Appalling Canadian apathy to anti-India Khalistani activities
The impunity with which Khalistani radicals operate abroad and indulge in hate speech without a squeak from the respective governments indicates how little the latter care for Indian sensitivities. The latest arson attack on an Indian consulate in San Francisco and the release of provocative posters holding top Indian diplomats in Canada responsible for the murder of Khalistan Tiger Force chief Hardeep Singh Nijjar in British Columbia on June 18 was appalling. Nijjar had a `10 lakh Indian bounty on his head and was linked to the banned Sikhs for Justice outfit. Unidentified persons gunned him down at a parking lot outside a gurdwara in Surrey, the probe into which is nowhere near completion. Yet, the terrorists have been allowed to be the judge, jury and executioner without being hauled up for hate crimes. Canada has a history of indifference to crimes directed against India; the worst was the blowing up of Air India’s Kanishka by Khalistani zealots in 1985. That probe was botched up though most of the 329 on board who died were Canadian nationals, possibly because they were of Indian origin. Hauled up by India on Tuesday, Canada spoke about its commitment to the safety of diplomats and conceded that the posters were unacceptable. While it claimed it was committed to the Vienna Convention regarding the safety of diplomats, there wasn’t any perceptible action on the ground. The US strongly criticised the attack in San Francisco and promised to take strict action to protect the Indian mission and its diplomats.
On a different note, some Western nations appear to have a warped sense of free speech, like the recent permission Sweden’s police gave to an Iraqi national to burn a copy of the Quran outside a mosque on the first day of Eid. Only after a massive diplomatic backlash did Sweden condemn Islamophobia as unacceptable. Canada is opportunistic, too, as it panders to the Sikh vote bank. Foreign minister S Jaishankar recently said partner countries like Canada, the US, the UK and Australia have been requested not to give space to the Khalistani elements, warning it will affect bilateral relations. The next flashpoint could be on Saturday when ‘Khalistan Freedom Rallies’ are organised outside Indian missions abroad to protest Nijjar’s murder. Whether or not Canada will act on the Indian demand for decisive actions against the protesters who could desecrate the tricolour and indulge in violence remains to be seen.