Sikh News
Conservative Party Drops Motion That Targeted Sikh Activism In Canada, May Leave India Red-faced
March 2, 2018 | By Sikh Siyasat Bureau
Ottawa: As per the media reports the Conservative party of Canada on Thursday decided to drop a proposed motion motivated by India through its diplomatic and media discourse, which was to be introduced in House of Commons for targeting Sikh diaspora in Canada for advocating right to self-determination.
The Canadian Sikh Association reportedly posted on its social media channels Thursday morning that they were thankful the Tories had backed down from a proposed motion from foreign affairs critic Erin O’Toole. Sukhpaul Tut, chair and spokesman for the association, is calling on the party to apologize for having written it in the first place.
One of two the Conservatives were considering for Thursday would’ve asked the House to “value the contributions of Canadian Sikhs and Canadians of Indian origin in our national life” but also to condemn all forms of terrorism “including Khalistani extremism and the glorification of any individuals who have committed acts of violence to advance the cause of an independent Khalistani state in India,” reads the quote from the proposed motion published in National Post (NP). Further the motion concluded with a support for united Indian union.
Instead Tories opted to pursue a motion about the Canada Summer Jobs program.
Conservative MP Erin O’Toole speaks during a news conference, Wednesday October 11, 2017 in Ottawa. (File Photo)
The Sikh association in its statement posted on social media said that “Throughout the whole night, the Sikh Community has been working aggressively to refute the frivolous allegations of labelling our community as terrorists at the request of foreign and corrupt entities.”
“We are thankful that the Conservative Party of Canada has come to its senses and confirms at 7:30 am this morning that they will not proceed with the motion. Our children will continue to live in Canada without facing foreign intimidation.”
Erin O Tool in its statement reportedly said the party decided not to go ahead now because “the story’s still evolving.” The motion is still on the notice paper.
“We haven’t pulled it. We’re looking at the right time to do it,” O’Toole said. Still, he said his caucus is “certainly listening to people” and it’s possible there will be adjustments to the motion.
“The motion was being misrepresented by a lot of people and certainly became very political. We want to make sure that no one is offended in the process, and the language will be very careful to make sure of that,” he adds to his statement.
The wording of the motion was “extremely wrong and was disingenuous and needed to be pulled, because the community doesn’t deserve to be painted with such a negative and broad brush like that,” Sukhpaul Tut reportedly said in his statement. While supporting the move Sukhpaul Tut reportedly said that the community expects better from its political leaders.
Meanwhile, Ontario Khalsa Durbar management while welcoming the move of dropping the motion purportedly said that the “motion does not highlight the actual real threat to a united India and a secular Indian state — the rise of Hindutava and RSS movement, which has been ‘terrorising’ minorities in the country.”
In a campaign against this motion the World Sikh Organisation (WSO) of Canada urged the Sikhs to call and leave voicemails at the offices of Andrew Scheer and Erion O’Toole. “Please communicate to them, if the Conservative Party carry through and bring this motion forward, then they will lose support from the Sikh community and our gurdwaras. The Sikh community will not forget this,” reads the widely circulated message on Whatsapp published in The Tribune (TT).
Apparently, the decision of Conservative party to refraining from going forward with the motion may add insult to injury for the Indian establishment. It is widely believed that this move has for once neutralized the propagation initiated by Indian state through its media and diplomatic channels to tarnish the image of the Sikh diaspora so as to further defame the Sikh activism for self-determination.
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Related Topics: Canada, Indian Politics, Indian State, Sikh Diaspora, Sikhs in Canada, Sikhs News Canada
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