Opinion: Canada has put up with Khalistani terrorists for long enough

National Post

2 days ago

By Ujjal Dosanjh and Joe Adam George
Monday, June 23, marks the 40th anniversary of the bombing of Air India Flight 182 — the deadliest terrorist attack in Canadian history, and the most lethal act of aviation terrorism in the world prior to 9/11. The bombing left 329 people dead, including 268 Canadians. The investigation into the attack is still ' active and ongoing,' and is considered 'one of the most complex domestic terrorism investigations' undertaken by the RCMP.
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Despite two separate inquiries finding that Khalistani terrorists in Canada had masterminded the attack, the perpetrators managed to walk away largely unscathed, much to the despair of the victims' families and the frustration of India. To this day, they are venerated as heroes by their fellow extremist ideologues.
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The Khalistanis form part of a Sikh extremist separatist movement that aims to establish an independent state of Khalistan carved out of India. Although it continues to rally a small but outspoken minority of Sikhs, the movement holds virtually no appeal among Sikhs in India or the majority of Canada's Sikh community.
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The U.K. government-commissioned Bloom Review, which was released in 2023, revealed that Khalistani activists had exploited government ignorance, threatened and intimidated Sikhs, indoctrinated and recruited young people and solicited funds from Sikh temples to advance their agenda.
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The review warned the British government that, 'The subversive, aggressive and sectarian actions of some pro-Khalistan activists and the subsequent negative effect on wider Sikh communities should not be tolerated.'
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Yet Canada's political class choose to disregard those warnings. Politicians of all stripes continue to commit the cardinal sin of ignoring India's concerns and legitimizing Khalistanis by conflating them with the broader Sikh community. They repeatedly indulge them, hoping to boost their electoral fortunes, given the substantial sway the Sikh vote holds in many ridings throughout the country.
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For decades, Canadian Khalistanis have been an enduring national security and diplomatic liability to New Delhi, which accuses them of engaging in organized crime and acts of terrorism, both in India and abroad, under the guise of a religious political movement.
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During a public hearing of the foreign interference inquiry last year, CSIS members testified that Khalistani elements in Canada — with covert backing from Pakistan's spy agency, Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) — were attempting to undermine Indian interests in the country, confirming a longstanding allegation by New Delhi.