Ahead of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's proposed visit to Canada in April, Sikh body "Sikhs For Justice" (SFJ) has launched a petition urging Prime Minister Stephen Harper to raise with his Indian counterpart the demands of Sikh who are advocating for an independent country.
The "Punjab Referendum Petition" which is supported by management committees of Gurudawaras across Canada will be submitted to the Prime Minister's office on April 6 informed, legal adviser SFJ Gurpatwant Singh Pannun said in a release. 
Reportedly Modi is scheduled to set off on a week-long Europe-Canada tour next month to make Paris the first stop on April 10, followed by Bonn and finally Toronto where he will address a public meeting of NRIs. 
Stating that while Canada, by holding referendum, has given right to people of Quebec to form an independent country he alleged that India had suppressed the demand. 
"We want PM Harper to protect the freedom of expression of Sikhs nationalists in Canada who are advocating the Khalistan," stated Jatinder Singh Grewal, SFJ's director of International Policy.
In 2012, The Indian government issued a pointed and public warning to Prime Minister Stephen Harper to mind what they see as alarming evidence of Sikh extremism on Canadian soil.
The issue of internal extremism has been one that has shaken India to the core over the past several decades -- former prime minister Indira Gandhi was murdered by her own Sikh bodyguards after a string of events sparked by fundamentalists seeking their own separate, fundamentalist nation they would call Khalistan.
Canada too has been rocked by related terrorism. Police believe the bombing of a 1985 Air India flight that killed 331 people was orchestrated by Sikh extremists based in Canada.
Pockets of pro-Khalistan support are still visible in the Indo-Canadian community, after years of dormancy.