There is little belief between India and Canada now as Ottawa isn’t express in condemning Sikh extremists calling for the dismemberment of a pleasant nation, says Ujjal Dosanjh, a former Canadian minister of Indian origin.
Ujjal Dosanjh spoke to IndiaIn the present day.in on a spread of topics: from the sliding Indo-Canadian ties, the roots of the Khalistani motion in Canada and why Justin Trudeau’s hobnobbing with Sikh extremists has created belief points with the Indian authorities.
Ujjal Dosanjh was the premier of British Columbia. He was additionally a member of parliament from 2004-11 with the Liberal Party, whose present chief is Justin Trudeau. He served because the minister of well being of Canada from 2004-06.
Dosanjh, a distinguished voice of reasonable Sikhs in Vancouver, was attacked by Khalistanis outdoors a car parking zone in February 1985 after he spoke out towards the extremist components. The assault left him with a damaged hand and 80 stitches on his head. Despite this, Dosanjh has remained a harsh critic of the extremist components within the Sikh faith.
Here are some excerpts from the unique dialog with him:
Q. What do you consider the allegation made by Justin Trudeau towards India and New Delhi’s response to it?
When you expel a diplomat, the nation reacts in what is named a tit-for-tat transfer. Trudeau made an announcement within the House of Commons, catapulting this difficulty to a sky-high stage.
There may be very little belief on both aspect. India doesn’t belief Trudeau as a result of he has been seen hobnobbing with the Khalistanis ever since his management marketing campaign. One of his most senior advisors and cabinet ministers was alleged to have been Khalistanis. He is now supported in authorities by Jagmeet Singh, who’s a recognized Khalistani.
The different cause India doesn’t need to belief Trudeau is as a result of they (members of the Canadian authorities) all the time take refuge underneath freedom of expression… that everybody has the appropriate to specific. But when you think about India a pleasant nation and a fellow democracy, then you’ve gotten an obligation because the chief of Canada to inform your residents that look guys, you’ve gotten the appropriate to demand Khalistan however my authorities doesn’t help the dismemberment of a pleasant nation. They by no means stated that. In truth, no Canadian politician has stated that.
Q. And what about India’s function?
From a world standpoint, if India has completed this (had a task in Nijjar’s killing), whilst Trudeau has given no proof up to now, then it’s incorrect. You cannot go throughout the border and get folks assassinated.
The acceptable motion for India ought to have been to provoke an extradition course of (for Nijjar) because it did within the case of the younger Sidhu girl who was killed in India however her homicide was deliberate in Canada. That would have been the suitable route in Nijjar’s case as a result of he was accused of many issues by India.
On the opposite hand, Narendra Modi isn’t seen as a democrat. He isn’t seen as a pacesetter who acts to guard minorities in his personal nation. Then you think that maybe Narendra Modi is able to doing what Trudeau has accused him of.
Q. Do you suppose Canada has seen essentially the most radical face of Sikh extremism outdoors India?
Oh sure. There’s no nation the place its residents have been killed (by Khalistanis) like within the case of Air India Kanishka catastrophe. No different nation the place an Indian minister was made the goal of an assassination plot. Canada is the place the place this motion has deeper roots.
Q. And why is that?
It’s fairly laborious to isolate. But when you’ve gotten a management that is not ready to inform its residents that please do not attempt to dismember a pleasant nation and we do not help what you might be doing, then it appears like you might be explicitly supporting them underneath the garb of freedom of expression which they (members of the Canadian authorities) do. Then it turns into pure for the motion to take maintain and develop.
Q. In one in every of your current interviews, you stated the Canadian politicians used to see the Khalistan battle as a ‘brown folks versus brown folks’ drawback. Please clarify this somewhat extra.
Not solely Khalistan. Right after 1984, violence came about between Khalistanis and the individuals who have been towards them — who informed them ‘let’s not kill one another, let’s not do violence in Canada, let’s not undermine our future on this nation’. The different Canadian politicians did not care, they thought brown guys have been preventing brown guys and it did not have an effect on them. Nobody did something. Until the Air India catastrophe occurred. That’s after they (Canadian politicians) awakened.
Q. Do you suppose the Khalistani motion in Canada will spill over to India?
I doubt it. The Khalistan motion goes to remain right here in Canada solely. When you go to India, if you dwell in Punjab, you reside with non-Sikhs. They are your family and friends. They intermarry, they research and work collectively. All of the anger of 1984 has disappeared over time.
Whereas individuals who really feel damage, legitimately or not, towards India or towards the Indian authorities, there isn’t a therapeutic for them in Canada. They do not dwell collectively (with different communities right here). They go to their very own temples, principally Hindus go to temples, Sikhs go to their gurdwaras. There may be very little mingling between the Hindus and Sikhs, generally at marriage ceremony receptions perhaps. People do not realise that they’re similar to us, they did not damage us, they don’t seem to be our enemies.
Q. Why do Sikhs, not that sizeable a neighborhood, maintain such sway in Canadian politics?
I do not know whether or not they maintain such a sway in politics. But they appear to have an affect with Trudeau higher than they’d with anyone else. Trudeau gained his management on the energy of members made in Sikh gurdwaras throughout the nation. But earlier than Trudeau and hopefully after him, the Khalistanis hopefully will not have such sway.
I imply the (Sikh) neighborhood having an affect is an excellent factor. But if separatist components maintain such an affect, then it is an issue.
Q. What’s Jagmeet Singh’s function on this?
I’ve seen movies of Jagmeet Singh years in the past talking at sovereignty conferences on Khalistan. He is a recognized Khalistani and now he helps Trudeau within the authorities.
Even earlier than Jagmeet got here on the scene, Trudeau was who he was. The solely distinction now’s that you’ve two of them to take care of (within the authorities).
Q. How is Justin Trudeau totally different from his father, Pierre, who additionally rejected the Indian authorities’s warnings on the Khalistani menace throughout his time period as prime minister of Canada?
There isn’t any comparability between the 2. Justin Trudeau lacks the political conviction of his father. Trudeau Sr. was a lawyer, constitutional scholar, and activist.
(Justin) Trudeau is extra enamoured by id politics. It’s straightforward for him to latch onto any little group that wishes totally different remedy.
Q. How do you suppose the India-Canada ties are going to form up now? Do you see any normalisation quickly?
There isn’t any belief between the governments. I do not see the governments attempting to normalise issues anytime quickly. I believe it is going to be solely after both Narendra Modi or Justin Trudeau are gone from energy, that reconciliation shall be reached between the 2 nations.
Q. Don’t you suppose that expelling a diplomat primarily based on allegations is a bit far-fetched transfer by Trudeau?
Trudeau hasn’t shared the proof with anyone and it isn’t recognized what sort of proof it’s. You can criticise him for not placing on report any proof, however it’s tough to sentence him for what he did. Because if he certainly has the proof, then what he stated is official, no matter whether or not he ought to have dealt with it the best way he has.
That’s why even Canadians are asking him for proof.
Q. In India, the federal government’s response to the Canadian Prime Minister’s allegations has met with cheers. What’s your tackle that?
The drawback is that the Indians, who’re joyful, do not realise the actual victims listed here are 98 per cent of the Indo-Canadians who’re peace-loving. They need to go to India for numerous causes, like weddings, beginning and demise within the household, and promoting or shopping for property. Now they can not do it.
Edited By:
Rishabh Sharma
Published On:
Sep 24, 2023
