The continued promotion of Khalistani extremism in Western capitals undermines Sikh interests, isolates the community, fuels suspicion, and diverts attention from pressing challenges — including integration, youth radicalisation, and drug and gang networks that some findings have linked to separatist financing, according to a new report. The findings arrive amid renewed scrutiny of pro-Khalistan activity in Canada and other diaspora hubs.

Background: A Documentary Two Years in the Making

Two years after pro-Khalistan radicals attacked devotees with sticks and flagpoles during a consular camp at Sabha Mandir in Brampton, Canada, journalist Daniel Bordman found himself unexpectedly at the centre of the story. The way Canadian broadcaster CBC framed the violence — reportedly centering it around Bordman rather than the attack itself — prompted a two-year global investigation. The result was Finding Khalistan, a documentary that traces the movement's trajectory from the bloodshed following Partition and the 1980s insurgency in Punjab to its present-day echo chambers in the West, according to a report in Khalsa Vox.

What the Report Says About the Movement

The report quoted from the documentary's framing in stark terms: 'Khalistan is not a legitimate expression of Sikh aspiration. It is a political project that has repeatedly turned violent, that has been sustained by external patrons, and that stands in direct contradiction to the core teachings of the Gurus.' It invoked Guru Nanak's rejection of religious bigotry and the Guru Granth Sahib's emphasis on the oneness of humanity — citing the phrase 'Na koi bairi nahin begana' — to argue that modern Khalistani activism bears no resemblance to the spiritual and ethical inheritance of the Khalsa. The Khalistan movement has already exacted a devastating human cost, the report noted, citing the Air India bombing and years of militancy and bloodshed in Punjab.

Sikh Community Largely Opposed, Data Suggests

According to the report, the Khalistan movement is regarded as a liability rather than a cause by the overwhelming majority of Sikhs — both in India and across the diaspora. In Punjab, it has negligible electoral support. In Canada, former British Columbia premier Ujjal Dosanjh has repeatedly stated that fewer than 5 per cent of Canadian Sikhs endorse the separatist agenda. Most, the report says, simply want to work, raise families, and practise their faith without being associated with the movement.

The Reputational Cost to Ordinary Sikhs

The report argued that a vocal minority has succeeded in equating 'Sikh' with 'Khalistani' in the public mind — what it described as a 'global reputational tax' paid by ordinary Sikhs. Truck drivers, entrepreneurs, soldiers, and professionals whose community is known for seva and prosperity now find their identity co-opted by those who, in the report's words, 'traffic in grievance and, in some cases, organised crime.' This comes amid broader international concern about Khalistani extremism influencing diaspora politics in the United Kingdom, United States, and Australia, not just Canada.

What This Means Going Forward

The report's central argument is that allowing Khalistani extremism to operate freely in Western democracies does not protect Sikh rights — it actively harms them by stoking suspicion and enabling a fringe to dominate the community's global image. Notably, the findings come at a time of heightened India-Canada diplomatic tensions, where the Khalistan issue has been a significant flashpoint. How Western governments respond to the documented links between some Khalistani groups and organised crime networks may shape the policy environment for diaspora Sikh communities for years to come.