Explained: What led MEA to caution Indians in Canada to be vigilant
The ministry of External Affairs (MEA) recently issued an advisory for Indian nationals and students living in Canada, strongly urging them to exercise “due caution and be vigilant” in the wake of the sharp spike in incidents of hate crimes, sectarian violence, and anti-India activities in Canada.
The MEA’s advisory added that though India has asked the Canadian authorities to investigate the crimes, the perpetrators have still not been brought to justice so far in Canada.
Indian nationals and students from India in Canada and those proceeding to Canada for travel/ education are advised to exercise due caution and remain vigilant, stated the advisory. The Indian nationals and students have also been asked to register with the Indian high commission in Ottawa or the consulates to enable them to communicate with the Indian citizens better.
Advisory for Indian Nationals and Students from India in Canadahttps://t.co/dOrqyY7FgN pic.twitter.com/M0TDfTgvrG
— Arindam Bagchi (@MEAIndia) September 23, 2022
What prompted the advisory?
The advisory from the MEA comes amid a diplomatic row brewing between India and Canada over a so-called referendum held on September 19 in Brampton, Ontario, by “pro-Khalistan” elements to create an independent homeland for Sikhs. Also, anti-Hindu sentiments are on the rise as many temples in the country were being attacked, robbed and their walls defaced.
Also read: India advises its nationals in Canada to remain vigilant over ‘hate crimes’
One news report suggested that the Indian government, irked by the Canadian government’s “lackadaisical approach” towards individuals and organisations carrying out anti-India activities and sectarian crimes, went ahead and issued this advisory for Indians living in Canada.
India had termed the so-called Khalistan referendum conducted by separatist groups as a “farcical exercise”. MEA spokesperson Arindam Bagchi told the media, “We would term it as farcical exercise. A farcical exercise was held by extremists and radical elements supporting the so-called Khalistan referendum in Canada.”
Further, he added that India had conveyed its deep concern to a friendly country like Canada about the use of its territory by politically motivated “extremist elements”.
According to reports in a news website quoting sources, that this time the advisory has been issued by the MEA to give a “loud and clear” message to the Trudeau government which continues to rely heavily on these elements (Khalistani) for vote bank politics.
The Canadian government, meanwhile, maintained that it respects the sovereignty and territorial integrity of India, and does not recognise the referendum exercise. “However”, Bagchi said, “we find it deeply objectionable that politically motivated exercises by extremist elements are allowed to take place in a friendly country.”
The people were aware of the “history of violence” around this demand, he pointed out, adding that the Indian government would continue to press the Canadian government on this matter.
Attacks on temples
What has also caused concern besides the Khalistan issue, is the targeting of temples in Canada. On January 15 this year, there was an unsuccessful break-in at the Shri Hanuman Mandir in the GTA town of Brampton. Undeterred, ten days later, another temple in Brampton, the Maa Chintpurni Mandir, was broken into. This was followed by similar episodes reported at the Gauri Shankar Mandir and Jagannath Temple, both in Brampton, as well as the Hindu Heritage Centre in Mississauga and the Hamilton Samaj Temple.
On September 13, the walls of the BAPS Swaminarayan Mandir was allegedly defaced with “anti-India” slurs. Even as the high commission of India in Ottawa, Canada, tweeted that it strongly condemned the act and requested Canadian authorities to investigate the incident, India born Canadian Liberal Member of Parliament, Chandra Arya, a parliamentarian condemned this hate crime observing that this is not an “isolated” crime.
Here is the complete text of my statement in Canadian parliament on the recent hate crime incidents on Hindu temples in Toronto. pic.twitter.com/zEAJpBPTZU
— Chandra Arya (@AryaCanada) September 20, 2022
Raising concerns about the rising Hinduphobia in Canada, in his statement in the Canadian parliament, Arya further pointed out that Hindu Canadians were a peaceful and hard-working community focussed on their family and their children’s education. Well-organised anti-India and anti-Hindu groups were causing anti-Hindu sentiments, he added.
Back in July, a statue of Mahatma Gandhi in a Vishnu Mandir in Richmond Hill city too was vandalised causing a lot of anguish among the Indian community. His statue was desecrated with the words “Khalistan” and “Rapist”. The local police termed it a “hate bias-motivated incident”.
Punjab Sikhs and Khalistan movement in Canada
On 19 September, 2022, however, over 100,000 Canadian Sikhs gathered in Brampton, Ontario to vote for the Khalistan Referendum, which was organised by Khalistani group Sikhs for Justice (SFJ). The Sikhs gathered there had raised anti-India slogans while chanting “Khalistan Zindabad”, holding the purported Khalistan flag.
The referendum seeks to carve out a separate country for Punjab. The Khalistani group, SFJ, have been banned in India since 2019.
After the referendum, the SFJ plan to place their demand for independence from India before the UN and other international bodies with the goal of re-establishing Punjab as a nation state.
Also read: Indian student caught in shooting rampage in Canada succumbs to injuries
According to report by local consultants, nearly 65 per cent of the people who apply for immigration to Canada are Punjab Sikhs.India has also been Canada’s largest source for higher education students, with over 230,000 Indian citizens enrolled in Canadian institutions, according to reports.
Today, the Punjabi Sikh community are a rich and politically powerful group in Canada. Some community members have supported and funded the Khalistan separatist movement for many years, even hosting individual Khalistani extremists. Though, India has taken up this issue with Canada, with even the former PM Manmohan Singh in 2010, making a plea to his Canadian counterpart, Stephen Harper, not to allow Canadian soil to be used by extremists, the issues continues to fester.
Singh had also pointed out that most Sikhs were peace-loving and good citizens of Canada but a small group of people are pursuing the path of extremism.
Diplomatic embarrassments
This tacit support for the Khalistani movement, has left Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau red-faced at times. During his visit to India in 2018, Canadian diplomats had to hastily withdraw a party invitation to Jaspal Atwal, a known Khalistan supporter, convicted in the attempted murder of a Punjab minister. He had been invited to two events organised for Trudeau but the invitation was quickly taken back.
And, Trudeau later said Atwal should never have received an invitation. “As soon as we received the information, we rescinded it. A Member of Parliament had included this individual,” he said.
According to the report in the news website, New Delhi has taken up these matters with the Canadian government at all levels. But, reportedly, not a single action has been taken so far and therefore India is getting increasingly concerned.
The report quoting a source said that this advisory is just a signal but if this message does not work india will have to take it up further.
