Singh denounces ‘all terrorism’ in wake of videos

The question of Singh’s position on Sikh separatism has dogged him since he appeared on CBC’s Power and Politics with Terry Milewski shortly after winning the federal leadership last October. During the interview, Singh failed to denounce Talwinder Singh Parmar, believed to be the mastermind of the 1985 Air India bombing.

Since then, Singh has walked a fine line on the question of sovereignty, at once advocating self-determination while condemning violence.

“I condemn all acts of terrorism in every part of the world, regardless of who the perpetrators are or who the victims are,” he said in a statement sent to the Post on Wednesday. “Terrorism can never be seen as a way to advance the cause of any one group. It only leads to suffering, pain and death.” Singh was not available for an interview.

But the 2015 rally in San Francisco is not the only time Singh has spoken at an event focused on Sikh sovereignty. And while his statement on Wednesday maintains that “questions regarding the future of India are not for (him) to decide,” some argue his presence at such events should not be taken lightly. Harwinder Singh, left, Shamsher Singh and Jagmeet Singh at an event hosted by the National Sikh Youth Federation.

In February 2016, Singh appeared at an event organized by the U.K.-based National Sikh Youth Federation (NSYF) in the suburbs of London titled Sovereignty and Polity. The NSYF advocates for an independent Khalistan.

A video with clips of the event posted to YouTube by NSYF shows Singh speaking to an audience about Sikh principles of equality and of “independence, of sovereignty.”

“It wasn’t by chance that Sikhs were the most sacrificed, or the people who died the most for the freedom of South Asia,” he said.

One of the other speakers, NSYF’s Shamsher Singh, spoke of two “diametrically opposed” perceptions of Sikh identity.

“One is about sovereignty, explicitly and uncompromisingly,” he said. “It endorses the superiority of our culture, our language and our ideals. It is about Sikh spaces and Sikh institutions. And it endorses violence as a legitimate form of resistance and survival.” The other, he said, embraces conformity and “commodification of our culture.”

In a separate video posted to NSYF’s YouTube channel in November 2015, Shamsher Singh discusses how an independent state of Khalistan could be achieved, and claims that Indian state oppression would make violence inevitable.

“It’s an unfortunate reality and it’s something that is distressing to us as a community, because the Sikh community is a peace-loving community. But at the same time, we’re not a pacifist community,” he said. “If you want self-determination, you’re going to have to take up arms… and that’s the only route to independence.”

In a statement to the Post, Shamsher Singh said that “Sikhs do not accept that (Parmar) was responsible for the Air India bombing,” and that Jagmeet Singh’s comments showed he ”understands the complexity of the issue.” Asked about Jagmeet Singh’s presence at events promoting sovereignty, Shamsher Singh said that he “should not be criticized for his support for Khalistan or voicing his dissent against India.”

Other examples exist of Singh speaking about his views on Sikh sovereignty. In a video posted to YouTube by talk show host Gurmeet Sodhi in March 2016, Singh responded to a question about Referendum 2020, a campaign to push India to give the people of Punjab the right to vote on sovereignty.

“I absolutely think it’s a fundamental right of all people to be able to selfgovern, to have sovereignty,” Singh told Sodhi. “It’s something that’s recognized by the United Nations, and there should be no fear in expressing your position on that. I support the referendum, absolutely.”

Since he was elected leader of the federal NDP, Singh has stood by his position that self-determination is a basic right, drawing links between Punjab, Catalonia and Quebec, which have all seen independence movements.

Shinder Purewal, a professor of political science at Kwantlen Polytechnic University in British Columbia, said Singh’s presence at separatist events will “haunt him.”

“These are people who still advocate violence,” he said. “They’re trying to disturb the peace in India’s Punjab state.”

He said only a small percentage of the Canadian Sikh population remains interested in separatism. “So the focus is on a very, very tiny minority,” Purewal said. “That’s the sad part.”