Chandigarh: If reports in the Indian Media are to be believed then the presence of Canadian PM Trudeau at Vaisakhi Nagar Kirtan (Khalsa Day Parade), an annual Sikh event, in Toronto has infuriated the Indian government.
Earlier the Indian media had outcried against so-called ‘threats’ issued to Punjab CM Capt. Amarinder Singh during the Khalsa Day Parade.
Like earlier reporting, this time too the reports in Indian media did not name any official source.
Canadian PM Justin Trudeau participated in Khalsa Day Parade at Toronto
A report in the Hindustan Times (HT) says: “A senior Indian official described Trudeau’s presence at the Khalsa Day event as “surely a matter of concern”.”
It is pertinent to note that earlier also, the various sections of Indian media had failed to report that what was exactly said against Capt. Amaridner Singh during the Khalsa Day Parade which amounted to (alleged) ‘threat’.
A report in HT (titled: Canadian PM Trudeau’s presence at event with Khalistani flags upsets India, by Anirudh Bhattacharyya published online on May 04, 2017) has reiterated Indian state’s stand of ‘denying the fact of Sikh genocide’ saying that:
“The Toronto nagar kirtan on Sunday also celebrated the carrying of a motion in the Ontario assembly last month that described the 1984 anti-Sikh riots as “genocide”.“
These lines (as quoted “…” in previous para) clearly indicates that the reporting media is toeing the line adopted by the Indian state to term the organised, systematic and widespread crimes committed against the Sikhs in 1984 as mere “riots” in order to deny the fact of Sikh Genocide 1984.
Indian Media’s habit to make outcry against political activism of Sikh Diaspora:
This is not the first time when the Indian media is crying out against the Sikh diaspora activities in Canada. These media sections had raised similar outcry against Sikh diaspora activism in Canada during former Canadian PM Stephen Harper’s visit to the Indian sub-continent in 2012.
Explaining his and Canadian government’s position on political activism of the Sikh diaspora, the then Canadian PM on November 8, 2012 said during conversation with Indian media at Bangalore that: “he won’t interfere with the political rights of Canadian Sikhs who advocate a separate state in India — even though his government firmly opposes the idea”.
“It may be a political position that both the Government of Canada and the Government of India disagree with. We can’t interfere with the right of political freedom of expression,” he was quoted to have said by TheStar.Com.