A powerful labour organization in northern India is staging an “indefinite” protest outside Canada’s diplomatic mission in Chandigarh following the latest rejection of a travel visa for a high-profile Indian national destined for Canada.
The Canadian government has denied entry to Canada to a human rights activist from Punjab, sparking resentment and anger among Sikhs both in Punjab and here in British Columbia.
Paramjeet Kaur Khalra was invited by the Dashmesh Durbar Sikh Temple in Surrey, B.C. to participate in religious festivities and events planned to mark International Human Rights Day on December 10.
Khalra is the widow of well known Indian human rights activist, Jaswant Singh Khalra, who was allegedly murdered by the Indian Police.
Although both husband and wife had separately visited Canada in the past, the widow Khalra has been refused a visitor’s visa by Ottawa’s High Commission in Chandigarh.
Dashmesh Durbar Sikh Temple president Saudagar Singh Sandhu confirmed to the South Asian Post that Khalra was invited to Canada as a guest of the temple, and said he cannot understand why Canadian authorities have this time refused her entry.
“We are shocked at the decision of the Canadian government,” Sandhu said.
He says Khalra, who last visited Canada in 2005, was denied a travel visa without explanation or justification.
“Why she has been denied entry this time remains a mystery,” he said.
The temple general secretary, Gian Singh Gill, said the popular gurdwara sent Khalra a sponsorship letter a month ago, a formality that in the past has all but guaranteed passage to Canada for visiting Indian nationals.
“Canada, which boasts itself to be a human rights champion, has set a bad example by denying her a visa,” he said.
Gurdwara Dashmesh Durbar supports Khalistan, a separate homeland for Sikhs, and honours militants who died in the violence that gripped Punjab for a decade between 1982 and 1992.
It was this similar cause that is believed to be behind Jaswant Singh Khalra’s disappearance in 1995.
Activist Khalra had launched an independent investigation into the disappearances of Sikh suspects by Indian police in “staged encounters.” Khalra estimated that over 25,000 unclaimed bodies of those killed by police were disposed off during this period in mass cremations.
An inquiry by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), India’s premier investigative agency, later claimed that only 2,097 unidentified bodies were unceremoniously cremated in three towns close to the Indo-Pakistan border.
India’s National Human Rights Commission has since awarded compensation of about Rs.250,000 each to the families of the victims.
Khalra himself was kidnapped by undercover police, according to his supporters, in 1995. His body has never found and he is presumed dead.
The activist had visited Canada that same year to draw “international attention” toward police excesses in Punjab.
A CBI inquiry led to the conviction of six Punjabi police officials involved in Khalra’s abduction and murder in 2005.
Paramjeet Kaur Khalra has continued the incomplete investigation started by her husband.
She told the South Asian Post over the phone from Amritsar that she was refused a visa by the Canadian consulate in Chandigarh.
“They expressed doubts that I may not return despite the fact that I have strong ties in India and have no intention to seek political asylum anywhere in the world,” she explained.
While Jaswant Singh Khalra was associated with the mainstream moderate Sikh political party, the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), which is currently leading a coalition government in Punjab, his disillusioned widow ran unsuccessfully for parliament in 1999 under the banner of a more radical breakaway faction of the SAD.
“Later, I decided to remain apolitical and have continued his mission for the sake of human rights.” she said.
Khalra admitted that she was initially denied a visa in 2005, but managed to visit Canada on a ministry permit.
“It is sad that a country like Canada did not let me bring out the voice of the victims of the police repression,” she said.
Meanwhile, the Bhartiya Kisan Union (BKU), a powerful organization of Indian farmers has launched a protest against the Canadian government over the increased number of visitor visas refused by the Canadian mission in Chandigarh.
As first reported in the South Asian Post earlier this month, civil liberties watchers, rights activists and even Canada’s opposition government are all alarmed over a probing Canadian Mission questionnaire that surfaced in late October. The three-page document requires Indians in Punjab to answer questions about their political affiliations and religious beliefs – as well as those of their families – during their screening for a travel visa for Canada.
Initially used for permanent resident applicants, the questionnaire was later extended to mere travellers to Canada. A number of politicians, police and members of the armed forces in India have all been refused entry to Canada, reportedly because of the High Commission questionnaire.
Liberal MP Sukh Dhaliwal (Newton-North Delta) described the probing questionnaire as “unacceptable” and told the South Asian Post that he has personal knowledge of two retired senior police officers who were refused entry to Canada because of the document.
The MP rightly predicted earlier this month that the questionnaire would “only further aggravate the problem” in Chandigarh, where the rejection rate has already increased amidst accusations that Canada is stereotyping Punjabis and unjustly probing would be visitors and immigrants from the region.
In India, the BKU supporters are staging an “indefinite demonstration” outside the Canadian High Commission in Chandigarh to protest its “discriminatory attitude” towards Punjabis.
BKU leader, Balbir Singh Rajewal, alleged that the Canadian consulate is increasingly refusing visas to Punjabis on one pretext or the other.
He told the South Asian Post from India that not only Khalra, but several other prominent people, including an MLA, have been refused visas in recent months.
“Apparently, the Canadian government is discouraging movement from this region.’’
Added Rajewal: “The questions about the past political events of Punjab are obviously aimed at minimizing immigration from this part of the country.’’
Expressing his solidarity with the BKU, Indo-Canadian Workers’ Association President Surinder Sangha said: “Asking visitors and immigrants questions about a dead Khalistan issue is not only offensive but also reflects the internal problems of the Canadian immigration system.”
Sangha said such questions were never raised when the pro-Khalistan movement was at its peak 20 years ago, both in Canada and Punjab. He said Canada, in fact, offered political asylum to a “number” of Sikh separatists at that time.
The local labour activist also challenged Canada’s nine sitting Punjabi MPs to raise the visa issue in the House of Commons.
Canadian Citizenship and Immigration spokeswoman Karen Shadd said that she would have to research the issue before commenting.
She forwarded queries related to the controversial questionnaire to the Canada Border Services Agency. The CBSA did not return calls.
By Gurpreet Singh
Write comment