Heat From A Flame Afar

Quite palpably, the alienation of Sikhs persists—deeply, even bitterly. Ask the five lakh Sikhs who have made Canada their home,  and they will likely lament their inability to forget the riots, which, in their narration, is referred to—justly—as a “genocide” or a “massacre”. And genocide and massacre, irrespective of the years between the time of their occurrence and the present, demand justice for the victims and punishment for those who masterminded it. “The anti-Sikh riot is not a closed chapter yet,” says Jaspal Singh Bal, the Toronto-based spokesman of the World Sikh Organisation of Canada.

In contrast to those who believe that a Sikh as prime minister is a salve soothing enough for troubled memories to be forgotten, many here say the six years of Manmohan’s prime ministership have stoked expectations for justice. As Balraj Deol, editor of Khabarnama, a Punjabi weekly published from Toronto, says, “No one could have done more to enhance the image of Sikhs in the world than Manmohan Singh. But I think this is the best time for reconciliation.”

But these protests, these voices, are perceived by a section in the Indian establishment as a concerted attempt to revive the demand for Khalistan and, simultaneously, exploit the human rights issue to destabilise India. Sources in government say they have been taken aback at the gradual re-emergence of Sikh extremism and terrorist activities in Canada. This fact had worried Manmohan enough to raise it more than once with his Canadian counterpart, Stephen Harper. Sources also say the Sikh militants in Canada are trying to revive old links with the LTTE to channel funds for separatists in Punjab.

Sikh activists here scoff at such charges, saying it’s typical of the Indian state to dub as secessionist or terrorist any person who raises the issue of human rights violations. Gurpatwant  S. Pannun, legal advisor to Sikhs For Justice, a voluntary group, says, “A systematic campaign is on to tarnish the image of the Sikh community in Canada.” Perhaps the Indian authorities are a trifle paranoid, forgetting that Indians here have played an important role in championing human rights in Canada, which has an enviable history on this count. As Gurwinder Singh, a Vancouver-based political commentator, says: “There were strong protests in Canada when Emergency was imposed by Indira Gandhi. There have been protests not only against the anti-Sikh riots but also against the violent attacks on Christians and Muslims in India.”

The Indian diaspora’s experience of Canada has also influenced perceptions. Second-generation Sikhs can’t fathom why a peaceful demand for a separate Sikh state is anathema to India, often citing in conversations the contrast of Canada where those wanting Quebec to secede are also MPs. Jatinder Singh, a young IT professional here, mentions it before saying: “All options for justice are on the table.”

But such responses are too pat for the Indian authorities, troubled by the tendency among some Sikhs to laud Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale besides Talwinder Singh Parmar, who masterminded the Kanishka plane explosion. Pictures and posters of these leaders are displayed during Baisakhi celebrations in many Canadian cities, a fact even the IT professional admits. In the same breath, though, he explains, “Their photos in gurudwaras have a different meaning here than what they have in India.” Like what? Perhaps as men who fought for the community, he suggests. Obviously, it’s a polemic not at all convincing.

The Indian establishment is mistaken in believing that all those who raise the demand for justice are militants. Jagdish Grewal, editor of the Canadian Punjabi Post, says, “The pro-Khalistan sections are still stuck in the past and can’t move forward. But there is no denying that there is resentment among large sections of people, who feel that the powerful persons responsible for the anti-Sikh riots have not yet been charged.” S.J. Singh, a former Indian Airlines commander who narrowly escaped being lynched in India during the 1984 riots and is now based in Toronto, says, “I am no secessionist, but I certainly want to see the perpetrators of the 1984 riots brought to justice.”

This line of thought is perhaps known to Manmohan, who made it a point to interact with the Indian-Canadian members of parliament. Among them was Sukh Dhaliwal, who had unsuccessfully moved a resolution in the Canadian parliament just a few days ago to get the 1984 riots recognised as “genocide”. Believing it is better to engage rather than isolate men such as Dhaliwal, Manmohan tried to apply a poultice to their wounds. He said he had already apologised for the 1984 riots in Parliament, accepted the weakness in the Indian legal system, and pointed to his government’s efforts to reopen all the riot cases for providing compensation to those affected. Flanked by the deputy chairperson of the Planning Commission, Montek Singh Ahluwalia, also a Sikh, Manmohan said, “We cannot get away from our past, but the challenge lies in looking ahead.”

But this “healing touch” had some Sikhs decry the subtext of Mamohan’s plea. For instance, Gurpatwant S. Pannun of Sikhs For Justice lashes out: “It’s statements like this that promotes the culture of impunity, that encourages and ensures the criminals that if they attack the minority community they will not be punished.” And Dhaliwal says, “The prime minister needs to see that positions of emotional distress over such a terrible moment in history do not translate into extremism....” Really, the opinion of Sikhs here can change only if the UPA government provides a generous compensation to the riot victims and punishes the guilty.