John Ivison: Conservatives aren't listening to Harper's warnings about avoiding India politics
Conservative party deputy leader Tim Uppal posted on social media on Wednesday morning, urging Sikhs to remember 1984.
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'Forty one years ago, a pre-planned attack by the Indian army named Operation Blue Star was executed against one of the Sikh's holiest places of worship, the Golden Temple, on one of the holiest days… Although intended to destroy the community, Sikhs have grown stronger over the years.'
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It is not clear whether Uppal posted the reminder of an episode that inflames Khalistani separatists in spite of, or because of, remarks made by his former boss Stephen Harper at an event in Brampton, Ont. last weekend.
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The ex-prime minister urged all political parties to heed two points: firstly, that today more than ever, Canada needs a strong relationship with India; and, secondly, that any party that aspires to government must 'sever its relations with those who seek bring the battle of India's past to Canada.'
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While such people have the right to their democratic views, just as we tolerate those who want to break up Canada, we do not tolerate such views in parties that wish to govern the country, he said. When he was in government, his caucus understood this, he added.
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There was a sense in the pointed nature of his message that he does not think this is the case now in Pierre Poilievre's Conservative party.
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There are subtle signs of Sikh ascendancy.
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Harper is said to have been asked by the Conservative campaign not to post any photos of himself and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, during Harper's visit to the sub-continent in February.
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Hindus say they were upset by what they considered a weak response from Poilievre (and Liberal Leader Mark Carney) to the murder of 25 mainly Hindu tourists in Jammu and Kashmir during the election. The terrorists, thought to be Pakistan-linked Islamists, reportedly asked their victims their religion before shooting them. Neither Canadian leader mentioned India or that the victims were predominantly Hindu in their responses
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Sikhs now dominate positions of power in the Conservative party: Uppal is deputy leader, Jasraj Hallan is the finance critic, and Arpin Khanna led the party's outreach effort during the election. (Khanna was previously the Ontario co-chair of Poilievre's leadership campaign and was endorsed by the leader when he ran in a by-election in Oxford, Ont., to replace veteran Dave MacKenzie.)
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Re 'In its bid to rescue Afghans, Ottawa is fracturing their families' (Opinion, May 31): I can only imagine the relentlessly pounding and debilitating terror one must feel while anxiously awaiting safe passage out of Pakistan. I cannot understand why the Canadian immigration system is unable or, I shudder to think, unwilling to fix its flaw and expedite family unification on Canadian soil, given that many of these Afghans were indispensable allies for Canadians stationed in Afghanistan during the war. Perhaps a few terse pointers from Mark Carney could do the trick. Elsewhere, nearly 60 Afghan women's rights defenders have also been hiding in Pakistan ('Afghan women activists in Pakistan fear deportation as country cracks down on refugees' – April 22). Surely the Canadian government can do something to help these courageous women escape the awaiting brutality of both the Pakistani police and the Taliban. L.H. MacKenzie Vancouver Re 'A real reform mandate for the first federal AI minister' (Editorial, May 31): The artificial intelligence revolution needs thoughtful regulation. Another important AI-specific element of Evan Solomon's mandate letter should be policies to promote deployment of digital technologies by Canadian business to reskill and upskill our workforce, and to develop new products and services. Canada lags many countries, especially the United States, with the digital economy previously estimated by the Bank of Canada to account for as little as 5.5 per cent of GDP. Moreover, research shows that Canada faces serious digital skill shortages that are impacting labour supply, business efficiencies and growth. In the Industrial Revolution, it was the deployment of the steam engine that spurred economic growth through innovations worldwide. We should keep in mind that in the past, shared prosperity emerged only when technological advances were made to work for everyone. 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We are all in this together. Joshua Levy Montreal Re 'Cattle have roamed Cambridge's city centre for hundreds of years. GPS is keeping the tradition going' (June 4): Very charming tradition. However, one minor – major? – problem has not been mentioned. I am talking about the rather copious amounts of 'pasture pastry' from each of the lovely beasts. How does the city deal with it: Cow diapers? Udder underwear? Just asking. Baily Seshagiri Ottawa Re 'I no longer knew how to find God, so nature became my church' (First Person, June 5): In a COVID-19 world, some have not returned to church. However, as rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel wrote, 'faith is faithfulness.' Authentic worship is a discipline, an exercise. It is not only about what we receive, it is about what we give. As the essay-writer acknowledges, there is no similar community in communing with nature. I used to say that the church would always be there when people choose to return to it. Not any more. Many congregations struggle to survive. When people do not attend their local church, they often do not support it. If she chooses to go back to church one day, I hope it is there for her. Keith McKee Reverend London, Ont. I appreciate the essay-writer's awakening to the world around her in nature. I call nature God's first scripture. The parallels between outdoor sanctuary and wooden pews and stained glass are true: They are spaces to inspire, to inhale the spirit. I don't go to church to meet God; God is everywhere. I go to meet others along the way, and am determined to create a space where we are awakened, comforted, tear-soaked and then sent outdoors to nature ready to bring love to feed the lost and lonely creatures of the world. For me, there is a call to engage and transform the world, one goldfinch or silver-haired human at a time. John Pentland Reverend Hillhurst United Church; Calgary .................................................................................................................................. Letters to the Editor should be exclusive to The Globe and Mail. Include your name, address and daytime phone number. Keep letters to 150 words or fewer. Letters may be edited for length and clarity. To submit a letter by e-mail, click here: letters@
