CALGARY, CANADA: Thousands of Sikhs gathered at Calgary’s iconic Municipal Plaza, opposite the local U.S. diplomatic mission, to participate in the Khalistan Referendum. This voting aims to gauge support for creating an independent state of Khalistan for the Sikh nation.
Organized by the pro-Khalistan group Sikhs for Justice (SFJ), the referendum in Calgary seeks the opinion of Sikhs in Alberta. Canada is home to an estimated one million Sikhs, with nearly 100,000 residing in Calgary.
Hardeep Singh Nijjar’s family was the first to cast their votes, surrounded by prominent Khalistan figures. The SFJ leader announced that the Calgary vote is dedicated to nine Canadian Sikhs who were allegedly assassinated by India for their support of Khalistan: Shaheed Lakhbir Singh Rode, Shaheed Bhupinder Singh Kooner, Shaheed Harjinder Singh Para, Shaheed Talwinder Singh Parmar, Shaheed Surinder Singh Shinder Commando, Shaheed Balbir Singh Khaira, Shaheed Jathedar Hardeep Singh Nijjar, Shaheed Mohinder Singh Kooner, and Shaheed Surinder Singh Ravi.
The voting began with Sikh prayers led by local religious figures from Gurdwara Dashmesh Culture Centre. Thousands formed long queues to cast their votes in the day-long process. Men, women, youth, children, and the elderly gathered from across the province for this non-binding referendum, which aims to seek the opinion of Sikhs worldwide before presenting the final results to the United Nations.
Sikhs outside the city hall carried Khalistan flags, and the area was decorated with large posters honoring Sikhs who are revered for their contributions to the Sikh cause.
Veteran Khalistani leader and President of the Council of Khalistan, Dr. Bakhshish Singh Sandhu, stated that Sikhs in Calgary would set a new record by exercising their democratic right for Khalistan. He emphasized that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s campaign to assassinate Sikhs abroad is unacceptable and warrants global sanctions against India.
The voting phases in the Khalistan Referendum are supervised by a panel of non-aligned direct democracy experts from the Punjab Referendum Commission (PRC). The entire process, from registration to the sealing of ballots, is conducted by third-party staff approved by the PRC to ensure transparency. The PRC is conducting the vote on the question, “Should Indian-governed Punjab be an independent country?” with options “Yes” and “No.”
