Over 55,000 vote for Khalistan Referendum in Calgary

CALGARY: More than 55,000 Canadian Sikhs voted in the Calgary Khalistan Referendum at the Municipal Plaza voting centre, dedicated to nine pro-Khalistan Canadian Sikhs who were assassinated by the Indian army in armed conflict.

The first vote was cast by the family of Shaheed Dilawar Singh Babbar Jai, the human bomb who assassinated the then Punjab chief minister Beant Singh in August 1995. Hardeep Singh Nijjar’s family travelled especially from Surrey, British Columbia, in a show of support for the Calgary referendum.

Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, the New York attorney and founder of Sikhs For Justice (SFJ), addressed the charged crowd and vowed to bombard the August 15 Independence Day with the Khalistan Referendum campaign from Red Fort to Ranchi.

Gurpatwant Singh Pannun said that the SFJ, through a global referendum campaign, has equipped every Sikh household with a “powerful bomb that will only explode during Khalistan Referendum voting to liberate Punjab from Indian occupation.”

“The choice is yours, either kill your enemy or kill the Indian system,” Pannun asked a roaring crowd of thousands waiting to cast their votes in the Khalistan Referendum. He said: “SFJ’s choice of weapon is the vote, while India’s Modi is using violence to stop the Khalistan Referendum. At present, pro-Khalistan Sikhs are not going to kill anyone in retaliation, but SFJ is going to kill the Indian system that is responsible for the genocide of Sikhs in Punjab. In 1929, it was Shaheed Bhagat Singh who bombarded the Indian legislative assembly to liberate India from British rule.”

Pannun added: “The Khalistan Referendum campaign has shaken the foundations of India. We are expecting the Canadian government to prosecute Indian diplomats, including High Commissioner Sanjay Verma, for planning and killing Shaheed Hardeep Singh Nijjar. The Sikh Sangat will continue to hold Verma accountable under Khalsa justice.”

Following Pannun’s speech, the Punjab Referendum Commission’s (PRC) head announced that the next phase of the Khalistan Referendum will take place in New Zealand in a few months.

Thousands of Sikhs queued from 4am to 6pm at Calgary’s iconic Municipal Plaza to take part in the Khalistan Referendum, voting for the creation of an independent state of Khalistan for the Sikh nation. The nine Canadian national Sikhs assassinated by India for their political beliefs are 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.

Sikhs who gathered outside the city hall carried flags of Khalistan. The road outside was decorated with large posters of Sikhs who embraced martyrdom for the Sikh cause and were revered by Sikhs across the world. The banners carried pictures of Sikh heroes and paid tribute to them.

Throughout the day, Calgary’s town hall echoed with slogans of “Khalistan Zindabad,” “Punjab banay ga Khalistan,” “Delhi banay ga Khalistan,” “Rajasthan banay ga Khalistan,” “Modi, stop terrorism against Sikhs,” and “India is a terrorist state.”

The Sikhs said they will adhere to the principles set by their Gurus and will always look up to the examples set by Sikh freedom fighters, including Hardeep Singh Nijjar, who was assassinated last year by Indian agents in Surrey. Veteran Khalistani leader and President of the Council of Khalistan Dr. Bakhshish Singh Sandhu said the turnout had amazed everyone.

“The queue at one point stretched to nearly four kilometers. This is the measurement of Sikhs’ desire for freedom from India.” All phases of voting in the Khalistan Referendum are being held under the guidance and supervision of a panel of non-aligned direct democracy experts from the Punjab Referendum Commission (PRC). The whole voting process, from registration to supervision of ballot boxes and sealing of the ballots at the end of the voting day, is conducted by the commission’s approved third-party staff to maintain the highest level of transparency. The PRC is conducting the voting on the question, “Should Indian Governed Punjab Be An Independent Country?” with two options: “Yes” and “No.”

The Khalistan Referendum voting started on October 31, 2021, in London, UK, and has so far been held in several countries and cities across the UK; Geneva, Switzerland; Rome and Milan, Italy; Australian cities of Melbourne, Brisbane, and Sydney; American cities of San Francisco and Sacramento; and Canadian cities of Brampton, Mississauga, Malton (Ontario), Surrey, Vancouver (British Columbia), and now Calgary.