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In the langars and prayer halls of certain gurdwaras across the Golden State, it is difficult to distinguish between men and shadows. For example, in the process of reporting this piece, a source told me that someone I happened to have a meeting with in the coming weeks was possibly an informant for the Indian government. Multiple interviewed subjects felt certain that their temples were being infiltrated by bad actors. “Anyone can grow a beard and pretend to be a Sikh,” one doctor remarked wryly over a cup of chai near the Oregon border. He claimed that other members of his small congregation, who work menial jobs at gas stations, pull into the temple parking lot with flashy sports cars clearly above their pay grades. “Where could they be getting the money for that?” he asked with a knowing look.