At the point when the incredible Cop KPS Gill drove a surge against Khalistanis, he never believed that the development could at any point revive. In any case, it has. Making an already difficult situation even worse, a foreign government is clearly supporting its ascent. Resultantly, Hindu Mandirs are getting designated and not many flutter an eyelash.

Unknown miscreants vandalized and painted anti-India slogans on the walls of the Bochasanwasi Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan (BAPS) temple in Canada on Tuesday.

The Indian High Commission in Canada condemned the incident and has raised the issue with the Canadian authorities to investigate and take prompt action against the perpetrators.

"We strongly condemn the defacing of BAPS Swaminarayan Mandir Toronto with anti-India graffiti. Have requested Canadian authorities to investigate the incident and take prompt action on the perpetrators," tweeted India in Canada.

A video of the incident went viral on social media, where Khalistani slogans were seen scribbling on the walls of the temple.

The mayor of Brampton, Patrick Brown expressed disappointment over the incident, "Very disappointed to hear of the vandalism that occurred at the BAPS Swaminarayan Mandir in Toronto. This type of hate has no place in the GTA or Canada. Let's hope those criminals responsible are brought to justice quickly," he tweeted.

Indian-origin Member of Parliament of Canada, Chandra Arya said that the event is not the only such incident but Hindu temples have been targeted in the recent past by such events.

"Vandalism of Toronto BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir by Canadian Khalistani extremists should be condemned by all. This is not just an isolated event. Canadian Hindu temples have been targeted in the recent past by these kinds of hate crimes. Hindu Canadians are legitimately concerned," Arya tweeted.

"I am distraught by the act of vandalism that has taken place at the BAPS Swaminarayan Mandir in Toronto. We live in a multicultural and multi-faith community where everyone deserves to feel safe. Those responsible should be located to face the consequences of their actions," Brampton South MP Sonia Sidhu said.

Pro-Khalistan slogans in Mandir

As of late, a video turned into a sensation via social media. The Video was shot in Toronto, Canada and the spot in the video is the BAPS Swaminarayan Mandir. The Mandir has been exposed to defacing and there are clear endeavors to eradicate its personality. In addition, enemies of India and against Hindu mottos like 'Khalistan Zindabad, and Hindustan Murdabad' are seen graffitied on the walls of the Mandir.

The act has been condemned by various public figures including Brampton mayor Patrick Brown, Brampton South Member of Parliament Sonia Sidhu, Chandra Arya, Member of Parliament, and MP Ruby Sahota. 

India has strongly condemned the defacing of BAPS Swaminarayan Mandir in Canada and has called for strict action against the perpetrators. The Indian mission has condemned the incident and called for a probe into the matter. The Indian High Commission on Wednesday tweeted," We strongly condemn defacing of BAPS Swaminarayan Mandir Toronto with anti-India graffiti. Have requested Canadian authorities to investigate the incident and take prompt action on perpetrators."

Support by Trudeau and Jagmeet Singh

In spite of the episode drawing critique from all quarters, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has not expressed a word denouncing the wrongdoers. Not just him, even his alliance accomplice Jagmeet Singh, who should safeguard the Indian legacy in Canada, has not expressed a word about it. There is an explanation for this coordinated quiet. Whatever was composed on the Mandir had both the dynamic and unsaid help of Jagmeet Singh.

Singh is as a matter of fact the impetus behind the ascent of Khalistani feelings inside the Sikh People group, both inside and outside Canada. Clearly, he is more deliberate in his methodology than the Khalistnais of old. Old request Khalistanis were less precise in their methodology and mostly had faith in wild brutality to set states surrender to their expectations. For this reason, they made a commotion in Punjab during the 70s and 80s. In Canada, they bombarded Air India Flight 182, an Air India flight working on the Montréal-London-Delhi-Bombay course.

Trudeau can’t survive without Jagmeet

Be that as it may, brutality was met with counter-savagery and endeavors flopped in acquiring institutional help. Jagmeet Singh, being brought into the world in the city of Serial killer Paul Bernard, likely gained a couple of stunts from him. He took a more equitable course and was careful in his initial years. He used these years to fabricate a strong political base for himself in Canadian legislative issues. Jagmeet, as a matter of fact, turned into the primary individual from a minority foundation to lead a significant ideological group in Canada and has led Canada's left-inclining New Democratic Party (NDP) starting around 2017.

To make sense of the NDP in one sentence, it is sufficient to say that it is the justification behind Justin Trudeau being in power in Canada. Trudeau's liberal party couldn't win the full trust of the majority. That is the reason they presently are in an alliance government with Jagmeet's NDP. At the end of the day, Trudeau needs to toe Jagmeet's line, regardless of what sort of interest he puts to the front. Presently, Jagmeet is an open sponsor of Khalistan and it won't be a poetic overstatement on the off chance that we call him a 'straightforwardly enemies of India' individual.

Jagmeet- An open backer of Khalistan

In June 2015, Jagmeet Singh showed up at the phase of a Khalistani rally in San Francisco. The meeting had banners of Jarnail Singh Bhindrawale. The meeting additionally conveyed display signs like "India out of Sikh Homeland," and "1984 Sikh Genocide Independence." In his discourse there, Jagmeet blamed India for carrying out Genocide against Sikhs.

In mid-2016, he was found in London supportive of Khalistanis Shamsher Singh, prime supporter of the National Sikh Youth Federation (NSYF), and Harwinder Singh Mander. Jagmeet's companions in London were seen supporting strict predominance by guaranteeing that Sikh culture, language, and standards are the first rate. Shamsher Singh as a matter of fact expressly said that they believe a sovereign country and are prepared should take up savagery for the equivalent. Jagmeet Singh's help for Khalistan is oblivious to such an extent that he wouldn't acknowledge that it was Khalistan that besieged the Air India Flight.

Openly mocking India

Notwithstanding monitoring the dirt on Jagmeet, Trudeau actually chose to proceed with his coalition politics. When the NDP came to control power, Jagmeet began to systematize the Khalistani development in Canada. He is accepted to be supported by the presence of Harjit Singh Sajjan as the Defence Minister of Canada. Captain Amarinder Singh had straightforwardly called Sajjan a Khalistani supporter.

Purposely or unconsciously, with the possibilities of the previous being higher, Trudeau began taking care of their requests. In May 2016, Punjab Police advised the Canadian government to capture a feared Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar. He was running a fear camp close to Mission city in English Columbia. Nijjar needed to make fear in Punjab through bombings. It required 2 years for the Canadian Police to make a move against the lookout. Indeed, even from that point forward, in a brutal joke, the Police set Nijjar free in 24 hours or less.

Trudeau compromised Canada’s relations with India

Later the Canadian government’s intentions became crystal clear in official documents. In 2019, the Trudeau government published a report titled ‘2018 Public Report on the Terrorism Threat to Canada.’ The report focused on threats from internal terror for Canada. In the report, there were certain references to Sikh extremism and Khalistan. But, soon Jagmeet took action and the Khalistan reference was removed from the report.

The Canadian government bowed to domestic political compulsions and completely scrubbed all references to Sikh and Khalistani extremism in its 2018 report on terrorist threats, much to the chagrin of India.

Indian officials were aghast at the perceived capitulation to pressure from some community groups in Canada and described the updated version of the “2018 Public Report on the Terrorist Threat to Canada” as a “full retreat” by Ottawa. The updated version was released on Friday, about 24 hours before Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was scheduled to attend a Vasakhi parade, organized in Vancouver by the Khalsa Diwan Society, with national defence minister Harjit Sajjan.

The erasure of eight references to Sikh extremism and organizations and six references to Khalistan, the so-called homeland sought by some radical groups, had come against the backdrop of reports that pressure groups in the Sikh community had threatened Canada’s ruling Liberal Party with dire consequences in an election year.

Resultantly, the Trudeau government’s popularity among the nationalist Modi government went downhill. It did not help his cause that during his India tour, he refused to meet Captain Amarinder Singh, an openly anti-Khalistani Chief Minister of Punjab. Trudeau too met with similar negligence by Indian authorities and was treated only with diplomatic formality.

Farmers protest removed the veil

The main reason behind the farmers’ protest gaining momentum in India was not unpopular clauses in farm bills. It was the Khalistani elements spread all across Canada, who saw this as an opportunity to break India into factions.

They poured millions of Dollars to keep the protest alive and helped it continue for more than a year. Think about it. Farmers have their own farms to grow their crops. They won’t waste a year in Delhi, leaving their crops behind, waiting to be compensated.

Then came the Canadian Prime Minister with open support for these forces. Expressing his concern about the protests, he said, “Let me remind you, Canada will always be there to defend the right of peaceful protest. We believe in the importance of dialogue and that is why we have reached out through multiple means directly to Indian authorities to highlight our concerns.”

Addressing the Indian community in Canada during an online event to mark the 551st birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev, Mr. Trudeau said that he would be remiss if he didn’t recognize the “news coming out of india about the protest by farmers.”

Hindus and India are the main targets

“Canada will always be there to defend the right of peaceful protest,” said Trudeau, who showed no remorse in launching an offensive against the truckers protesting in Canada.

Apparently, even the Truckers’ protest became an opportunity to create anti-Hindu havoc in the country. During the protest, Mandirs were vandalized with Murtis desecrated. Cash, jewelry, and donations were also stolen from them.

Many temples were vandalized and miscreants even stole cash, idols of God, and jewelry offered to them from the donation boxes. It created an atmosphere of panic among the Hindu priests and HIndu devotees of temples located in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA).

These attacks targeting temples began with the sabotage of the Shri Hanuman temple in Brampton, GTA city on 15 January. The miscreants were left free to create a ruckus. Not only this, but they also damaged the temple of Maa Chintpurni in Brampton on January 25, 2022. Even after this incident, the miscreants did not sit still. They continued to target one temple after another. It also included the Gauri Shankar Temple and the Jagannath Temple (both in Brampton). Similarly, sabotage incidents at the Hindu Heritage Center and Hamilton Samaj Temple in Mississauga were carried out.

After the 25th January incident, it became a routine affair for Pujaris and Bhakts to worship Bhagwan amidst fear of attacks. Mandirs were targeted one after another. Media reports indicate that at least half a dozen Mandirs were harmed by Khalistanis. The incidents took a brief halt after Trudeau’s suppression of Truckers' protests, but not permanently.

The greater meaning behind an attack on Mandir

The latest attack on Swaminarayan Mandir is just an indication of Khalistani sentiments taking a monstrous shape. Why am I saying this? The reason is that the Trudeau government is on the verge of recognizing Khalistan as an independent nation.

Recently, a Quebec-based Research Institute on Self-Determination of Peoples and National (IRAI) published a report titled “From Golden Temple to Punjab Independence.” The report endorsed the demand for a nationwide referendum about Khalistan in India. In fact, Khalistanis are conducting a mini version of their referendum plan in Canada’s Gore Meadows Recreation Centre in Brampton. Rallies comprising thousands of cars are being organized to garner support.

The Khalistan Referendum is a global initiative launched by SFJ in which Sikhs across the world are voting on the question: “Should Indian Governed Punjab Be An Independent Country?”

Experts Matt Qvortrup and Dane Waters, the chair of the Punjab Referendum Commission, explained the significance of the referendum at a press conference.

Qvortrup said that the referendum is being held in a free, fair and transparent manner and according to international standards. He said that referendum voting in the UK and European capitals had been a huge success and registered as a new model of campaigning. He said the model followed by SFJ can serve as a beacon for all those nations, ethnicities and groups who want to obtain their right to self-determination through peaceful ways.

According to experts, the referendum is unofficial but it will have a political impact and symbolic value as a democratic process that will send a signal and solidify support on the issue of Khalistan.

They said the process of the referendum is hugely important as people express their opinion through voting. The experts said the referendum will be an opportunity for Sikhs in Canada to express their opinion.

The panelists said if India wanted to be seen as a democracy in the world, then it has to act as a democracy. They also regretted that India has blacked out the news about the Khalistan issue.

Paul Jacobs, President of Citizens in Charge and Citizens in Charge Foundation and a member of the commission, said the issue of self-determination in a referendum was very consequential.

“We believe in the power of the vote,” said Jacobs.

He quoted Winston Churchill who once said that: “democracy is the worst form of government – except for all the others that have been tried. Our goal is to help make the referendum as good as it can be.”

SFJ spokesperson Gurpatwant Singh Pannun welcomed the release of the report and termed it a major intellectual contribution to the legitimate struggle for Khalistan.

As we know already that SFJ is a terrorist group and is completely dejected by India, still giving it any importance in Canada or other parts of Europe will only mean the rise of Anti-India sentiments. 

ISI and Khalistanis are together

This time around, the demand for Khalistan is endorsed by Pakistan’s ISI as well. Veteran journalist Terry Milewski published a report titled, ‘Khalistan: A Project of Pakistan.’ In it, he explained how the Pakistani ISI is providing funds and manpower to revive the Khalistani movement in Punjab. The report also elaborates on how Canadian authorities provide a safe haven to the people connected with ISI.

The current Defence Minister of Canada, Harjit Singh Sajjan, is connected to Khalistani elements and has been tacitly supporting their radical activities. Captain Amarinder Singh went on to publicly call Sajjan a ‘Khalistani sympathizer’. Later in a different statement, Singh also urged the Indian government to impose sanctions on Canada for ‘overtly and covertly’ supporting Khalistani terrorists. He asked the government “to mount global pressure on Canada to put an end to the use of its soil to unleash terror against India, particularly the Sikh community being targeted by Khalistani terrorists.”

Canadian media reports highlight that the same set of Khalistanis has been clicked with the Canadian leaders as well as the Pakistani diplomats and Pakistani intelligence operatives. According to local sources, Khalistanis, as well as anti-India Pakistanis, collectively meet Asghar Ali Golo, Pakistan's Consul General in Toronto, who convenes meetings of both the groups to launch protests in front of Indian diplomatic offices and coordinate strategies to fund extremist activities in Punjab. He was also pictured in a frame with the Khalistani flag in the background and banners supporting the referendum — indeed a move to extend support with the Khalistani fringes.

In bids to create pressure on India, the Khalistanis, along with the Pakistanis launch violent protests as an everyday affair — a trend which is once again being noticed amidst the debate over farm bills in India. Extremists from both groups are frequently launching aggressive protests against Indian diplomatic offices in Canada. The fact that the Indian mission in Canada has asked for additional security arrangements now to ensure its safety from Khalistani-Pakistani combine itself underscores the deteriorating condition.

Supporting terrorists by state establishments is not a new phenomenon in Canada. Rather, experts and nonprofits have been pointing fingers at Canada to allow terrorism to breed and support the radical elements due to vote bank politics. An article by Global News mentioned,  “Canada has a secret program that allows it to harbor terrorists.” It further highlights that in April 2015, the country provided a visa to a top Egyptian militant Khaled Saber Abdel-Hamed Zahw, who made an assassination attempt on then-President Mohamed Morsi in 2013. The report further argued — “Canada allows certain high-profile foreign nationals who would otherwise be barred from entering the country due to national security concerns, war crimes, human rights violations, and organized crimes.”

In the past few years, Canada has also emerged to be the hotspot where all the Khalistani terrorists, including those from proscribed ones, from all over the world converge together. According to a couple of responses to information requests, Canada has emerged as an international lobbying center for Khalistanis. The Canadian government should come forward and answer the list of burning questions including — who allows them visas? Aren't they subject to security clearance by Canadian agencies? Why are the leaders eager to meet them? Why are they allowed to lobby for the proscribed groups? And there is a long list.

Canada has become a seedbed for Khalistanis - watered by the Canadian government and nurtured by the ISI. Observers suggest that the lust for Khalistani votes is a nine days wonder and is soon going to inflict severe blows on Canadian society. Besides damaging Canada’s reputation at the global fora, these elements pose a massive threat to innocent Canadians. Given the fact that India is efficiently handling the Khalistani issue and the campaign has subsided therein, it is a matter of choice for Canada — whether to water it or to wither it away.

It is sad to see a country that enjoys the reputation of being one of the nicest countries on planet Earth openly supporting separatism in other countries. Under PM Modi, India would not have much problem suppressing such sentiments, which are not supported by local Punjabis as well. However, it is Trudeau who has to decide whether he is ready to hamper long-term ties with India.

21st century India may, for a moment, forgive for the gravest of crimes, but not for separatism and other anti-national activities.

tfipost.com