- Wednesday, February 26, 2025
Mukhbir Singh, a member of the Ottawa Sikh Society, said Canadian Sikhs’ views on Khalistan may be different but everyone should be able to express their own opinion.
By: Shubham Ghosh
WHILE Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau has faced a backlash following his allegations that India was involved in the killing of Khalistan separatist leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar in British Columbia in June, he has also found allies in the Sikhs in his country who feel the former has given their fears a voice and standing up to New Delhi despite the risk of facing flak.
While India hit back at Canada over Trudeau’s allegations and called them “absurd” and “motivated”, Canadian Sikhs are not convinced, Reuters reported. However, those who support the Khalistan movement are also afraid and are staging protests as a result.
Sentokh Singh, a Sikh among a small group that protested in front of the Indian high commission in Ottawa last week, told Reuters, “That’s why we are here today.”
While both the countries expelled each other’s diplomats in the wake of Trudeau’s allegations, India even suspended issuing visas to Canadian citizens.
India, which has accused Canada of becoming a safe haven for terrorists, said Trudeau’s “unsubstantiated allegations” took the focus away from “Khalistani terrorists and extremists who have been provided shelter in Canada”.
Canada, on the other hand, feels Sikhs have a right to stage peaceful protest and there has been zero evidence of violence, terror activities or wrongdoing.
The North American nation is home to nearly 770,000 Sikhs, the highest population outside the northern Indian state of Punjab. New Delhi, on the other hand, has expressed concerns over the decades with some community members coming out with strong support for Khalistan.
The Sikhs also play a key role in Canadian politics. They have a significant presence in the country’s House of Commons; over four per cent of seats in many key battleground constituencies in national polls despite constituting only two per cent of the population of the country.
Gurmeet Singh Toor, a friend of Nijjar who was gunned down outside a gurdwara, is a Khalistan supporter. He was warned about possible life threats by Canada’s federal police in August, as per a document given to him by the lawmakers, Reuters reported. It, however, did not mention anything in detail about the threat.
Mukhbir Singh, a member of the Ottawa Sikh Society, said Canadian Sikhs’ views on Khalistan are different from each other but everyone should be able to express their own opinion.
He said the Canadian prime minister is sticking up for Canadian democratic values, the Reuters report added.
“Prime minister Trudeau has taken a stance” to make “paramount” the safety of its citizens, Singh said, even though the Canadian government does not back Khalistan.
“In Canada, we have the right to express our opinions even if they don’t align with the opinions of the government,” he was quoted as saying.
Suk Dhaliwal, a Sikh Liberal member of parliament for Surrey, told the news outlet that he is not a Khalistan separatist, but a Canadian, and Canadians have a right to protest peacefully.
