Virendra Pandit
New Delhi: Until a decade ago, the US embarrassed India by hyphenating it with Pakistan. In a payback, a rising India may now be forced to hyphenate America with Canada, given how New Delhi’s relations with Washington and Ottawa are deteriorating in tandem…unless Donald Trump’s potential return to the White House arrests this decline.
Amid uncertainties about the outcome of the US presidential elections this week, India is bracing for this new era of the so-called democratic and liberal ruling parties in North America supporting pro-Khalistani outfits many of whose members are not just citizens of the US and Canada but also their “assets.”
That is why, in an unprecedented move, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri will on Wednesday (November 6) brief the Parliamentary Committee on Foreign Relations on the fast-deteriorating India-Canada ties which have taken a new hit after 15 months of continuous slide, the latest being the pro-Khalistanis wreaking havoc on Sunday in a Hindu temple.
He may also brief the panel on the recent upswing in Sino-Indian relations after the agreement to de-escalate the bilateral tensions and resume patrolling at friction points along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in Eastern Ladakh, the media reported on Monday.
Misry’s move comes soon after Canada’s Deputy Foreign Affairs Minister David Morrison’s October 29 claim that Union Home Minister Amit Shah ordered a campaign of violence, intimidation, and intelligence-gathering targeting Sikh separatists inside Canada, a charge India promptly dismissed as “absurd and baseless.”
In the latest irritant, a pro-Khalistani mob attacked a Hindu temple in Brampton, Canada, on Sunday. A group of devotees, including women and children, at the Hindu Sabha Mandir was targeted by the pro-Khalistanis. Videos showed a group of men wielding sticks and attacking devotees outside the temple went viral and an Indian-origin MP complained that Khalistani extremists got a ‘free pass’ in Canada, the media reported on Monday.
Having gone this far in appeasing his pro-Khalistani vote bank, and afraid of losing the Hindus’ votes in the next year’s parliamentary elections, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Monday tried some course correction and condemned the attack, saying that acts of violence are “unacceptable.” “Every Canadian has the right to practice their faith freely and safely.”
However, without condemning the Khalistanis, he thanked the police for “swiftly responding to protect the community and investigate this incident.”
Videos of the incident, widely shared online, including by Canadian MPs, showed a group of men wielding sticks and attacking devotees outside the temple.
The mob was seen carrying flags associated with pro-Khalistani groups. The Hindu Canadian Foundation, a non-profit community organization, which responded on social media, said children and women were also attacked in the incident.
According to reports, these pro-Khalistanis were holding a demonstration to commemorate the 1984 anti-Sikh riots before the attack took place.
The incident escalated tensions in the area, prompting the Canadian police to deploy a significant number of personnel. Peel Regional Police chief Nishan Duraiappah urged restraint, stating, “We respect the right to protest peacefully and safely, but we will not tolerate violence and criminal acts.” Those engaging in such activities will be pursued, arrested, and charged, he said.
Opposition leader Pierre Poilievre, who also skipped a Deepawali event recently for fear of losing out on the Khalistani votes, condemned the violence, called the attack unacceptable. “All Canadians should be free to practice their faith in peace… I will unite our people and end the chaos,” he tweeted.
Canada’s Indian-origin Transport Minister Anita Anand called the attacks “unacceptable” and said that “all religions, Hindus included, have the right to attend places of worship and practice their religion without such assaults.”
Rao Yendamuri of the Hindu Forum Canada said that a similar “riot-like” situation occurred at the Laksminarayan Mandir in Surrey.
For a change, Trudeau’s former close aide and Sikh MP Jagmeet Singh tweeted, “Every Canadian must be free to visit their place of worship in peace. I unequivocally condemn the acts of violence at the Hindu Sabha Mandir. Violence anywhere is wrong. I join community leaders in calling for peace.”
Canadian MP of Indian origin, Chandra Arya, tweeting a video of the incident, said, “A red line has been crossed by Canadian Khalistani extremists today. The attack by Khalistanis on the Hindu-Canadian devotees inside the premises of the Hindu Sabha temple in Brampton shows how deep and brazen Khalistani violent extremism has become in Canada.”
The incident occurred amid strained relations between India and Canada as Ottawa repeatedly dismissed New Delhi’s calls for strict action against Khalistani extremists in Canada. Instead, it accused India of targeting Khalistani individuals within its borders, leading to a massive diplomatic row.