Khalistanis plot 'ambush' during PM Modi's Canada visit
Khalistani extremists gathered in Kananaskis, Alberta, to stage what they called an "ambush" protest against Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is in Canada to take part in the G7 summit. PM Modi is currently on a four-day, three-nation tour covering Cyprus, Canada, and Croatia. For the second leg of his tour, he reached Canada today.During his stay in Canada, he is expected to hold bilateral meetings with Mark Carney. PM Modi will also hold bilateral meetings with his counterparts from Germany, Italy, and Ukraine on the sidelines of the summit.advertisementCanadian journalist Daniel Bordman, stated prior to PM Modi's visit, a group of Khalistani separatists in Calgary staged intense anti-Modi protests, calling on Canadian PM Mark Carney to "kill Modi politics," and US President Donald Trump to "kill India politics", and going even so far as to call for an attempt to "Balkanise India".
Bordman also said some protesters also stomped aggressively on the Indian flag and tore it.He also said that amid the clamour, three microphones blared simultaneously, each one competing for attention. Incoherent shouting filled the air, while someone stomped aggressively on an Indian flag — an old staple of these protests, said Bordman.As per Bordman, the extremists also made a new anti-Modi song. He added that the song pushed the lines of what is acceptable in Canada.advertisementIn the video, a man can be seen tearing what appeared to be an Indian Tricolour.According to another Canadian journalist, Mocha Bezirgan's post on X, Sikhs for Justice, a banned organisation in India, is calling for putting an end to "PM Modi's politics".Earlier this month, the independent journalist Bezirgan was allegedly assaulted and threatened by a group of pro-Khalistan activists in Vancouver while covering their rally.Viral videos also showed Khalistani protesters involving anti-India rhetoric, drawing sharp criticism from the Sikh Community back home.The Patna Sahib Gurudwara Takht has strongly condemned the anti-India protests by Khalistani extremists.Sudeep Singh, spokesperson for Takht Sri Patna Sahib, expressed his disappointment, stating, "Before PM Modi reached Canada, there were protests in which Khalistanis were also involved. The way children were used in the protests is highly condemnable."'KHALISTANI PRESENCE WANING'Bordman heaped praise on Canadian PM Carney for sending an invitation to PM Modi for the 51st G7 Summit, even as he said the Khalistani presence is seemingly waning as economic realities take centre stage in Canada-India relations since Carney took charge of office."The biggest Khalistani power display is in Surrey right now... The Khalistani menace seems to be toned down because Mark Carney is an economist. There is more money in trade with India, a real country with billions of people, than there is with a Pakistani proxy, propped up by China, who run around and run drugs for the country. We have everything India needs, and India has a huge consumer base," he told ANI.advertisement"By inviting PM Modi, it is a pretty hard shift for Mark Carney to distance the Liberal brand from the permissive stance on terrorists and separatists... This is a good first step to counter-radicalisation (sic)," Bordman said.India has consistently expressed concern over what it sees as Canada's leniency toward Khalistani extremists and their supporters.Bilateral relations between the two countries hit a new low in recent times, largely due to Ottawa's perceived inaction on the issue and its accusations against New Delhi of targeting pro-Khalistani elements in Canada.Must Watch
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(UPSC GS2, 2020) FATF condemns Pahalgam attack, red-flags funds, 'terror supporters' Syllabus: Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance. Main Examination: General Studies II: Important International institutions, agencies and fora- their structure, mandate. What's the ongoing story: Condemning the 'brutal terrorist attack' in Pahalgam on April 22, the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) — the global money laundering and terror financing watchdog — has noted that such attacks cannot occur 'without money and the means to move funds between terrorist supporters'. 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Key Points to Ponder: • What is Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI)? • The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) launched the findings of SIPRI Yearbook 2025-know more in detail • What Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) Highlights about India? • India's military spending-Know in detail • What Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) does? • What Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) has said about India in the past? Key Takeaways: • As per the SIPRI yearbook 2025, India has 180 nuclear stored warheads as of January 2025, while Pakistan has an estimated 170. China has 600 nuclear warheads as of January 2025, of which 24 are deployed warheads or those placed on missiles or located on bases with operational forces. • The report said that India is believed to have once again slightly expanded its nuclear arsenal in 2024 and continued to develop new types of nuclear delivery systems. 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Other Important Articles Covering the same topic: 📍Explained: What's happening in the latest Iran-Israel flare-up, in 5 points Unemployment rate rises 50 bps to 5.6% in May Syllabus: Preliminary Examination: Economic and Social Development-Sustainable Development, Poverty, Inclusion, Demographics, Social Sector Initiatives, etc. Mains Examination: General Studies‐ III: Indian Economy and issues relating to planning, mobilization, of resources, growth, development and employment What's the ongoing story: Seasonal factors drove up India's unemployment rate to 5.6 per cent in May from 5.1 per cent in April for persons aged 15 years and above, according to the statistics ministry's second-ever monthly Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) report, released on Monday. Key Points to Ponder: • What latest findings says about Unemployment Rate in particular? • Employment Rate (ER) and Unemployment Rate (UER)-Know in Detail • What Is the Unemployment Rate? How it is Calculated by CMIE? • Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy (CMIE)-Role and Under which Ministry/Organisation? • Reasons for rise in Unemployment Rate? • What latest findings says about Labour Force Participation Rate? • What do you understand by Labour Force and Labour Force participation rate (LFPR)? • What latest findings says about Female Labour Force Participation Rate? Key Takeaways: • The increase in the unemployment rate was larger for females, for whom the ratio rose by 80 basis points (bps) from April to 5.8 per cent in May. For males, the unemployment rate increased to 5.6 per cent from 5.2 per cent. • May saw a larger increase in the unemployment rate in rural areas to 5.1 per cent, up from 4.5 per cent in April, while the corresponding increase for urban India was 40 bps. However, the unemployment rate was higher in urban areas at 6.9 per cent. • The monthly jobs data is based on the Current Weekly Status (CWS) approach. Under this approach, the activity status of a person is measured for the seven days preceding the date of survey. • The Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) cautioned that a rise in the unemployment rate in May did not necessarily reflect 'secular trends' as changes were to be expected in the monthly data on account of increased frequency of the survey and seasonal, academic, and labour market factors. • While the Unemployment Rate (UR) rose in May, the Labour Force Participation Rate (LFPR) fell to 54.8 per cent from 55.6 per cent the previous month at the all-India level for those aged 15 years and above. The LFPR for males declined by 50 bps to 77.2 per cent, while that for females fell by 100 bps to 33.2 per cent. • The Worker Population Ratio (WPR), meanwhile, fell to 51.7 per cent from 52.8 per cent in April for persons aged 15 years and above. • While the LFPR is the fraction of the population that is seeking or available for work, the WPR is the percentage of employed persons in the population. Do You Know: • In rural areas, the LFPR fell by 110 bps to 56.9 per cent, with the decline in urban areas being smaller at 30 bps to 50.4 per cent, the data showed. The rural WPR declined similarly by 130 bps to 54.1 per cent in May for persons aged 15 years and above, while the urban WPR was down 50 bps at 46.9 per cent. The statistics ministry said the reduction in agricultural activities with the end of the rabi harvest season in the rural areas 'may have brought about the downward shift in number of workers', adding that employment in rural areas shifted away from agriculture (from 45.9 per cent in April to 43.5 per cent in May) to secondary and services sectors. • Within the overall data, the segment to see the biggest increase in unemployment in May were young women in rural areas. In May, the unemployment rate for rural females in the 15-29 age bracket rose to 13 per cent from 10.7 per cent in April, with the corresponding increase for their urban counterparts being 70 bps to 24.4 per cent. • A total of 3.8 lakh persons were surveyed in May, roughly the same as in April. As part of the revamped survey design for the PLFS adopted in January, a rotational panel sampling design is being used. As part of this design, each selected household is visited four times in four consecutive months. This ensures that three-fourths of first-stage sampling units, or FSUs, are matched between two consecutive months. Other Important Articles Covering the same topic: 📍ExplainSpeaking: Why India's workforce is becoming increasingly male-dominated For any queries and feedback, contact Subscribe to our UPSC newsletter. Stay updated with the latest UPSC articles by joining our Telegram channel – IndianExpress UPSC Hub, and follow us on Instagram and X. Priya Kumari Shukla is a Senior Copy Editor in the Indian Express (digital). She contributes to the UPSC Section of Indian Express (digital) and started niche initiatives such as UPSC Key, UPSC Ethics Simplified, and The 360° UPSC Debate. The UPSC Key aims to assist students and aspirants in their preparation for the Civil Services and other competitive examinations. It provides valuable guidance on effective strategies for reading and comprehending newspaper content. The 360° UPSC Debate tackles a topic from all perspectives after sorting through various publications. The chosen framework for the discussion is structured in a manner that encompasses both the arguments in favour and against the topic, ensuring comprehensive coverage of many perspectives. Prior to her involvement with the Indian Express, she had affiliations with a non-governmental organisation (NGO) as well as several coaching and edutech enterprises. In her prior professional experience, she was responsible for creating and refining material in various domains, including article composition and voiceover video production. She has written in-house books on many subjects, including modern India, ancient Indian history, internal security, international relations, and the Indian economy. She has more than eight years of expertise in the field of content writing. Priya holds a Master's degree in Electronic Science from the University of Pune as well as an Executive Programme in Public Policy and Management (EPPPM) from the esteemed Indian Institute of Management Calcutta, widely recognised as one of the most prestigious business schools in India. She is also an alumni of Jamia Milia Islamia University Residential Coaching Academy (RCA). Priya has made diligent efforts to engage in research endeavours, acquiring the necessary skills to effectively examine and synthesise facts and empirical evidence prior to presenting their perspective. Priya demonstrates a strong passion for reading, particularly in the genres of classical Hindi, English, Maithili, and Marathi novels and novellas. Additionally, she possessed the distinction of being a cricket player at the national level. Qualification, Degrees / other achievements: Master's degree in Electronic Science from University of Pune and Executive Programme in Public Policy and Management (EPPPM) from Indian Institute of Management Calcutta ... Read More
