Canadian Sikhs thought they were safe to protest against India. Then one of them was gunned down

By Annie Hylton

One afternoon in July 2022, Moninder Singh, a 42-year-old Sikh activist, arrived at Gurdwara Sahib Dasmesh Darbar, a sprawling Sikh temple in suburban Surrey, British Columbia. He wanted to set his mind at rest. Singh, who had served on the temple’s executive committee for over 15 years and was revered by the congregants, would often go there when he wanted to calm himself. Praying under the chandelier in the worship hall, he would feel petty thoughts leaving his body as he exhaled. On this day, however, his prayers were interrupted by a phone call from his wife. “A bunch of cops are here,” she told him. “And they want to talk to you.”