- Thursday, February 27, 2025
While there are concerns over fears that Canada might also stop issuing visas to Indians, people are also worried over a renewed focus on the Khalistan secessionist movement in India.
By: Shubham Ghosh
WITH the diplomatic row between India and Canada still continuing over Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau’s allegations made last week that New Delhi’s agents might be involved in the killing of Khalistan separatist leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Surrey, British Columbia, in June, common people in the northern Indian state of Punjab were spending anxious days.
According to a report by Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC), people in the state were keeping a close watch on the developments in the ties between India and Canada after Trudeau’s explosive charges came and the Narendra Modi government hitting back and even suspending issuing of visas to Canadian citizens.
The move has put many people who have plans to travel to India in the near future in trouble.
People’s anxiety could be sensed on the streets of Punjab, the only Indian state with a majority Sikh population as they are likely to feel the impact of the worsening diplomatic situation.
The news outlet spoke to Ashok Kumar, a 62-year-old newspaper vendor in the city of Amritsar who told it in Punjabi that a lot of rumours were doing the rounds that Ottawa might retaliate by stopping issuing visas to Indian citizens as well.
But it is not just the row that has made the people worried.
They are also concerned over the fact that there is a renewed focus on the secessionist Khalistan movement, something that had bloodied India’s politics in the past. The movement has gained some traction among the diaspora communities but not so much in India which considers it movement and a threat to its territorial integrity.
For young Indians who aspire to pursue a career in Canada, it is also turning out into a major reason for worry. Twenty-year-old Ramandeep Kaur, who has a plan of becoming a nurse in the North American country, told CBC that she had applied for a visa and was wondering what was in store. Hailing from Patiala, one of Punjab’s largest cities, Kaur has invested a lot of money on her dream and the uncertainty makes her more worried.
Canada is a popular destination for several thousands of India students, many of whom originate from Punjab.
It is also a period of anxiety for parents in India. For those whose children are living and working in Canada, India’s decision to suspend issuing visas to Canadian citizens has come as a shock. They are apprehensive that if Canada takes a retaliatory measure tomorrow, their plan to visit that country would be in jeopardy.
