53,000 Canadian Sikhs turn out for Ottawa Khalistan Referendum as Carney–Modi trade talks face scrutiny

OTTAWA: More than 53,000 Canadian Sikhs from across four provinces cast ballots in Ottawa on Saturday during the latest phase of the Khalistan Referendum, an unofficial global voting campaign organized by the secessionist group Sikhs For Justice (SFJ).

Sikh voters from Ontario, Alberta, British Columbia, and Quebec converged on the McNabb Community Centre, forming lines that stretched nearly two kilometres despite freezing temperatures, snowfall, and high winds.

Organizers said thousands were still waiting when the 3:00 p.m. closing time arrived, prompting officials to continue the polling process so that all could vote.

SFJ had declared November 23 as “Canada’s Referendum on Khalistan,” positioning the vote as a public response to the Canadian government’s handling of relations with India.

The group questioned why Prime Minister Mark Carney’s government held G20 trade meetings with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the same day, particularly after Canadian intelligence agencies publicly linked Indian government operatives to assassination plots, foreign interference and criminal networks targeting Canadians.

Speaking to voters via satellite message, SFJ General Counsel Gurpatwant Singh Pannun framed the referendum as part of a decades-long struggle over Sikh political rights. He argued that 41 years after the 1984 anti-Sikh violence, Punjab now faces what he called “econocide” under Modi’s government.

“History shows Indira Gandhi ultimately faced the political consequences of her actions,” Pannun said, adding that SFJ seeks what he described as the political, not physical, defeat of Modi’s policies “through ballots, international accountability, and the continued rise of the Khalistan movement.”

Voters Express Opposition to India–Canada Trade Engagement

As participants exited the venue, SFJ volunteers posed a question to each voter: whether they supported the Carney government’s decision to pursue trade talks with India without demanding accountability for the killing of B.C. Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar, whose assassination Canadian officials have said was linked to Indian government agents.

According to SFJ, the response from voters was “overwhelmingly and almost unanimously” against the government’s engagement with India.

The organization said the turnout reflected not only support for Punjab’s independence from India but also widespread dissatisfaction with Ottawa’s approach to New Delhi amid ongoing diplomatic tensions.

SFJ leaders reiterated that they expect full accountability for Nijjar’s killing and that they oppose any Canadian government stance that downplays the warnings issued by national security agencies.