Punjab's Hinterland Apprehensive Over India-Canada Standoff

Apprehension, confusion, and anger sums up the mood on the ground following the standoff between India and Canada that continues to escalate on a daily basis. It is a well known fact that a considerably large section of the Punjabis treat Canada as their second home and in many cases their ultimate destination.

Instead there is a growing narrative around Khalistan that barely has miniscule support on the ground in Punjab. There is anger on the repeated attempt by sections to paint the entire Sikh community as Khalistanis, as was being done during the farmers’ agitation and later during the dramatic events that had led to the rise and subsequent arrest of the self-styled preacher Amritpal Singh earlier this year.

But there is more reaction to the government’s decision to suspend visas to Canadian nationals. “We as Punjabis are vulnerable here as well as there in Canada. “A close friend’s son who is in Canada on permanent residency is to be married in February. Even his bride is working there. We are unsure whether they will be able to come or not. With scattered families like hers that are living across different countries, marriages are the only occasions when everyone comes together.

Then there are arrangements to be made but now everything is up in the air. The banquet halls and caterers are to be booked well in advance given the large number of marriages during that period and they ask for at least 10% advance. You can imagine the anxiety in the family,” Davi Davinder Kaur, a film writer and former journalist whose son is also working in Canada, said.

She also highlighted the economic aspect of the issue saying that money has been flowing between the two countries. “There are people in Punjab who arrange large sums of money to send their children there for education, and those working there send back remuneration to their aged parents. All these developments are not good for the people,” Kaur said.

Kanwajit Khanna who was active during the farmers movement said, “There is a lot of concern here as people are waiting for their sons and daughters to clear their IELTS exams and get appropriate bands before heading off to Canada. These are people who often sell their land and other assets. These developments are a dampener to these aspirations.”

Khanna further said that, “anyone who has witnessed what happened in the dark days of the 1980s and 90s does not want a repeat of those things. It is only the Sikh elements who live abroad who speak of referendums and indulge in a Khalistan narrative.”

By and large Sikhs in Punjab are of the view that at the end of it all “truth will be sacrificed.” Ironically, there has been no reaction to the issue by the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government in the state.

Former Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh who had switched over from the Congress to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had been the first to endorse the stand taken by the central government against the allegations made by Canadian PM Trudeau who has accused “agents” of the government of India for the killing of Khalistani leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar outside a Surrey Gurdwara in June this year.

Singh claimed the murder was the result of a factional feud within the management of the Gurdwara. According to him, Trudeau had unfortunately walked into a trap owing to vote bank politics and put at stake the diplomatic relationship between India and Canada.

He pointed out that it was an irrefutable fact that the Trudeau administration in Canada had given a free hand to anti-India forces in that country. He said Indian missions there were attacked and diplomats intimidated but there was no corrective action by the Canadian government.

“Has the Canadian government taken any action against the culprits who attacked Indian missions there?” he asked, while adding that Trudeau by levelling such allegations was only trying to deflect the attention from his own failures to curb anti-India activities in that country.

While Amarinder Singh’s response was along predictable lines, Shiromani Akali Dal (Badal) is drawing people’s ire for a ‘meek’ and ‘mild’ stand on the entire issue. Party president Sukhbir Singh Badal on Friday appealed to Union Home Minister Amit Shah to take necessary steps to ensure a quick resolution of the dispute with Canada stating that Punjabis were in a state of panic due to deteriorating relations between the two countries. He made a similar appeal to the Canadian government too separately.

Briefing the Home Minister in his office during a meeting in Parliament, the SAD president informed that he was receiving distress calls from Punjabis in Canada who were worried about safe and smooth travel facilities to their homeland. He said similarly students were apprehensive about their future. “There is a sense of panic and both governments should find a solution to this crisis as soon as possible,” Badal asserted.

He claimed that the Home Minister had said he would look into the issue. Expressing concern over the suspension of visa services for Canadian nationals to India, he said it affected lakhs of Punjabis residing overseas including nationals of Indian origin as well as students.

“This is set to create great hurdles, uncertainty and anxiety for Punjabis especially to members of the most patriotic community of the Sikhs who have not only made unparalleled sacrifices for the freedom of the country but also for fighting off foreign aggression in borders,” Badal said.

Meanwhile, Congress MP from Ludhiana Ravneet Singh Bittu has sought PM Modi’s intervention to ensure ‘well being and sense of security’ among Indian students in Canada by ‘insulating’ them from any possible fallout of strained diplomatic relations with that country. He has also called for restoration of mutual trust and goodwill between the two countries. Bittu is the grandson of former chief minister Beant Singh who was assassinated by extremists in 1995 and has been very vocal against Khalistani elements.

State Congress president Amarinder Singh Raja Warring while reacting to the right wing social media assault on Canada based Punjabi singer Shubh, said in a tweet, “While we at @INC Punjab strongly oppose the idea of Khalistan and have actively fought our battles against anti national forces, I strongly oppose labelling of our youngsters like @Shubhworldwide, who speak for Punjab as anti nationals.

“We Punjabis don’t need to give any proof about our nationalism. This propaganda being pushed by certain forces against Punjabis to undermine us is highly condemnable. Malicious attempts to tarnish our youngsters must be repulsed. Jai Hind! Jai Punjab!”

Shubh’s concert in Mumbai was reportedly cancelled following the standoff as he was accused of being a Khalistani sympathiser over a social media post. Meanwhile wedding bookings are being cancelled with losses expected to run into crores of rupees. Banquet halls, taxi services, air tickets are all being impacted by the freeze in India- Canada relations.