The killing of an Indian-origin Canadian last week has spread shockwaves within the Indian community in Canada and abroad. Nancy Grewal, 45, was found injured outside a house in LaSalle, Ontario with multiple stab wounds on March 3 and succumbed to her injuries during treatment in hospital later. Grewal worked as a caregiver and had just stepped out of her patient’s house when she was ambushed by unidentified assailants.
Grewal had a strong social media presence and was known for her sharp commentary on social issues and views opposing Sikh separatism. Her mother claimed she was stabbed 18 times and had faced death threats earlier which were reported to the police. Grewal moved to Canada in 2018 from Ludhiana in Punjab. She was living on her own following separation from her husband.
An investigation into her killing is ongoing. LaSalle Police Chief Michael Pearce said in a statement on March 6 that they were confident this was not a random act of violence. He said, “Ms. Grewal’s murder is being investigated as an intentional act against her.” He added, “All information is being considered. While we recognize the significant public interest in this case, we will not share information that will compromise the investigation, including leads, tips, and investigative avenues.”
According to CBC News, less than a week before she was killed, Grewal had spoken to the network regarding the threats she was facing for speaking out online against Sikh separatism. On Feb. 25, in an interview with a CBC journalist about extremism within the Sikh separatist movement, she said, “I know sometimes I feel scared when they said ‘[we’ll] kill you’ then I said ‘OK, you can kill me anytime’”. Grewal said she had received about 40 death threats which had been reported to Windsor police. She also reported an arson incident at her home two months ago wherein a masked man started a fire on the front deck of her house.
Grewal told CBC News she had spoken out about the presence of separatist signage at her local Gurdwara. She had said images of weapons and deceased extremist leaders that adorned the walls were counter to the need for a peaceful prayer space. She said she worried about the impact of those images on the children.
Her killing has led to demands for a thorough investigation and speedy action against the culprits. 14 Jewish organisations in Canada have called on the government to treat Sikh separatists at par with terror groups like Hamas, Hezbollah and the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps banned under Canadian law. Canadian Member of Parliament Juanita Nathan raised the killing of Grewal in a Facebook post on International Women’s Day saying many Canadians were “deeply troubled” over the stabbing underlining the need for women’s safety. A healthcare union, of which Grewal was a member, has condoled her death. Service Employees International Union Healthcare released a statement saying- “This workforce is largely made up of immigrant women doing some of the most difficult and compassionate work in our healthcare system. The absolute minimum they should be able to expect is to do their job and return home safely at the end of the day”.
What has upset the local community is the fact that she was killed in a brazen attack in spite of the multiple times she reported the threats against her. Until the perpetrators are identified and brought to justice, Grewal’s killing will continue to raise questions about the safety of those who show courage to speak out openly against voices of extremism which were also responsible for souring the India-Canada ties in the recent past.
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