Opinion Amarinder Singh writes: In 2018, I gave Trudeau a list of terrorists in Canada — he did nothing

It is India that is being targeted and victimised from Canadian soil. The attacks on Indian consulates and Hindu places of worship in that country are still fresh in public memory

"The Canadian government under Trudeau has never shown any inclination to curb the anti-India activities from its soil. It cannot make the excuse of “allowing” the people “freedom of expression” -- these are acts of subversion instigating people to violence," writes Amarinder Singh. (Reuters)

Amarinder Singh

September 23, 2023 09:55 AM IST First published on: Sep 22, 2023 at 07:42 PM IST

The allegations leveled by the Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau about an Indian hand behind the killing of an extremist and wanted terrorist, Hardeep Singh Nijjar, in his country sound completely absurd, atrocious, malicious and outrageous. The Canadian government has failed to furnish any evidence so far, as demanded by the government of India. Ideally, someone holding the position of the prime minister, that too of a country like Canada, should not have come out with such outrageously malicious allegations sourced from extremist and separatist elements, which spew venom against India. Much against the claims of Trudeau that he has evidence, he is only acting as a spokesperson for those who have been accusing the government of India of the killing from day one.

It is a classic case of the pot calling the kettle black. In fact, it is India that is being targeted and victimised from Canadian soil. The attacks on Indian consulates and Hindu places of worship in that country are still fresh in public memory. Has the Canadian government taken any action against people responsible for those acts of violence and subversion? It is actually India which should have used, and should now be using, all the diplomatic channels with friendly countries to explain its position as to how Canadian soil is being used for separatist and seditious activities against a sovereign and democratic state.

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How fair is it to take out a procession with the cutouts of our slain prime minister, Indira Gandhi, with two of her assassins shown pointing their weapons at her? How fair is it to glorify the assassins of the prime minister of a democratic country? The Canadian government under Trudeau has never shown any inclination to curb the anti-India activities from its soil. It cannot make the excuse of “allowing” the people “freedom of expression” — these are acts of subversion instigating people to violence.

It is strange that the Canadian government, which initially had ruled out any foreign hand in Nijjar’s killing, has now started pointing fingers at India. What prompted Trudeau to come out with such baseless allegations is not lost on anyone. He is running a minority government with the support of the New Democratic Party led by Jagmeet Singh, a known Khalistan promoter and supporter. Besides, Trudeau’s own party and government are full of individuals who have been involved in anti-India activities. Also, Trudeau’s approval ratings have nosedived to 33 per cent against 63 per cent disapproval. Thus it is not surprising that he resorted to a tactic which is quite unbecoming of a prime minister, and that has jeopardised relations with a friendly democracy.

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Trudeau is badly mistaken about the Khalistan propaganda. An overwhelming majority of the Sikhs living in Canada do not support the Khalistani or extremist agenda, which he has been trapped into condoning. Just because this overwhelming majority is silent and avoids confrontation with the extremists does not mean they support extremism. Trudeau will be better off keeping a distance from such elements and not playing to their vote bank gallery. Khalistan finds no traction, neither in Canada nor in India.

Tens of thousands of Punjabis who are settled in Canada, and who keep travelling to their native place, whom I have got many opportunities to meet, have always been categorical about keeping a distance from the extremist elements. They are fond of their roots. They love to travel to India. They can move in any part of the country. They visit the Sikh holy places spread across the length and breadth of India outside Punjab. They are least interested in what people like Nijjar have been doing and promoting. Trudeau needs to take fresh lessons about the Sikh diaspora and its political preferences and choices.

It is common knowledge that Nijjar was killed because of rivalry over local gurdwara politics. He was the president of Guru Nanak Gurdwara, Surrey. Blaming a sovereign state for the killing of a fugitive, already proscribed as a terrorist by that country, defies political or diplomatic sense.

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The Government of India has on quite a few occasions raised the issue of Canada providing shelter to anti-India elements in that country. Those involved in heinous crimes of terrorism and killing are provided “political asylum” there. When I met Trudeau as Chief Minister of Punjab on behalf of the Government of India in February 2018 at Amritsar, I handed over a list of nine A-category terrorists to him for action. But the Canadian government chose to ignore the list completely.

Trudeau’s allegations do not come as a surprise as he plays to the extremist gallery. His party and his family have a tradition of doing that. His late father Pierre Trudeau, as the Canadian Prime Minister, sheltered the culprits of the Kanishka bombing that killed more than 300 people, most of whom were Canadian citizens. And now they have the audacity to point a finger at India, which has been a victim of terrorism for decades. I don’t find much difference between Pakistan and Canada as far as protecting and patronising anti-India forces is concerned. Pakistan may be doing it more discreetly for fear of international repercussions, Canada is doing it openly in the name of “liberal” values.

If Canada is a sovereign country, so is India. India should not only sustain, but also intensify international pressure on Canada to hand over the terrorists involved in heinous crimes in India. Now is the time for India to take stern and strong measures. Our sovereignty is non-negotiable. India has a right to protect and safeguard its integrity and sovereignty, which it must do at all costs.

If Trudeau or anyone else thinks that they can browbeat or intimidate India, a sovereign democratic state, to appease a minuscule section of their voters, they are badly mistaken.

The writer was Chief Minister of Punjab for two terms