The sun was setting on a June evening as Hardeep Singh Nijjar walked across the car park of the gurdwara. Nijjar's day job was as a plumber but this gurdwara, in the city of Surrey, in British Columbia, was where he dedicated most of his energy. That day he had made an impassioned speech on the fight for an independent state for Sikhs.
But as he reached his pickup truck, two masked gunmen lay in wait. Shots rang out and Nijjar, killed instantly, fell to the ground as the suspects fled - first on foot and then in a getaway car.
The incident had attracted little international attention until last week, when Justin Trudeau, the Canadian prime minister, stood up in parliament and made an explosive announcement: there were credible allegations that this had been an assassination carried out with the involvement of the Indian government, with Nijjar targeted for his involvement in the Sikh separatist cause.
The ramifications were instant. Canada expelled a top Indian diplomat who was reportedly involved in intelligence. India hit back, calling the accusations "absurd" and politically motivated, and expelling a Canadian diplomat. Trade talks between the two countries were halted.
This story is from the September 29, 2023 edition of The Guardian Weekly.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the September 29, 2023 edition of The Guardian Weekly.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Ours is an age of confusion. How should we navigate it? Timothy Garton Ash
In these times of planetary polycrisis, we try to get our bearings by looking to the past. Are we perhaps in The New Cold War, as Robin.
The world according to Jason
Covid vaccines, chemtrails, the Great Reset... Why do people invent false conspiracies when there are so many real ones to worry about? There's only one way to find out: George Monbiot asked a believer from his home town
From a small step for man to a giant gold rush for mankind
If the 20th-century space race was about political power, this century's will be about money. But for those who dream of sending humans back to the moon and possibly Mars, it's an exciting time to be alive whether it's presidents or billionaires paying the fare.
A bitter pill Inside the anti-doping movement's civil war
Furore over Chinese swimmers has sparked an ugly dispute between organisations that target athletes who use banned substances
Museum of Yoruba life is custommade for Lagos
Opposite the Nigerian National Museum in central Lagos, a swimming pool and a memorial hall once stood as an integral part of the city, a popular congregation point that evoked a sense of pride.
First steps for Nutbush Quest goes on for origin of line dance
For 50 years, Australian primary school students have been learning the steps to a dance that will carry them through social events and weddings and allow them to locate other Australians across crowded nightclubs anywhere in the world.
Press freedom How political attacks are rising globally
Political attacks on press freedom, including the detention of journalists, suppression of independent media outlets and widespread dissemination of misinformation, have significantly intensified in the past year, according to the annual World Press Freedom Index published by Reporters Without Borders (RSF).
Rio reporters risking all to shine light on the city's underworld
A brutal killing in 2018 has inspired journalists to probe the links between police, politicians and mafia
Is great ape tourism to blame for killing off chimps?
Viruses that only cause common colds in humans are devastating populations of chimpanzees and gorillas
Dig for disaster Calls to move to centre or right won't help Sunak out of this hole
As terrible council and mayoral results rolled in for the Conservatives last Friday, was there any part of Rishi Sunak that regretted sealing Boris Johnson's fate as prime minister by resigning as his chancellor less than two years ago?
