Canada Won’t Recognise Khalistan Referendum: MEA India

The Canadian government has conveyed to India that Canada will not recognize the objectionable ‘Khalistan’ referendum organized by the proscribed organization Sikhs For Justice (SFJ) in Ontario on November 6, the Ministry of External Affairs said Thursday.

“Government of Canada has conveyed that they respect the sovereignty of India and will not recognize the (‘Khalistan’) referendum… deeply objectionable that politically motivated exercises by extremist elements are allowed to take place in a friendly country,” MEA spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said during a weekly presser.

“Our position on the anti-India elements to hold the so-called ‘Khalistan’ referendum is well-known. The Canadian High Commissioner here and the Deputy Foreign Minister reiterated this perspective earlier this week in separate statements. You all are aware of the history of violence in this regard,” Bagchi added.

India will continue to press the government of Canada on this matter and call upon them (the Canadian government) to prevent anti-India activities on individuals and groups based in Canada, Bagchi said.

MEA also called on the Canadian government to designate, as terrorists under their law, those individuals and entities who have been declared as terrorists under Indian law.

India recently served a demarche to the Canadian government, asking it to stop the so-called ‘Khalistan’ referendum organised by the proscribed organisation in Ontario on November 6. The Centre has asked the Canadian government to act against those who promote terror and violence against the largest democracy in the world.

Amid the surge in activities of anti-India elements in Canada, High Commissioner Cameron MacKay last Thursday said the Justin Trudeau government supports the sovereignty and territorial integrity of India.

“Canada supports the sovereignty and territorial integrity of India,” MacKay said to a question by ANI, in an apparent clarification of his earlier remarks.

The envoy who was visiting the Gurudwara Bangla Sahib in the national capital was asked about the measures that the Canadian government was taking to deal with the ‘Khalistani’ outfit, which is proscribed in India.

MacKay, earlier, said all faiths are welcome in Canada, in response to how Canada was dealing with increasing anti-India elements in his country. “In Canada, we love people of all faiths,” he said.

When asked about the so-called referendums by ‘anti-India’ outfits, High Commissioner MacKay said, “All faiths are welcome in Canada” and repeated the statement once more for the third time.

Meanwhile, last month India issued an advisory for its nationals and students in Canada to remain vigilant amid increasing incidents of crimes and anti-India activities in the country. In a statement, the external affairs ministry said Indian missions have taken up these incidents with the Canadian authorities and requested them to probe these crimes.

The MEA noted that there has been a sharp increase in incidents of hate crimes, sectarian violence, and anti-India activities in Canada. “In view of the increasing incidences of crimes as described above, Indian nationals and students from India in Canada and those proceeding to Canada for travel/education are advised to exercise due caution and remain vigilant,” the statement added. (ANI)

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Kirpan At US Varsity

Sikh Student Detained For Wearing Kirpan At US Varsity

A Sikh student at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte was allegedly detained on the campus for wearing Kirpan, one of the integral parts of five Sikh Kakars, Bharatiya Janata Party leader Manjinder Singh Sirsa claimed, sharing a video of the incident.

The BJP leader shared a video in which it was shown that the US police tried to take the Kirpan from the Sikh youth and later detained him when he resisted.
“Despite numerous global campaigns to create awareness about Sikh Kakaars, it’s disheartening to see the Campus Police at the University of North Carolina detain a Sikh youth for his Kirpan at US Varsity.” I condemn the discriminatory attitude of university authorities towards Sikh students,” Sirsa tweeted.

He condemned the incident and demanded an apology from the Campus police and University Administration that detained the youth.

“We demand an apology from Campus Police and University Admin at @unccharlotte for detaining a Sikh youth for his Kirpan, a quintessential part of Sikh Kakars. “We are in constant touch with @IndianEmbassyUS and @MEAIndia to ensure the Amritdhari student is released with due respect,” Sirsa, a former legislator, said in a tweet.

“I must appreciate the Sikh student who explained the significance of Kirpan with such faith. We demand an apology from the @unccharlotte admin for this racial attitude. I also urge @DrSJaishankar Ji to address the issue of discrimination faced by Sikh students at the global level, “he added.

The video was initially shared by the student, who posted it on Twitter saying that the police handcuffed him for resisting letting the officer take his Kirpan out of the miyaan.

“I wasn’t going to post this, but I don’t think I will receive any support from @unccharlotte. I was told someone called 911 and reported me, and I got cuffed for “resisting” because I refused to let the officer take my kirpan out of the miyaan.”

The Kirpan is an integral part of the Sikh religion and Article 25 of the Indian Constitution allows the wearing and carrying of kirpans by Sikh persons. It is one of the five Kakars.

According to the World Sikh Organization of Canada, Kirpan is an article of faith that plays a role in the Sikh religion. The kirpan is worn by initiated (Amritdhari) Sikhs, both men, and women, and is one of five articles of faith, often called the 5Ks; Kesh, Kangha, Kara, Kachhera, and Kirpan.

Sikhs wear them as a reminder of their commitment to the tenets of their faith, including justice, charity, morality, humility, and equality.

It is mandated to be worn always, it is an integral part of the Khalsa Sikh’s person, and not wearing the kirpan at any time, day or night, constitutes a grievous transgression for a Khalsa Sikh. (ANI)

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Weekly Update: Modi’s Mission 2070; Fuss Over Sikhs For Justice

2070 Only 50 Years Away

Normally a man used to whisking a magic wand at midnight and policy getting implemented within 10 sec past 12, Modiji seems to have done some unique yoga pose to have given a calm, patient and thoughtful five decades notice for the zero emission climate change goal. Ecstatic, Britain’s born again imperialist, Boris, was driven to endless hugs with Modiji as he felt he had achieved one promise in the COP 26 meetings that was worthy of looking forward to.

What can humanity want more than a slow burning ray of hope as it dies with congested overheated lungs, water up to its knees and praying to live up to the momentous year, 2070 when a new yug will dawn. Then the world will change and those still left with a few functioning alveoli can recover without Oxygen cylinders.

Modiji’s promise to deliver by 2070 has been more than a notch in British Prime Minister’s achievement at COP26. Boris committed UK to net zero by 2050. Greta’s school warriors were not happy. Too late they said. Now Modiji has added another two decades making Boris’s promise look, ‘ASAP by tomorrow’.

It is a great relief for Boris. Most middle class school age English Girls like to go on a ‘discover yourself’ extended round India tour. A chink in Greta’s army. So they are not going to say ‘Modi Hai Hai’. Which means Boris wins as he can say I am reaching the goal post faster than ‘my huggy friend Modi’. Meanwhile Modi, ‘Hugs r Us’, knows he doesn’t have to deliver.

Unless Jeff Bezos’s money finds the magic elixir of eternal life, both Boris (57) and Modi (71) will be long gone into another world beyond before 2070. So they won’t even be here to be called out.

Brilliant stroke of strategy by the Indian PM and a quick take on opportunity if ever by Boris, a person never to let one pass by. No doubt Greta was walking the streets with her force at the weekend frustrated.

Panic Over A Paper Tiger

If some of the media coverage of the Khalistan Referendum held in London are to be believed, the National Security Advisors of UK and India are to meet and spend quite some time over something that has the relevance of a meteor in the third galaxy away.

The world of Indian security threats must be near nirvana if Khalistan Referendum is the most pressing issue giving Mr Doval sleepless nights. No wonder the Sikhs for Justice (SFJ) have boasted of being a real danger to the mental state of India’s rulers.

The Indian State, used to throwing people in cells for just using constitutional rights such as free speech or civil rights or judicial judgements, can’t fathom why other countries don’t do the same for India. One Indian media even went as far as, ‘doesn’t Johnson understand that this (not stopping Khalistan Referendum) could affect India – UK relations!’

Apparently the Indian Foreign Secretary used most of his press conference at Glasgow to attack the ‘Khalistan Referendum’.  Allegedly even PM Modi raised this issue with PM Johnson, obviously seeing it as a greater threat to the Globe than climate issues. Climate can wait till 2070, but freedom of expression! How can that be permitted in United Kingdom, especially for Sikhs! Boris must have been lost for words for the first time, standing on SNP ground, Glasgow and being asked by Indian PM to stop an independence campaign. Did PM Modi think of the irony of his demand, if he did indeed make it?

There appears to be a bit of misunderstanding between the two countries on democracy, article 19, freedom of speech and the United Nations Declaration on Human Rights. As many an Indian journalist and news media will say behind closed doors, freedom of speech in India means ‘freedom as tolerated’ by the Government of the day. From Indira to Modi, it has been interpreted as such.

In UK, freedom of speech is, well, anything that a person wants to say regardless of what Government prefers. Sometimes it can lead to litigation by individuals named by an overzealous free speech wallah. But government doesn’t have that luxury. Nor does British police, Army or secret Services oblige Government by incarnating or knocking off a person who campaigns against Boris, the Queen, the State or even House of Lords.

Somewhere during transfer of power in 1947, this aspect of democracy wasn’t hammered home properly. So repeatedly Indian officials and PM’s insist that UK, USA and even UN follow India’s interpretation of freedom of speech. It wants the whole human rights world to accept Indian constitutional concept of any campaign or desire for freedom to be labelled as sedition!

The focus on the Khalistan Referendum, the over reaction by Indian officials in its various embassies is bizarre. It exposes an abnormal neurosis among decision and policy makers at the top of Indian security and ministerial team.

Referendums are held by Governments. UN doesn’t hold referendum unless the Security Council sanctions it and all five veto holding members agree. So what’s the panic all about? Civil society cannot hold ‘referendums’ any more than form ‘Parliaments’. They can hold pretend ones or engage in theatrical versions.

The Indian press has been shrieking that ISI is behind this and some even said that many Pakistanis voted in London in the ‘referendum that isn’t a referendum. Some even accuse China. The hysterical coverage is hilarious.

It will be foolish of Pakistan or China to be financing or helping with this non-referendum referendum. India can easily finance a Baluchistan referendum or even a Tibetan referendum in UK in retaliation if any of these countries consider raising the issue at UN.

But if Modi and Doval think that a paper referendum with no legal or political value is the greatest threat India is facing while being surrounded by hostile countries on all its borders and a Islamic State (ISIS) considering launching a strategy of attacks within India from basis in Afghanistan, one can only think of the last days of the Mughal Empire. The Emperor would not look at real threat from colonialists but concentrated on pointless small ones in his Kingdom.

As for NSA India raising this with NSA UK, it will be better for High Commissioner of India (HCI) I to talk to Priti Patel, Britain’s Home Minister, who, despite being alleged to be a Modi fan, will tell the HCI, that there is nothing she can do. British law interprets freedom of expression as it literally means.

The more India reacts, by labelling SFJ as terrorist and the referendum as a ‘great threat’ on par with border attacks by China, the more Sikh nationalists around the world participate in it. If all it takes to create panic in India is to put a cross on a paper with no teeth in London, why not do it again and again. That’s what many say. It is more than surrealist. If China is financing it, their officials must be having a real laugh.