallion147 9d ago
We are???? First i’ve heard about this liberation? Got enough BS to deal with here… GTFO
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u/HeavyTea 9d ago
But over there maybe guns are the way?
But not here.
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u/ImportantCare1109 7d ago
It's a peaceful referendum, the photos are of martyrs that died fighting with guns back when it was armed struggle protecting their people from being raped and burnt alive by the Indians. Due to the mass innocent casualties the Indian govt inflicted on Sikhs instead of the Khalistan freedom fighters they stopped. Also because India managed to pin the air India bombing on the Khalistan movement, and other tactics to tarnish them such as "black cats" or fake militants that were Goverment paid agents and informants.
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u/Suspicious_Web_8 8d ago
Shaheed means martyr. They are dead probably fighting government in 1984
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u/Kindly_Frame_7076 8d ago
Just search kanishka bombing ( Canada's 9/11) , you'll be surprised!!!
https://www.youtube.com/live/D9MbIVzsqxY?si=dEoczmW3z64a6qti
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u/cwk9 9d ago
These guys are Indian separatist. Just like our separatist they aren't the sharpest knives in the drawer.
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u/InterviewSenior6127 9d ago
These situations between Alberta separatists and Sikh separatists in India aren’t anywhere close to being comparable.
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u/Hideo_Von-Hapsburg 9d ago
Except sikhs have wanted independence since the partition of india into a muslim and hindu part was announced
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u/Infamous-Mixture-605 9d ago
They were completely overlooked when Europeans tried to draw borders on a map, kinda like the Kurds and Sykes-Picot after WWI.
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u/Optimal-Fix-2997 8d ago
They were lied to by the hindu government at the time too. They were promised greater autonomy if they joined India.
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u/Optimal-Fix-2997 8d ago
Except the seppies here weren't gunned down for protesting unlike the khalistanis were. Canada actually allows freedom of speech no matter how dumb it may sound.
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u/Used_Leadership_5533 9d ago
Albertans being racist and wanting to separate = the oppression and militarization of Punjab (more Indian troops in Punjab in the 80s and 90s than American troops in Iraq at any point). Not to mention the massacre of Sikhs across India (1984). Yes these are clearly comparable.
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u/8Bulbous-_-Jones8 9d ago
This should be considered promoting a terrorist organization and illegal in Canada.
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u/Hot_Sprinkles_848 9d ago
Why are these khalistanis here. I honestly dont get it, yall wanna separate from india. Shouldn’t you go fight on thr ground?
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u/rast93 9d ago
As a Canadian who was born and raised in Punjab, this sign to me is shameful and the epitome of cowardice. Punjabis don't want a separate state. Canada or Alberta has nothing to do with this. And posters with men holding automatic weapons, seriously?
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u/Facts_pls 9d ago
Well, sounds like some people do want to separate. Although I agree the majority don't. Not unlike some Québécois or Albertans here who want to separate. Doesn't mean majority support it though.
And as far as foreign issues in Canada is concerned, we are fairly involved in Ukraine-Russia or Israel-Palestine. I Remeber some years ago if was the China Hong-Kong thing.
It's gonna happen.
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9d ago edited 9d ago
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u/That_Guy_Mojo 9d ago
That's not true at all. Sikhs have existed in canada since the 1890s. Especially in British Columbia.
Sikhs have existed in large numbers in BC for over a century.
This is due to early 20th century migration routes by boat.
Most of the established Sikh community came by boat over the pacific to the western coast of North America in the early 20th century.
The Sikh community spread from California to British Columbia (BC). Sikhs in California worked in the imperial valley farming. In Oregon, Washington, and BC Sikhs worked in the lumber industry. Angel Island off the coast of San Francisco has a decent amount of Gurmukhi graffiti inscriptions written by Sikh immigrants to America dating from the 1930's. Gurmukhi is the script used to write Punjabi.
Angel Island was a immigration station for immigrants from Asia. Just like Ellis Island was a immigration station for European Immigrants to America off the coast of New York
In 1907 Bellingham Washington had a race riot against the Sikh community. Bellingham is near the Canada-America border. Sikh homes and business were burned down. Sikhs were vilifyed as the dusky menace coming to steal the white mans job. These Sikhs fled north into Canada.
Historically Sikhs that came in the 1890s-1970s lived in the interior of British Columbia. In the towns of Terrace, Kitimat, Quesnel, Kamloops, Williams Lake, Prince George, etc. These were lumber towns.
Many Sikhs also lived in North Vancouver (near the coast) and Duncan (on Vancouver Island). These towns also had lumber mills. South Vancouver was the only large Urban Sikh area. This area is now called Punjabi Market and hosts the Vancouver Vaisakhi Sikh religious festival. Richmond also had a fairly large Sikh population they owned many of the blueberry and cranberry farms. Kitsilano also used to be a Sikh hub in Vancouver from 1900-1970s. Vancouvers first Gurdwara was built in 1908 in Kitsilano for the Growing Sikh community. They sold the Gurdwara in the 1960s due to the Sikh community shifting away from kitsilano.
Many of the oldest Gurdwaras (Sikh house of worship) in BC are found in random rural towns due to the lumber industry. As these immigrants worked hard, and they sent their children to university. Unfortunately, the mills started shutting down. Sikhs started moving to Surrey and Abbotsford near the coast. Surrey had cheap land, and many Sikhs became farmers, land developers, and business owners. Abbotsford already had a large Sikh farming community going back to 1900. This made it easier for Sikhs from the interior to move into Abbotsford.
Until the 2021 census Abbotsford was the Sikhest town in Canada. It was finally passed by Surrey. The oldest functional Gurdwara (Sikh house of worship) in the Americas is in Abbotsford it was built in 1911.
Many lumber companies in BC were founded by Punjabi Sikh immigrants. Like Doman Industries and Doman building materials. These two companies were made by Harbans Singh Doman and are now run by the Doman family. The Doman Family currently owns the BC lions in the CFL, Amar Singh Doman is a well known CFL owner. Asa Singh Johal was another lumber baron out of Richmond. There's a book written about him called "Terminal Forest Products: How a Sikh Immigrant Created B.C.’s Largest Independent Lumber Company. " In Burnaby Kapoor Singh Sidhu built Kapoor Sawmills in 1939. There were thousands of Punjabi Sikhs who helped build the Province.
There was even a lumber town on Vancouver Island founded by Sikhs from Punjab in 1916. It was called Paldi. The inhabitants were an interesting mix of Japanese, Punjabi, and indigenous peoples, as well as a small amount of Europeans.
Many rural towns and ridings in BC have had Sikh mayors, MLAs, and MPs due to the long presence Sikhs have had in the province.
Sikh migration actually slowed down in the 1980s.
The Sikh community in both America and Canada were larger than the Hindu community. This changed in the 1980's. The 1981 census in both America and Canada is when the Hindu religious community surpassed Sikhs in numbers.
Now the American Hindu community is 4 times as large as the Sikh community. Whilr in Canada there's roughly 771,000 Sikhs and 828,000 Hindus.
Very few Sikhs came to Canada as refugees.
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u/ParaponeraBread 9d ago
I think it’s probably reductive to say that the Sikh separatist’s assassination of the Indian PM was the inciting incident in the whole thing. The assassination itself was a response to Operation Blue Star.
You’re totally right about the timeline of why Canada has such a large Sikh population though.
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u/Odd-Yam7625 9d ago
Those are Air India bombers (terrorists) that killed over 300 people, mostly Canadians.
Along with other so called “martyrs”
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u/Mesastafolis1 9d ago
Yea cause land locking yourself between Pakistan and India is the smartest move. Even if India sanctioned it, who’s to say Pakistan won’t try to grab the land?
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u/tom_yum_soup Edmonton 8d ago
Sorry, does this mean voting to separate from Canada will somehow further the Khalistani cause? Wut?
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u/speed-race-r 8d ago
Just wanna know why and how displaying guns is preaching peace? What is the need for guns in this photo?
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u/Darksideslide 8d ago
They are really trying to tie Kalistan with Alberta? They really have jumped the shark....
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u/ArcticRhombus 8d ago
This was the Trump model for his win. Get a whole bunch of low propensity, low IQ voters energized on the vague implication that Trump cares about your random niche issue (e.g. raw milk, anti-vaccine, cryptocurrency, alien invaders, ‘men’s rights’, taxes on tips, anti-Cuban government), and convert a bunch of non-voters into your voters based on those vague promises.
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u/DeathDealer_CDN 6d ago
We should support their cause. and provide them with a one-way ticket back to India so they can plead their case and have a referendum there. Seems only fair
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u/grfadams2 9d ago
Wait until they find out a good chunk of the seppies want to deport them
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u/Psychohistoria 9d ago
In a way, if both causes weren't so awful, an older version of me would have loved this: the Khalistanis put up these signs, raise some awareness about the next performative, illegitimate referendum they plan to put on, while also maybe moving a few people in their own community to support the Alberta referendum too. Two completely different tribes of dipshits find common cause, maybe even learn a little about one another!*
*(I'm imagining this said in the over-the-top Hollywood trailer voice reserved for odd couple comedies or buddy cop movies from the '80s)
Unfortunately the AB seppies have shown they're overwhelmingly too racist to appreciate or build on any such gesture, or indeed learn anything about anything, and the Khalistani cause is an almost entirely fraudulent, astroturfed movement, one that draws its followers into such a different reality that they can't even appreciate what is happening in or to Alberta. So it's all quite pointless.
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u/imtourist 9d ago
They need to move back to India and fight it here, don't bring your troubles here. Even in India most people in Punjab don't support them. I went a few years ago an didn't see a single sign or mention about it.
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u/__whos_john_galt__ 8d ago
Khalistani jokers try to fit their narratives everywhere. Not many Sikhs I know support them.
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u/Toothpick_Brody 9d ago
These are pretty funny. I don’t understand why anyone is actually concerned. It doesn’t even make sense
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u/TopInvestigator5518 8d ago
I had no idea 'Canada' has been trying to liberate Punjab for the last 40 years 😂
ya learn something new every day
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u/wintersoldier123 8d ago
The guns aren't the issue at all. Anyone claiming so is an idiot. The issue is these fools come to Canada to "vote" on issues in India for a religious holy land because they were given a raw deal during partition. No one in Canada gives a fuck about your issues in India. You want that land in Indian, go there and use your guns there and vote for it.
*Source, my parents came from India in the 70s and contributed to Canadian society and left the bullshit in India.
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u/redeyedrenegade420 9d ago
Because they are proud that Indians living in Canada blew up commercial air India flight 182 in 1984
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u/Suitable-Broccoli264 9d ago
Are those guys on the sign too?
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u/Hotdog_Broth 8d ago
The very first guy on the sign organized the attack:
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u/e_james3 6d ago
I'm mad bc I googled 'shaheed talwinder singh parmar'. Great! Now it looks like I think he's a martyr. Ugh I have zero tolerance for anyone who martyrs people who committed mass killings. I hope that sign gets graffitied
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u/iiiyotikaiii 9d ago
Do they build these signs up at night?
I blink and BOOM there’s like three more around the neighbourhood.
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u/GiantTalon2 8d ago
I hope I can say this without someone twisting my meaning:
You left your country behind to try to get a new life in this one, and that's perfectly fine, most of our ancestors did the exact same thing. But you need to leave the politics of your home country in your home country. Canadians don't want or deserve to have our country used as a battleground for foreign political issues that we have zero involvement in.
If this was primarily a humanitarian issue, I'd have a different attitude.
And before anyone comes after me, I'd have the same viewpoint if I saw political ads regarding ANY other country