Foreign Correspondent: Mar 21

On Foreign Correspondent this week Avani Dias travels to Punjab in the wake of Canada accusing India of a state sponsored assassination.

When Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau stood up and accused India of being behind the killing of a Sikh activist on Canadian soil last year the world took notice. To have a head of state call out another country for effectively a state sponsored assassination was eye popping. Then, months later, US authorities said an Indian agent was involved in a murder attempt on an American Sikh in New York. Now Foreign Correspondent can reveal Australian authorities are also speaking to the Sikh community here.

This week South Asia Correspondent Avani Dias travels to Punjab where tensions are high and the authorities are watching. This is the Sikh homeland where a banned separatist movement is fighting to create its own independent nation of Khalistan. Avani visits the family home of the man murdered in Canada Hardeep Singh Nijjar and learns of unusual activity in the lead up to his killing. She also gains rare access to the movement’s leaders, viewed as extremists by Indian officials, who are in no doubt the Modi government is targeting Sikh separatists around the world including Australia.

8pm Thursday on ABC.