Trudeau Visits India: Sikhism and the Sikh community in Canada
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Now, let's learn more about the Sikhs and their community in Canada.
Sikhs are followers of Sikhism, a religion originating about 600 years ago. There are about 27 million of them, and most reside in Punjab in northern India. One of the most prominent followers is Manmohan Singh, India's first Sikh prime minister.
Sikhs make up about 2 percent of India's population but play a leading role in the army. Their Khalistan independence movement, which was at its peak in the 1980s, has since been repressed by the Indian government. Canada has the second largest Sikh community overseas. And Indian leaders say many Sikhs living there still support the independence movement.