Ontario passes motion calling 1984 anti-Sikh riots ‘genocide’
TORONTO: Relations between Canada and India suffered a body blow on Thursday in the Ontario Assembly as it became the first legislature in Canada to carry a motion that described the 1984 anti-Sikh riots as “genocide”.
This came as a shock to New Delhi as the motion was moved by a Member of Provincial Parliament or MPP belonging to the ruling Liberal Party of Ontario, which had voted down a similar motion last summer.
The private members’ motion was moved by Harinder Malhi, the MPP from the riding (as constituencies are called in Canada) of Brampton-Springdale. After a debate, the motion was carried with 34 MPPs (the equivalent of MLAs) voting in favour and five against. Those present at a vote numbered just about a third of the assembly’s total strength of 107.
With the PMO aware of the gravity of this development, the Indian government is understood to have communicated its concern over the matter in advance of the motion to Canada’s Liberal Party government.
Similar concerns were also conveyed to the Ontario government. India’s Consul General in Toronto, Dinesh Bhatia, under whose jurisdiction this falls, had
spent a frantic couple of days trying to prevent this occurrence.
Frustrated over the lack of action by Trudeau’s lieutenants, an official said, “If they can’t manage their own party…they have to own the responsibility.” That was for allowing the MPP to proceed with the motion, thereby creating a platform for attacks on India over its “intolerance”.