Larger underlying issue: Indian FM
Rashmi Talwar
AMRITSAR — Lashing out at Canada over a free run to Khalistan radicals, the Indian Foreign Minister Dr. S Jaishankar, in a direct warning said “It’s not good for Canada!” The FM fumed over a video, that became viral, purportedly taken on 4th June in the streets of Brampton, a pocket area of Ontario Province, with a sizable Sikh population. That makes the event held merely two days before the observance of Operation Bluestar day i.e. ‘Ghallughara Diwas’ on 6th June, by Sikh radicals.
The video depicted the former PM Indira Gandhi with her signature crop of black hair, with raised her hands, supposedly in alarm, dressed in a white Saree, smeared in blood, as cut-outs of Sikh bodyguards in NSG Uniforms, as two killers Beant Singh and Satwant Singh, were depicted firing at her from a light machine gun and a revolver. The scene recreated from the actual assassination of a PM in office on Oct 31st, 1984. It was the same year of army Op Bluestar in the Golden Temple to flush out terrorists from the holiest Sikh shrine in Amritsar.
On a moving vehicle, the life-size statue of Indira Gandhi is seen standing on artificial green turf representing the time when she was crossing the garden in her PM house, and the two cardboard uniformed bodyguards opened fire at her. She is seen flaying her arms in alarm. A board, half hidden by her figure, reads “Revenge for Op Bluestar at Harmandir Sahib” (Golden Temple).
The Tableaux called the ‘Shaheedi Float’ on Public display as a floater on a street in Brampton was created to mark the 39th anniversary of Op Bluestar. In the video, some nearby and distant homes and pines could be seen. In an adjoining road to the tableaux, women in Punjabi salwar Kameez were seen in groups as the tableaux moved on the street.
Dr S Jaishankar taking umbrage to the allowance of such horrific assassination, display against a former PM of India, during a vocal address, castigated Canada, and said- I think there is a bigger issue involved. And the bigger issue involved is really the space that Canada has continuously given. Frankly, to us we are at a loss to understand, other than the vote-bank politics, why would anybody do this. Because if you look at their history, you would imagine that they would’ve learned from their history and not repeat it. So it isn’t one incident, I think there is a larger underline issue about the space which is given to separatists, to extremists to people who advocate violence, and I think it is not good for relationships and it is not good for Canada!”
Jitandar Singh, a communication expert, wrote in a post on Twitter in response to the video “A country allowing such an event has to introspect. All these are clear signs of weak political leadership. Canadian citizens should worry about their political future. Appeasement does not help in the long run.” And further added –“For the sake of the country, the Government needs to do everything to crush them using all possible measures and also their connections, and sympathizers here. They are rapidly growing in their adventurism.” He quoted “The farm law repeal, apology to the protesters, soft approach to them after their R-Day raid on Red Fort, yearlong highway blockades sent a wrong message. They have become more motivated and emboldened.”
Michael Carvalho, another Twitterati, responded –“Political sensitivity towards Sikh minority especially in British Columbia, Ontario and Alberta seems to hinder a full-scale crackdown.
The most tragic irony of this situation is that the Khalistani propaganda hurts Sikh sentiments and Sikhs in their own home country and is actually tarnishing Sikh tenets. The Sikh community in India is greatly against the Khalistani elements propagating Khlaisttan from foreign shores.
A professor at Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar lashed out at such elements and asked them to send their children and come themselves to give the supreme sacrifices of giving their lives, if they desire a Khalistan. “We certainly don’t want it!”.
It may be mentioned, that last year the same radicals held a controversial referendum for the formation of Khalistan, in the Brampton area.
Ujjal Dosanjh Indo-Canadian Sikh politician
In a recent interactive session at Majha House, a cultural hub in Amritsar Ujjal Dosanjh, the first India-born Canadian provincial leader, when queried over Khalistan displays in Canada explained it as an attention-seeking and importance-creating tactic of migrated Canadian youth. A Sikh lady countered the Canadian politician –“I think the Indian diaspora in Canada, needs to ask some of us in India whether we want a Khalistan or not. It seems our opinion doesn’t matter and we are the ones who will be subjected to it”, pipped in Deepa Swani.
Dosanjh then was at pains to explain his views and stated-“In 1984, time of peak militancy in Punjab –“I called out Khalistan as a pipe dream! I still stand by it. It won’t happen, because people in Punjab don’t want it. And some of us suggested to self-professed Khalistanis to -Go buy land in Alberta where land is quite flat like Punjab, and set it up (as Khalistan), don t bug the people back home in India”.
Manipulation for political gains!
“The era of foreign entities stirring up communal tensions in India is regrettably resurfacing in high-frequency Incidents where armed Sikhs attack the Indian diaspora. Incidents of attempts to vandalize temples in Australia, and disrespecting the Indian flag in the UK are recent glaring examples that experts put to tactics to ‘spite’ India due to his sovereign stand in the war between Ukraine and Russia. India preferred to be neutral instead of taking sides between EU & US-supported Ukraine and Russia supported by China. India preferred to look after its own and its people’s interests instead of being dragged into the war.
This is one of the prime reasons to rile India by encouraging anti-India sentiment in countries abroad.
India’s Gigantic Response with a Gigantic Indian Flag!
Indian High Commission not only responded to Khalistan supporters, who tried to replace the Indian Tricolour with the Khalistan flag, in London recently, but also took a serious tit-for-tat approach, to the security breach issues at its HC offices in London, that was tactically overlooked by the British.
A giant size Indian National Flag, on the Indian mission’s building, was installed in minutes, replacing the desecrated small one as Khalistanis tried to take down the Indian flag and hoist their own. India thus gave a clear signal of supremacy to Khalistanis and British alike.
Alternately, India also visibly reduced security in the British HC in Delhi as a retaliatory measure to drive home the point, leading London to immediately reinforce security around Indian HC in London.