
“Notorious Indian gangster Lawrence Bishnoi, operating out of Dubai, has become the center of diplomatic row between India and Canada. He is accused of targeting Sikh dissidents abroad. Learn about his criminal background, his ties to the high-profile murders, and how geopolitical relations are likely to change in his wake.”
Diplomatic relations between India and Canada have sunk to a new low following the decision by both countries to expel six diplomats each in response to mutual allegations. Matters went further to the boil when the Prime Minister of Canada, Justin Trudeau, publicly stated that the Indian government is directly involved in the assassination of Sikh separatist leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar in 2023. In a totally charged-up geopolitical scenario, the name Lawrence Bishnoi emerged as the suspected leader of this infamous crime syndicate that came under the controversy’s fold.
Lawrence Bishnoi is a gangster from Punjab, India. Lawrence Bishnoi was born in 1993 in the Duttaranwali village of Fazilka district, Punjab. He belongs to the Bishnoi community that respects wildlife and more particularly blackbuck antelope as an object of deep religious and cultural veneration. Lawrence Bishnoi is named after Henry Lawrence, a British colonial administrator of Punjab.
His family is well-off in the agricultural sector. Higher studies by Bishnoi were in Chandigarh where he joined student politics during his period of study at DAV College.
The first crime that Bishnoi committed resulted in a charge sheet against him for committing arson and attempted murder. Over time, his influence started growing beyond the borders of Punjab. His operations in the Delhi-Haryana-Rajasthan region and even beyond northern states have expanded. His gang, still carrying on with its nefarious activities through extortion, targeted killings, and inter-gang rivalries, continues to operate while Moose Wala languishes in jail for over a decade now. The Maulvi Connection: Moose Wala and Bollywood Undertones
The first item Bishnoi brought to the news in May 2022 was when his associates claimed credit for the killing of Sidhu Moose Wala, a Punjabi rapper and politician of the opposition Congress party. Murdered as reported to result from gang rivalries, it catapulted Bishnoi to fame as one of India’s most feared crime lords.
Yet another big case the Bishnoi gang has been often tout with is the threat to Bollywood actor Salman Khan.
The Bishnoi-Khan saga dates back to 1998 when Bishnoi had been a witness in the blackbuck poaching case against Khan, during which it was alleged that he had killed two antelopes, a species held sacrosanct by the Bishnois. A year ago, it was said that his gang opened fire at Khan’s house in Mumbai when some members were arrested. Baba Siddique, an ex-politician in Maharashtra who was known to be close to Bollywood personalities, was recently killed. That is to that extent, also deepening the India-Canada diplomatic crisis, as Trudeau accused Indian officials of conniving over the killing of Sikh dissidents in Canada with criminal gangs such as the Bishnoi syndicate.
Indian diplomats collected intelligence that was passed along to Bishnoi’s gang to carry out violent attacks, said the Canadian Prime Minister. In a development related to Nijjar’s murder, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police has now discovered a linkage between the gang and potential hit jobs for India’s intelligence agency, the Research and Analysis Wing, commonly known as RAW. India has categorically dismissed these charges, terming them “utterly preposterous”. Yet such allegations have already marred the bilateral relations. International attention has, to Bishnoi, brought a sort of “notoriety boost,” says author Jupinderjit Singh who is penning a book on gangster wars in northern India. His name is now associated with elite crimes and geopolitics disputes; Bishnoi has, inadvertently, become a public figure in both crime and politics. The Bishnoi Community and Cultural Influences
Lawrence Bishnoi belongs to the Bishnoi community, which approaches conservation pretty traditionally.
Originated in the 15th century by Guru Jambheshwar, it is a strong movement that looks after wildlife, the environment as well as the species – blackbuck.
Ironically, the criminal activities of Bishnoi stand in contrast to the values of his community, though still using cultural and religious symbolism. His image of a “man of principles” and frequent use of Hindi nationalist slogans like “Jai Shri Ram” have attracted followers, mostly amongst youths, in areas where his gang is active. How Does Bishnoi Run His Crime Operations from Jail? In fact, Bishnoi runs his crime network from within the Sabarmati Central Jail in Gujarat itself. One can best say that the gang leaders like Bishnoi use mobiles smuggled inside jails and available trusted associates outside the jail, among other networks, to exert their influence.
Bishnoi’s operations have gone very international, if reports about connections with Canada and the United States and other places abound where the Indian diaspora is a significant force.
Impact on Youth and Criminal Culture
It risks glamorizing the criminal persona of Bishnoi-more so in regions where the youth view him as a crusader. The Bishnoi gang has spread into different states, most of whose followers are youth, inveigled by his “righteous” appeal when they know how he commits horrific crimes.
The Deeper Geopolitical Politics
New allegations surrounding Bishnoi have added a fresh layer of complication to the diplomatic fallout between India and Canada. Sikh separatism, particularly the Khalistan movement, has been an old contentious issue that long has plagued both the countries concerned. While the movement has lost much of its steam on the Indian side, it still finds some succour among a section of the Sikh diaspora in Canada.
The killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar and consequent charges have seen criticism of how Canada handles extremists on its soil reignite. Placing Bishnoi in this context has complicated New Delhi’s diplomatic stance as his name is now tied to accusations of state-sponsored extra-judicial activities carried out outside of the country.
Buried in the saga of Lawrence Bishnoi lies sensible insight into blurred crime and politics in India and complex issues within Sikh separatism and international diplomacy. In fact, the charges against the Indian government are far from proven, but Bishnoi’s notoriety was quick to cut across a spectrum of mere gangsterism as it has become an impact on the relations between two major democracies.