Surrey's Sikh and South Asian Community Faces Threats While Celebrating Culture and Resilience

Surrey's South Asian community — one of the largest in Canada — has been at the center of several major stories this week, ranging from urgent RCMP safety warnings issued to Sikh activists facing credible threats to their lives, to a local gurdwara mobilizing donations for B.C. wildfire victims. On a more celebratory note, a Surrey-based organization has secured a landmark achievement by bringing Bhangra into the B.C. high school curriculum, while a Punjabi film about a beloved Sikh human rights activist — banned in India and pulled from streaming — is finding a passionate audience at Surrey community screenings.

RCMP issues life-threat warnings to Sikh activists in B.C. and Ontario

RCMP have issued formal 'duty to warn' letters to at least two Canadian Sikh activists, informing them that their lives face credible, serious, and imminent threats connected to their advocacy for an independent Sikh state — known as Khalistan — in India. The warnings were delivered to Inderjeet Singh Gosal of Caledon, Ontario, and Manjinder Singh from Abbotsford, B.C. The documents, obtained by The Canadian Press, state that while the threat does not extend to family members or friends, the danger to the activists themselves is considered credible and immediate, though police said they could not provide further details about the nature or source of the threat. The notices arrive against a backdrop of escalating tensions between Canada and India over the assassination of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a prominent Sikh leader from Surrey, in 2023 — a killing Canada has accused Indian government agents of orchestrating. The RCMP warnings reflect growing law enforcement concern about targeted violence against members of the Sikh diaspora who are politically active on the Khalistan question. For Surrey and Abbotsford — both cities with large and politically engaged Sikh communities — the notices signal that the threat environment for South Asian activists in Canada remains serious and unresolved, even as diplomatic and legal proceedings related to the Nijjar killing continue to unfold. [1]

Surrey Sikh gurdwara mobilizes donations for B.C. wildfire relief

A Surrey Sikh gurdwara is seeking donations to support victims of B.C.'s ongoing wildfire crisis, channeling the community's deep tradition of seva — selfless service — toward those displaced and affected by the fires burning across the province. The initiative reflects the longstanding role that gurdwaras play in Surrey and across the Lower Mainland as community anchors that respond to crises far beyond their immediate congregations. Sikh institutions in Canada have a documented history of organizing large-scale humanitarian responses, from langar kitchens feeding the hungry during the COVID-19 pandemic to disaster relief efforts following floods and fires in previous years. By mobilizing donations specifically for B.C. wildfire victims, this Surrey gurdwara is extending that tradition to one of the most pressing environmental and humanitarian challenges currently facing the province. For the thousands of South Asian families who call Surrey home, the gurdwara's response also serves as a visible reminder of the community's integration into and investment in the broader welfare of British Columbia. Residents wishing to contribute can contact the gurdwara directly; the effort comes as wildfire activity across B.C. continues to displace residents and test emergency response systems throughout the interior of the province. [3]

🎓 Bhangra enters B.C. high school curriculum through Surrey organization

A Surrey-based organization has achieved a significant cultural milestone by bringing Bhangra — the vibrant Punjabi folk dance form beloved across the South Asian diaspora — into the British Columbia high school curriculum. The development marks a formal recognition of Bhangra not merely as a performance art or extracurricular activity, but as an educational subject worthy of study and instruction in BC's public school system. For the South Asian community in Surrey and the Lower Mainland, where Punjabi is one of the most widely spoken languages and Bhangra has been part of community life for generations, the inclusion in school curricula represents a long-sought acknowledgment of the culture's place in British Columbia's identity. The move also speaks to broader efforts in BC's education system to reflect the province's demographic reality, particularly in cities like Surrey where students of South Asian descent make up a substantial portion of the school population. By introducing students — Desi and non-Desi alike — to Bhangra through formal schooling, the program has the potential to build cross-cultural understanding and appreciation from a young age. The Surrey organization's work in securing this recognition is being seen as a model for how diaspora communities can advocate for cultural representation within public institutions. [6]

Banned Satluj film finds a Surrey audience despite India-wide suppression

A Punjabi film that has been blocked in India and pulled from a streaming service just two days after its release is finding enthusiastic audiences at community screenings across Canada, including events planned in Surrey, B.C. The film, titled Satluj, stars Diljit Dosanjh — one of the most celebrated Punjabi actors and musicians of his generation — as Jaswant Singh Khalra, a Sikh human rights activist who investigated and publicly raised concerns about extrajudicial killings carried out by Punjab police during the 1980s and 1990s. Khalra's documentation of enforced disappearances and unmarked mass graves of Sikh youth made him a target; he was himself abducted and killed in 1995, allegedly by Punjab police. His story has become emblematic of a dark chapter in Indian history that remains contested and, in India, largely suppressed. The fact that Satluj was banned by Indian authorities and swiftly removed from an Indian streaming platform has only intensified interest in the film among Sikh diaspora communities in Canada, who see the suppression as politically motivated. The Surrey screenings are drawing residents who view attendance as both a cultural act and a statement of solidarity with those who have sought historical accountability. For a city where many families carry lived or inherited memories of the Punjab of that era, Satluj has taken on significance well beyond its status as a film. [7]

Sources: [1] CP24 · [3] Surrey Now-Leader · [6] Surrey Now-Leader · [7] CBC