PM to meet politician at centre of Sikh row
MUMBAI, INDIA • An Indian politician who publicly accused members of Justin Trudeau’s cabinet of being connected to the Sikh separatist movement will meet the prime minister later this week.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau confirmed the meeting, but provided no further details on exactly what he plans to talk about with Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh.
The meeting comes amid simmering tensions between India and Canada about the demands in some Sikh communities for an independent state called Khalistan. Indian government officials want Trudeau to be firmer in clamping down on separatist elements within Sikh communities in Canada, which they believe provide a platform for some to commit acts of violence to achieve independence.
Singh has been outspoken about the issue and has publicly accused several members of Trudeau’s cabinet of being involved in Sikh separatist causes. Last April, he refused to meet visiting Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan because of it.
Sajjan has called Singh’s accusations defamatory and ridiculous. Last week, as Trudeau prepared to leave Canada for his seven-day Indian state visit, a meeting with Singh was not in the offing, even though Singh had told Indian media he was to serve as Trudeau’s tour guide during a tour of the Golden Temple in Amritsar this week.
On Trudeau’s first full day in India, there was a change of heart and Sajjan was behind it, asking Trudeau to request a meeting with Singh for both of them.
As it currently stands, Sajjan is not part of the meeting, though details are still being worked out on that front, Trudeau said in Mumbai on Monday.
The dispute is largely a disagreement over freedom of speech.
Indian officials want Trudeau to clamp down on movements within Canada pushing for an independent Sikh state. While Trudeau has been firm that Canada’s policy is for a united India, he will not step in to tell people what they can say, as long as they do not advocate violence.
“I think people know that I defend Canada’s values and Canadian interests and diversity of views in Canada is extremely important to me and will always remain that way,” Trudeau said.
Trade between Canada and India has grown more slowly than hoped. It reached $8 billion in 2016, far shy of the goal of $15 billion by 2015 set by the former Conservative government.