OTTAWA: Canadian Sikhs are grateful to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau for giving voice to their fears and standing as much as India on the danger of extreme backlash from New Delhi, which he mentioned could possibly be linked to the homicide of a Sikh separatist chief.
The Indian authorities thought-about Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a Canadian citizen who was shot to dying in June in British Columbia (BC), a terrorist due to his advocacy for Khalistan, an impartial Sikh state.
India has forcefully denied its involvement in Nijjar’s homicide, which happened within the parking zone of a Sikh temple in Surrey, BC. However Canadian Sikhs are unconvinced, and the minority who’re energetic proponents of Khalistan are afraid.
“There’s numerous concern,” mentioned Sentokh Singh, who was among the many small group who protested in front of the Indian High Commission in Ottawa this week. “That is why we’re right here at this time.”
Each international locations expelled diplomats in a tit-for-tat retaliation after Trudeau’s bombshell announcement final week, however India has gone additional, issuing a journey warning and halting visa issuance to Canadians.
Trudeau’s transfer dangers derailing a strategic financial and political shift many Western international locations are making in direction of India to counter China. It additionally distracted consideration from his push to handle cost-of-living issues, which have weighed closely on his reputation in opinion polls.
Canada is house to about 770,000 Sikhs, the very best inhabitants exterior the northern Indian state of Punjab, and the Indian authorities has for many years expressed its displeasure with some group members’ outspoken assist for Khalistan.
Sikhs punch above their weight in Canadian politics. They’ve 15 members within the Home of Commons, greater than 4 per cent of the seats, principally from key battlegrounds in nationwide elections, whereas comprising solely about 2 per cent of the Canadian inhabitants.
Moreover, one member is Jagmeet Singh, chief of the opposition New Democrats, a left-leaning get together that’s supporting Trudeau’s minority authorities.
“In political phrases, that is no-brainer: You bought to get out forward of the story and you bought to precise outrage,” mentioned Fen Hampson, professor of worldwide affairs at Carleton College in Ottawa.
Trudeau’s “unsubstantiated allegations” search to shift focus away from “Khalistani terrorists and extremists who’ve been supplied shelter in Canada,” India’s international ministry mentioned.
Canada says Sikhs have a proper to peaceable protest and there was no proof of violence, terrorist exercise or wrongdoing.