Khalistan Movement Will Stay In Canada: Ex-Canadian Minister

Former Canadian minister of Indian origin Ujjal Dosanjh has said that the ties between India and Canada will not improve till either of the two Prime Ministers (Justin Trudeau and Narendra Modi) is out of power.

Speaking with India Today, Dosanjh said that both countries lack trust after the recent diplomatic fallout following the murder of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Canada.

He told the channel: "There is very little trust on either side. India does not trust Trudeau because he has been seen hobnobbing with the Khalistanis ever since his leadership campaign. One of his most senior advisors and cabinet ministers was alleged to have been Khalistanis. He is now supported in government by Jagmeet Singh, who is a known Khalistani.

The other reason India does not want to trust Trudeau is because they (members of the Canadian government) always take refuge under freedom of expression... that everyone has the right to express. But if you consider India a friendly country and a fellow democracy, then you have an obligation as the leader of Canada to tell your citizens that look guys, you have the right to demand Khalistan but my government does not support the dismemberment of a friendly nation. They never said that. In fact, no Canadian politician has said that."

He is of the view that Trudeau should provide evidence over allegations linking the Indian government to the murder of Nijjar. Dosanjh stated that one cannot cross the border and kill a person. He said, "The appropriate action for India should have been to initiate an extradition process (for Nijjar) as it did in the case of the young Sidhu woman who was killed in India but her murder was planned in Canada. That would have been the appropriate route in Nijjar's case because he was accused of many things by India.

On the other hand, Narendra Modi is not seen as a democrat. He is not seen as a leader who acts to protect minorities in his own country. Then you suspect that perhaps Narendra Modi is capable of doing what Trudeau has accused him of."

Ujjal Dosanjh held the position of Premier in British Columbia and was additionally a Member of Parliament from 2004 to 2011, representing the Liberal Party, presently led by Justin Trudeau. He served as Canada's Minister of Health from 2004 to 2006.

The former Canadian minister blamed Trudeau's government for failing to act against the Khalistani elements under the garb of freedom of speech. "It's pretty hard to isolate. But when you have a leadership that isn't prepared to tell its citizens that please don't try to dismember a friendly country and we don't support what you are doing, then it feels like you are explicitly supporting them under the garb of freedom of expression which they (members of the Canadian government) do. Then it becomes natural for the movement to take hold and grow," he continued.

He does not think that the Khalistan issue will stay in Canada only and will not spill over to India. "When you go to India, when you live in Punjab, you live with non-Sikhs. They are your friends and family. They intermarry, they study and work together. All of the anger of 1984 has disappeared over time.

Whereas people who feel hurt, legitimately or not, against India or against the Indian government, there is no healing for them in Canada. They don't live together (with other communities here). They go to their own temples, basically Hindus go to temples, Sikhs go to their gurdwaras. There is very little mingling between the Hindus and Sikhs, sometimes at wedding receptions maybe. People don't realise that they are just like us, they didn't hurt us, they are not our enemies," he added.

Known for his advocacy among moderate Sikhs in Vancouver, Dosanjh was assaulted by Khalistanis outside a parking lot in February 1985 after publicly condemning extremist elements. This assault resulted in a broken hand and 80 stitches on his head. Nevertheless, Dosanjh has consistently maintained a critical stance against extremist elements within the Sikh religion.

On asking why Sikhs have such a huge influence on politics in Canada, he said that they hold no such sway in politics. "But they seem to have an influence with Trudeau better than they had with anybody else. Trudeau won his leadership on the strength of members made in Sikh gurdwaras across the country. But before Trudeau and hopefully, after him, the Khalistanis hopefully won't have such sway.

I mean the (Sikh) community having an influence is a wonderful thing. But if separatist elements hold such an influence, then it's a problem."

It was all started after Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau made an explosive statement on Monday accusing an Indian government agency of killing Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar. He also expelled an Indian diplomat identified as Pavan Kumar Rai, the head of India's foreign intelligence agency in Canada, the Toronto Star newspaper reported.