The authorities in Canada have withdrawn permission to hold a “Khalistan referendum” at a public school amid concerns over promotional material and posters for the event featuring pictures of AK-47 assault rifles. The referendum was scheduled to be held at the Tamanwis Secondary School in Surrey on September 10. The board of trustees at the school revoked permission for the event following concerns raised by 40 societies with both the City of Surrey and the Provincial Government. Ritinder Matthew, Associate Director, Communication Services, Surrey Schools said that the district cancelled a “community rental” of one of the schools "due to a violation of our rental agreement." “Promotional materials for the event featured images of our school, alongside images of a weapon. Despite repeated attempts to address the issue, the event organisers failed to remove the images, and materials continued to be posted throughout Surrey and on social media,” Matthew said. “As a school district, our primary mission is to provide quality education and support to our students and ensure a safe environment for our school communities. Anyone renting our facilities must adhere to this,” she said, adding, “Our decision is in no way an endorsement of, or criticism of, any political position.” The school's hall had been rented by an Ontario resident for what was described as a "community event." The local community initiated a campaign against the event after organisers associated with Sikhs For Justice led by Gurpatwant Singh Pannu — declared a terrorist by the Indian government, displayed posters of Talwinder Singh Parmar, the mastermind of the 1985 Air India Flight 182 — a Boeing 747 christened Emperor Kanishka — bombing (in which 329 passengers and crew were killed), and weapons throughout the city. A group, The Concerned Residents of Surrey, demanded an immediate halt to the process, preventing any local school from being used to promote terrorism. The Indo-Canadian Workers Association (ICWA) also called for the event's cancellation. In a letter to the school board, Satinder Sangha, media coordinator for ICWA, expressed concerns about the divisive nature of the referendum campaign, stating it damaged the communal harmony of the Indo-Canadian community. “We are very concerned that a public school is being utilised. The posters with military tones and clear portrayal of weapons are divisive. We believe no public institution should be utilised for an external political event,” Sangha wrote. Earlier, Mayor Brenda Locke, during an interview with Ivan Scott of Surrey Talk Radio, had strongly condemned the presence of posters depicting AK-47s, but emphasised that the Surrey City Council has no legal say in how the Surrey School District uses its school premises. A statement from the Concerned Group of Residents further revealed that the event organisers had fraudulently booked the school without disclosing the nature of the event, which infringed on the unity and integrity of another sovereign nation. The presence of the posters at the school had stirred widespread dismay. Joginder Bassi, a journalist, had reached out to the trustees regarding the event, highlighting that parents were hesitant to send their children to school due to the display of posters featuring terrorists and firearms. He sought an interview with the trustees for his report. SFJ, which was banned by the Indian government in 2019, held its first self-proclaimed "referendum" at a community centre in Brampton on September 19, 2022 drawing considerable attention as Pannu led a group of slogan-chanters. Another "referendum" took place at Gurdwara Sri Guru Singh Sabha, Mississauga, in the Greater Toronto Area on July 16 this year. At that time, officials from the Indian embassy pointed out that the organisers had failed to obtain permission to host the event at a local community centre. In a similar vein, earlier this year in May, the Sydney Masonic Centre in Australia had canceled SFJ's booking for a voting event scheduled for June 4, following a campaign by the local Indian community. Additionally, Blacktown City Council had canceled a similar event on May 12 due to concerns about potential violence. It's worth noting that while the term "referendum" is used, this voting lacks legal legitimacy. Nevertheless, such events have managed to stir emotions, with locals lamenting the resulting polarisation within the Indian community. The Indian consulate has consistently voiced its opposition to these self-styled "referendums."
