Keeping up with UP | Voices from the streets of Toronto
The Indian community settled in Canada want the issue between the two countries to be resolved in keeping with the laws of land
It was a coincidence that the cab driver who picked me up from the Toronto Pearson airport had studied engineering in New Delhi in the mid-1980s. This was the time when the country was shaken by the anti-Sikh riots following the assassination of the then prime minister Indira Gandhi on October 31, 1984.
Two of her Sikh bodyguards had assassinated her, fueled by the military action at the Golden Temple, known as Operation Blue Star. This led to the infamous stand-off between the Indian military and militants led by Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale, the head of the Sikh religious sect Damdami Taksal and the leading figure of the Khalistan movement, which sought an independent Sikh State in Punjab. While the Khalistan movement is now dormant in India, it sporadically resurfaces in some parts of Canada, led by a handful of activists.
The cab driver Mohammud, originally from Afghanistan, recounted how he and some students had saved the lives of a few Sikhs during that tumultuous time. He described the demand for Khalistan in Canada as unfortunate. Having settled in Canada, he now has a family with three grown-up children. He had little to say about the ongoing tension between the two countries but expressed hope for normalisation soon.
Another cab driver (name withheld), who came from central Uttar Pradesh, observed two young individuals carrying the Khalistani flag on Young Street in midtown Toronto and wondered whether they were being paid for it. He expressed his bewilderment, saying, "How can we demand the division of a country that issues us passports to travel here?"
According to an Associated Press report of September 20, “Canada is home to nearly 1.4 million people of Indian ethnic or cultural origin, accounting for about 3.7% of the country's total population, according to the 2021 census.”
“More than 770,000 people reported their religion as Sikhism, 2% of Canada's population. According to data from Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada, of the more than 800,000 international students in Canada at the end of 2022, 40% were from India,” the report stated.
According to the executive director of the Afghan Women's Organization Refugee and Immigrant Services Adeena Niazi, who studied at Lucknow University in the late 1970s, “Religion and cultures should unite and not divide us. I really hope the matter gets resolved at the earliest. Canada is my home and India is where I studied Sanskrit in MA, spent about a decade. Let there be peace.”
Strangely, there is scarce discussion regarding the Indian-Canada dispute over the allegations made by Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau about the involvement of Indian agents in the June assassination of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a Canadian separatist Sikh leader in Vancouver. India firmly denied the allegations.
Even in Brampton, a city in Ontario, home to approximately 163,000 Sikhs according to Canada's 2019 census data, people prefer to refrain from making any public comments. However, there is a prevalent sentiment that the Khalistani movement involving a handful of Sikhs has strained the relationship between Hindus and Sikhs over the last decade. Many Hindus who used to regularly visit Gurdwaras have either reduced or ceased their visits due to discomfort caused by the display of posters of Bhindranwale and members of his Tiger Force in or near two or three places of worship.
One of the Gurdwara’s Facebook page has tributes to Khalistani movement leaders.
"The people involved in the Khalistani movement are in the minority, and I don't believe it has tarnished the relationship between Hindus and Sikhs. While some individuals have vandalised temples or caused disturbances, such elements exist in various parts of the world,” Sanjeev Mallik, an investment and insurance broker residing in Brampton said.
Regarding why the Canadian State allows people to use their land to demand the division of Punjab, Mallik added, “The police here only intervene when there is a risk of physical harm. Many Canadians protest against their own prime minister, but the police remain passive unless there is a threat to law and order.”
However, many Indian-Canadians want Prime Minister Trudeau to remain watchful of anti-India activities as they are concerned about their own safety in some cities. An aged person in Brampton (name withheld) refused to comment on the Khalistani movement. "I have been living here for over two decades. Now in my late 80s, I don't want to invite any trouble. But the separatist voices are growing and the Indian government may not be wrong in demanding some check on them. Even some of our Sikh friends are worried."
Mallik further expressed that while the dispute between the two countries has not affected the daily life of Indian Canadians or Sikhs, businesspeople may face setbacks. He cited the case of a prominent businessman whose plans to establish a franchise of a Canadian food chain in India are now in limbo.
The Indian Government however resumed visa services for selected categories from October 26.
Public health consultant Dr Mahendra Sheth, who worked with the United Nations for many years before settling in Canada, emphasised the need for a resolution between the two countries. He noted a reduction in protests since the matter was first raised by the Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in September. Indian Canadians and no direct retaliation by the Canadian government even after the Indian government suspended all categories of visas for Canadian citizens and withdrew diplomatic immunity from 41 diplomats and their families in India. However, he mentioned that many friends have had to postpone their business trips from Toronto to Delhi and Bangalore.
The common sentiment is that the Canadian government should have provided the evidence as demanded by the Indian government, and the Indian government should have agreed to investigations instead of branding Canada as a haven for terrorists.
Niloufar Pourzand, who served as the head of UNICEF in Uttar Pradesh for many years and is now settled in Canada, expressed her sadness about the deteriorating relationship between the two countries. As an Iranian with a strong affinity for India, she emphasised the importance of finding peaceful pathways forward, despite disagreements and disapproved killing of an activist as alleged by the Canadian government. It's a violation of human rights. However, it's a matter under investigation, she added.
She currently teaches a Human Rights class for undergraduates at York University, which includes students from various cultural backgrounds, including those from South America, the Caribbean, and Central Asia.
Discussing the complexities of global conflicts, she acknowledged the challenges of addressing the concerns of students coming from diverse backgrounds and dealing with a range of issues.
In the lead-up to the 41 Diplomats returning to Canada from India, the public discourse in Canada had primarily revolved around inflation, unemployment, and housing, until the Israel-Palestinian conflict drew global attention.
Saumya Mishra, who has settled in Toronto and operates the radio station ‘Dhishum’ to promote Indian culture and traditions, highlighted the impact of the deteriorating relationship on the young Indian-Canadian community. She recalled the sense of pride experienced during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Canada in 2015, emphasising the positive effect it had on the recognition of Indians in the market. However, with the recent decline in relations, the student community is grappling with heightened uncertainty.
The majority of Indian-Canadians want Prime Minister Trudeau to remain watchful of anti-India activities as they fear for their safety in some of the cities.
Some first-generation Canadians however strongly defend their government's stand and criticize the oppressive reaction of the Indian government. Senior award-winning television journalist Peter Murphy, whose career spanned four decades said, “The Canadians abhor terrorism and remember vividly the bombing by Sikh terrorists of Air India 182 in June of 1985. Most of the 275 people killed were Canadians. That was forty years ago. Sikh separatism now thankfully appears to be mostly a dead issue in India. The government should agree to get to the bottom of the killing instead of retaliating. Canada will not retaliate. It appears that relations between our two countries will not thaw until after the general elections in India. Canada and India have had a long, friendly and fruitful relationship.”
Another aged cab driver, originally from Jaipur, expressed his concern about a potential repeat of the events of 1984. Despite holding two passports and having the ability to settle anywhere, he hopes that the situation will improve, considering the historical ties between the two countries.
From her perch in Lucknow, senior journalist Sunita Aron highlights important issues related to Uttar Pradesh
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