Khalistanis in the UK: London assures New Delhi on swift action
Virendra Pandit
New Delhi: After a group of pro-Khalistan extremists prevented the Indian High Commissioner to the United Kingdom from entering a Gurdwara in Scotland on Friday, London has assured India to take swift action against the perpetrators.
The media reported on Saturday that the UK has taken the matter seriously.
High Commissioner Vikram Doraiswami was prevented from entering a Gurdwara in Scotland’s Glasgow by two Khalistani radicals. In a purported video posted on the Instagram channel called ‘Sikh Youth UK,’ a man, reportedly a pro-Khalistani activist, was seen blocking Doraiswami from entering the Glasgow Gurdwara on Albert Drive.
On receiving information, police reached the spot to probe the matter.
Reports said the UK assured India that the Gurdwaras welcome Indian Diplomats and the Indian Community. “Only a few radical men try to use it as an opportunity to get social media traction and to claim to be devoted to the alleged cause.”
After the incident, India raised the issue of diplomats’ security with the UK’s Foreign Office.
As a part of the outreach, Gurdwara committees in the UK have a great understanding and mutual respect for Indian diplomats and the UK High Commissioner is a regular visitor there, officials said.
They also clarified that the two radical men seen in the video are not part of the Gurudwara committee and action will be taken against them.
“The Gurudwara in Glasgow invited High Commissioner Doraiwami for a function. Somehow these two radical men got to know about it and decided to create a scene at his arrival. They had nothing to do with the Gurdwara administration. The High Commissioner did not want to spoil the function by remaining in Gurudwara, so he decided not to get down from the car,” they said.
Even after the Indian envoy left, the Gurdwara officials requested him to come back. However, he did not attend the event because of security concerns.
“The situation in the UK is unlike Canada. Canada never took the ‘concerns’ of the Indians seriously whereas the UK, since day one, has acted against these groups and took the matter seriously. Now, India has again raised concerns regarding the security of the High Commissioner,” officials said.
The incident unfolded outside a Gurdwara where Doraiswami had a planned meeting with the shrine’s committee. The video showed two men near the High Commissioner’s car in the parking area. One of them is seen attempting to open the car door, locked from the inside.
“…You are hurting Sikhs in Canada and other places. Every Sikh should protest against any Indian Ambassadors the way we did here in Glasgow,” the man is heard saying in the video.
The ‘Sikh Youth UK’ claimed there was an ongoing ban on Indian officials visiting the Gurdwara in their official capacities.
The purported video then shows the High Commissioner’s car leaving the Gurdwara premises. Another man speaks to the camera that this is how any Indian ambassador or any Indian government official who visits the Gurdwara will be treated.
