The episode has revived an issue, Sikh separatism, that has repeatedly bedeviled the Liberal government, sometimes souring relations with India
Tom Blackwell
Brampton – Ontario – Canada, 26 January 2021. An MP from Ontario has been thrown out of the Liberal caucus after suggesting that former Industry Minister Navdeep Bains was an “extremist” supporter of Sikh separatism and should never have gotten into cabinet.
Chief government whip Mark Holland announced Monday afternoon that Ramesh Sangha had been expelled in the wake of his latest barrage against the party and government he represents.
The Brampton Centre MP’s remarks came days after Bains unexpectedly announced he was stepping down from cabinet, citing personal reasons that included a desire to spend more time with his family.
In a somewhat rambling interview with Y Media, a Punjabi-language news outlet, Sangha said he was “shocked” to hear that the minister was quitting at a relatively young age, and that the reason Bains offered for his decision “was difficult to digest for me.”
Sangha also said that he had felt pressure from the former minister and the minister’s father. Now that Bains was gone, “I am not a bounded Liberal any more,” he said in remarks the National Post had translated. Then the MP appeared to comment on Bains’ views about the Sikh question.
“If someone says that ‘I am extremist, I am Khalistani,’ and says it in a declaring style, is he fit to be a minister?” asked the backbencher. “I already said that he is not.”
Khalistanis are supporters of an independent Sikh homeland in India, a cause pursued by many Sikhs in Canada and a bone of contention for the Indian government.
But there is no evidence that Bains has declared that he was one or that he was an extremist. He and other Sikh members of cabinet, faced with such allegations in the past, have denied being part of the movement.
The difference this time is the allegation came not only from within the party, but from one of Bains’ fellow MPs from Ontario’s Brampton-Mississauga area, whose ridings are home to large Sikh populations. The constituencies are key electoral battlegrounds, too, swinging between the Liberals and Conservatives.
The episode also revived an issue that has repeatedly bedeviled the Liberal government, sometimes souring relations with New Delhi.
The cause of Sikh separatism – a predominately peaceful movement today despite an outburst of terrorism three decades ago – has divided the Indian-Canadian community, as well.
As soon as the whip learned of the comments, he consulted Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, and “the necessary steps were taken,” said spokesman Charles-Eric Lépine.
“As we have made clear time and time again, we will not tolerate conspiracy theories, or dangerous and unfounded rhetoric about parliamentarians or other Canadians,” said Lépine in a statement.
“Unfortunately, it is not uncommon for many Canadians to experience suspicions because of their background; we all know where this can lead.
“The Liberal Caucus continues to stand firm against racism and intolerance.”
Yet the accusation of racism was leveled against a politician of Sikh background himself, making the situation all the more unusual.
Sangha said in an interview Monday the move by the party came out of the blue, and that he never had a chance to offer his perspective.
“Thy have not given me any opportunity of being heard,” he said. “They are misunderstanding me. It was just misinterpreted. This type of justice is a harsh response.”
Asked if he had evidence Bains is a Khalistani, he didn’t directly respond. The MP said he is against all forms of extremism, but that he does not have anything personally against the former minister.
He said he thought that as a Liberal MP he was free to express his views.
In the Y Media interview, the journalist also asked about Sangha’s basis for claiming Bains was a Khalistani extremist.
The MP cited discussions of a controversial Public Safety Canada report on terrorism in 2019, which referred to the continued existence of “Sikh extremism.” The Sikh community was outraged at the statement, which many felt maligned the entire religion.
In discussing changes to the report, Bains went further and said it also should not refer to Khalistani extremism, said Sangha. That seemed to betray the then-minister’s own views, he argued.
Dawn – Trudeau’s remarks on farmers’ protest prompt rebuke from India
New Delhi – India, 02 December 2020. India’s External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Anurag Srivastava in a statement released on Tuesday strongly criticised “some ill-informed comments by Canadian leaders relating to farmers in India”, multiple Indian media outlets reported.
Srivastava was apparently responding to Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s comments from earlier this week in which he viewed with concern the ongoing farmers’ protest in India.
Without naming Trudeau, the spokesman said his comments were “unwarranted, especially when pertaining to internal affairs of a democratic country”.
“It’s also best that diplomatic conversations aren’t misrepresented for political purposes,” he added.
The row started when Trudeau, addressing a Facebook meeting with leaders and members of his cabinet belonging to the Sikh community, said:
“I would be remiss if I didn’t start by recognising the news coming out of India about the protests by farmers.
The situation is concerning, and we are all very worried about family and friends. I know that’s the reality for many of you”.
The Canadian premier’s remarks, made on Monday, coincided with the birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev – the first Sikh Guru and founder of the Sikh faith.
Trudeau addressed the situation in India as mounting tensions between the protesting farmers and the Indian government led to worries and fears in Canada’s own substantial Sikh community.
The farmers have been subjected to state repression, measures which have aroused criticism and furore from the Punjabi diaspora in Canada.
This is not the first time that relations between the two countries have become thorny over issues in Punjab. The politically active Sikh community in Canada is a sticking point for India, which views it with suspicion for supporting the Khalistan movement.
Trudeau had to dispel perceptions in 2018, during an official visit to India, that his administration is too close to Sikh separatists.
https://www.dawn.com/news/1593598/trudeaus-remarks-on-farmers-protest-prompt-rebuke-from-india
Tags: Birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev, Dawn, External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Anurag Srivastava, ill-informed comments by Canadian leaders relating to farmers in India, Measures which have aroused criticism and furore from the Punjabi diaspora in Canada, New Delhi - India, The farmers have been subjected to state repression, Trudeau's remarks on farmers' protest prompt rebuke from India