Quite expectedly, the recent Canadian incidents of clashes between pro-Khalistan and pro-India people in Brampton have not had an impact in Punjab. Most Punjabis there are settled in cities like Brampton, Mississauga, Vancouver and Surrey. By demographics, these Canadian cities are like an ‘extension’ of Punjab.
When the reports and visuals of the clashes outside a temple in Brampton were circulated on social and mainstream media, it did not generate any strong reactions back home.
This is obviously for the reason that people in Punjab have always lived in harmony. Even during the worst phase of terrorism, which saw targeted killings, there was no apparent hostility or animosity between the Sikh and Hindu communities.
Reports reaching from Canada, Brampton in particular also suggest that the incident has not affected the mutual relationship between the members of the two Punjabi communities. People do hold strong political opinions, opposed to each other, but these have never affected interpersonal relationships. The same is the case now also.
So much so, that when the members of the Hindu community held a protest on Monday evening against the Diwali weekend incidents, they were joined by the members of the Sikh community also. Eyewitnesses told the News Arena India that a significant number, a few hundred, of people belonging to the Sikh community wearing turbans joined the Hindu community in protest.
There may have not been much public condemnation of the incident from the members of the Sikh community, but in private they strongly disapproved of it, saying that the pro-Khalistan elements had no business to stage a protest outside the temple.
In Punjab, Sri Damdama Sahib Jathedar, Giani Harpreet Singh, who has also served as an acting Jathedar of Shri Akal Takhat, on Wednesday strongly denied that there was an attack on the temple by Sikhs. He said Sikhs cannot attack any temple. He said it was a protest outside the temple and not an attack. At the same time, he disapproved of the protest outside the temple, saying it was uncalled for.
Students from Punjab reportedly spent a whopping 3.7 billion US dollars for studies in Canada last year. There are tens of thousands of families living in Punjab from both communities who have their children studying and working there, while tens of thousands of others are settled there. Several people the News Arena spoke to said that even in Brampton, there was not any anger or resentment against each other. It was business as usual between the members of the two communities.
Hopefully, the Canadian government will learn some lessons from this incident. Earlier there were no reactions to any such incidents anywhere in Canada.
After the clashes outside the temple, the Canadian authorities realised that any such incident in future could spiral out of control and they would have themselves to blame.
They can’t hold the government of India or the officials of the Indian High Commission responsible for that, as they have been for various incidents of violence and gang rivalry killings.
No civilised society and a civilised country would like to see such incidents taking place on its soil. Sadly the Trudeau government in Canada had not only been approving but encouraging such incidents in the past. Open display and glorification of the assassination of former Indian Prime Minister Ms Indira Gandhi, and violent attacks on the Indian High Commission and consulates were all ignored.
As the violence threatens to spill over on roads, it reflects badly on a “first world” government as such things are expected in the “third world” countries only. No wonder, when the members of the Hindu community organised a protest on Monday, the local Peel Police deputed Rapid Force to prevent the situation from going out of control.
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