Khalistan terror tag: Sikh groups angry at Canada’s move; SFJ calls it political stunt
TORONTO: Multiple groups representing Sikhs in Canada have come out in condemnation of a public report released by the Canadian government that, for the first time, identifies Khalistani terrorism as among the threats of concern to the country.
The 2018 Public Report on the Terrorism Threat to Canada was released by minister of public safety and emergency preparedness Ralph Goodale on Tuesday and has swiftly attracted furious reaction from community groups.
Sikhs for Justice (SFJ), the hardline activist group spearheading the separatist 2020 Referendum for a Sikh homeland, said it would “challenge” the minister for “biased reporting”. Its legal adviser Gurpatwant Pannun said, “We see this clearly as a political stunt of Liberal government to please and win over India.”
The World Sikh Organisation (WSO) said it was “deeply disappointed by the addition of ‘Sikh (Khalistani) Extremism” in the report. Its president Mukhbir Singh said, “Advocacy for Sikh human rights or Khalistan is not extremism and to suggest that it poses a danger to Canada is absolutely ludicrous. Rather than defending the reputation of Canadian Sikhs and insisting that freedom of speech is a constitutional right, the government of Canada has taken the route of appeasement. Accepting Indian allegations of ‘Sikh extremism’ deeply maligns the reputation of the community and has a real impact on the lives of Canadian Sikhs.”
Meanwhile, the Ontario Gurdwaras Committee and the British Columbia Sikh Gurdwaras Council criticised the report.
A ‘national letter’, issued jointly, said the addition “was not only surprising, but disturbing as well.”
Sukhminder Singh Hansra, president of the SAD Canada East described the report as “disheartening” and “an irresponsible act”, adding that “the government of Canada has provided no explanation for this inclusion”.
The report, an official document of the Canadian government, referring to Khalistani extremism had stated, “Some individuals in Canada continue to support Sikh (Khalistani) extremist ideologies and movements.”
Khalistani extremism was included for the first time since the report has been released annually in 2013.