Sikh extremism resurges, Canada feels the heat

TERROR IS BACK: Lines dividing terrorists and the rich cultural heritage of the Sikhs have been blurred.

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Keywords: Khalistan, Sikh Terrorism

Chandigarh: From Canada to Punjab, 2007 has seen a revival of Sikh extremism. While the government is quick to assert that no one will be allowed to mess with peace in the state, lines dividing terrorists and the rich cultural heritage of the Sikhs have been blurred.

• On Saturday, the Dal Khalsa tied up with the separatist group Hurriyat Conference and the JKLF to pursue common goals, including the right to self-determination.
• Just weeks ago, Sikh fundamentalist Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale resurfaced at the Golden Temple.
• In May, Sikh extremist factions made their presence felt during the Dera Sachcha Sauda controversy.

All this is happening under the leadership of Chief Minister Prakash Singh Badal. But it appears that others are pandering to extremist Sikh sentiment as well.

On April 7 this year, Khalistan made its presence felt, albeit briefly, on the streets of Canada during a parade to celebrate Baisakhi where a terrorist was honoured as a martyr. Talwinder Singh Parmar was the mastermind of the 1985 Kanishka tragedy.

Sharing the stage with Khalistan supporters and former militants was the premier of British Columbia Gordon Campbell. He now denies that he willingly glorified terrorism but doesn’t apologise for being there. Neither does he criticise the organizer.

“They were all very upset by what the Gurudwara did. What we have to do is be more careful about where we're going and make sure these questions are asked prior to going there,” he says.

Politicians like Campbell may have been embarrassed by their voters but radicals in Canada and at home don’t see a problem

“There is no threat to the country's integrity and is the integrity so weak that displays of pictures could dent it?” asks Kanwar Pal Dhami of Dal Khalsa.

Twenty-three years after Operation Blue Star, Sikh extremism is seeing a revival and this blurring of lines between culture and extremism is worrying the liberals.

(With inputs from Parrull)