Khalistan referendum held in Canada as Modi raises concerns with Trudeau
More than 1,00,000 people attended the event
Canadian PM had said that the actions of the few do not represent the entire community or Canada
Updated: Sep 11th, 2023
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| Image: IANS |
Sikhs turned up in large numbers at a Khalistan referendum event in Canada just as PM Modi conveyed New Delhi’s strong concerns the same day about continuing anti-India activities in the North American nation to his counterpart Justin Trudeau at the G20 Leaders’ Summit.
The vote to weigh support for Khalistan, a separate homeland for Sikhs in India, was held on Sept 10 in the British Columbian province of Surrey at the Guru Nanak Sikh Gurdwara where its former president Hardeep Singh Nijjar was shot dead in June.
More than 1,00,000 people attended the event
The outlawed Pro-Khalistani group Sikhs For Justice (SFJ), which organised the referendum, said more than 1,00,000 people attended the event, local media reported.
“The turnout tells us, and the wider community, that the issue of Khalistan is not an issue for a fringe group of people but rather... This is a deep-rooted issue that touches the hearts and minds of many Sikhs,” Jatinder Grewal, a Sikh for Justice director, told the Vancouver-based media.
The vote was supposed to be held at a school in Surrey, but was cancelled after images of weapons on the poster were brought to the school authorities’ notice by concerned residents.
PM Modi brings up the concerns to his counterpart
In a strongly-worded condemnation, Modi told Trudeau on Sept 10 that the extremist elements are promoting secessionism and inciting violence against Indian diplomats, damaging diplomatic premises, and threatening the community in Canada and their places of worship.
“The nexus of such forces with organised crime, drug syndicates and human trafficking should be a concern for Canada as well. It is essential for the two countries to cooperate in dealing with such threats,” a ministry of external affairs statement quoted PM Modi as saying.
In a media interaction after meeting his Indian counterpart, Trudeau said that the actions of the few do not represent the entire community or Canada.
“Canada will always defend freedom of expression, freedom of conscience, and freedom of peaceful protest and it is extremely important to us. At the same time we are always there to prevent violence and to push back against hatred,” he said in response to a question on Khalistani extremism.
Khalistani extremism on rise in Canada
Just days before Trudeau had departed for India for the September 9-10 summit, Shri Mata Bhameshwari Durga temple in Surrey was vandalised with anti-India and pro-Khalistan graffiti slogans.
Despite New Delhi registering strong protests, an anti-India campaign has continued in Canada with pro-Khalistani graffiti and posters targeting Indian diplomats and temples across the country.
Incidents of Khalistani elements protesting outside the Indian consulate in Toronto displaying ‘Kill India’ posters, had led to external affairs minister S Jaishankar saying that Canada was apparently allowing these protests driven by vote bank politics.
(Source: IANS)
-Edited for style
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