Canada hosts Khalistan referendum despite authorities concerns
- In Reports
- 08:54 PM, Jul 27, 2024
- Myind Staff
The separatist Khalistan Referendum is set to occur at a municipal plaza in Calgary, Alberta, after authorities stated they couldn’t regulate the use of the public space.
The first referendum organised by the secessionist group Sikhs for Justice (SFJ) will be the second to take place on government property in Canada, a matter about which India has already lodged a complaint with Global Affairs Canada, the foreign ministry.
In an interview with CityNews, Calgary’s Indo-Canadian Mayor Jyoti Gondek stated, “Many activities occur at Municipal Plaza because it’s a public space. These events are not sanctioned or approved by us. The public can gather and do as they wish as a community.” She added that it was “not something we can control or patrol.”
The outlet also cited a statement from City of Calgary’s director, corporate properties and buildings, Ian Fleming, who said,“Individuals and organisations can use the Plaza without permission, application or permit if they adhere to the expectations and guidelines of appropriate activities and behaviour.”
Ahead of the referendum on Sunday, the Plaza already displays a large poster featuring, among others, Talwinder Singh Parmar, who is considered the mastermind behind the bombing of Air India flight 182 (the Kanishka) on June 23, 1985, which claimed 329 lives. This remains the worst terrorist incident in Canadian history. Also featured is Hardeep Singh Nijjar, SFJ’s principal organiser for British Columbia, who was murdered in Surrey, British Columbia, on June 18 last year.
Nijjar was considered a terrorist in India but never faced charges in Canada. His killing led to a significant deterioration in India-Canada relations after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau stated in the House of Commons on September 18, 2023, that there were “credible allegations” of a potential link between Indian agents and the murder.
In an official communiqué to Canada’s foreign ministry, India’s High Commission in Ottawa protested the use of public property for a separatist event targeting the country’s territorial integrity.
The last time a government facility was registered for the referendum was Tamanawis Secondary School in Surrey, British Columbia. However, a week before the scheduled referendum on September 3 last year, a spokesperson for the Surrey District School Board announced that the rental agreement for the school had been canceleddue to a violation.
That referendum was ultimately held on September 10 last year at the Guru Nanak Sikh Gurdwara in Surrey. Before that, on September 18, 2022, it was organised at the Gore Meadows Community Centre, a municipal property in Brampton in the Greater Toronto Area (GTG).
Image source: APnews
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