Herb Dhaliwal, the first cabinet minister of Indian descent in Canada, indicated in an interview with The Tribune that the majority of Sikhs in Canada have no interest in supporting the Khalistan movement. The former minister made his remarks in response to the commotion around Amritpal Singh, a pro-Khalistan activist, being detained and to recent tensions with the Indian government.
Dhaliwal said that rather than speaking for the larger Sikh population in Canada, the Khalistan movement is primarily led by a tiny, unimportant group with its own goal.
He emphasised that many Sikhs are still seeking justice for the anti-Sikh riots in India in 1984 as their top priority. With former Indian Prime Ministers IK Gujral, Manmohan Singh, and Atal Bihari, Dhaliwal has previously discussed this topic.
He emphasised that many Sikhs are still seeking justice for the anti-Sikh riots in India in 1984 as their top priority. Former Indian Prime Ministers IK Gujral, Manmohan Singh, and Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Dhaliwal have already discussed this problem since the wounds from these incidents have not yet healed and because people are still looking for answers.
When questioned about recent events at the Indian High Commission in Ottawa, like the cancellation of a gathering because of demonstrators brandishing swords, Dhaliwal argued that these actions did not represent the views of the majority of the Sikh community in Canada.
Dhaliwal mentioned that there is a substantial influx of Indian students to Canada, especially from Punjab, and that this is because there aren’t enough possibilities for young people in India. Although he admitted that some students had been taken advantage of by dishonest institutions, he emphasised that the only workable solution was to improve the country of India’s current educational system.
Dhaliwal also noted that young Sikhs who were born and nurtured in Canada frequently lack a sense of attachment to their native country and instead favour vacations in places like Machu Picchu, Mexico, and Europe. He noted India’s subpar infrastructure and lack of sanitization as major obstacles to travel there.
Despite a decline in the number of charitable programmes started by non-resident Indians (NRIs) in their home countries, Gurdev Singh Gill’s Indo-Canadian Friendship Society of British Columbia has been recognised for its work. In order to improve sanitation, sewerage, and paving in 20 villages, the organisation collaborated with the Capt. Amarinder Singh and Parkash Singh Badal governments to start a pilot project. Canadian donations and matching government funding helped fund the initiative.