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Hindustan Times
4 days ago
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Kanishka reminder of commitment to fighting extremism: Canada PM
Prime Minister Mark Carney said on Monday that his new government unequivocally stands against terrorism, as hundreds gathered at memorials across Canada dedicated to the victims of the bombing of Air India flight 182, the Kanishka, by Khalistani extremists. On Monday, MPs and local representatives were among those who attended the memorial service in Toronto. (HT Photo) In a message released by the Prime Minister's office, Carney said, 'Canada will continue to work with our allies and partners, at home and around the world, to better detect, prevent, and respond to the threat of terrorism and violent extremism. It is a sombre reminder of our commitment to fight violent extremism and keep Canadians safe.' The bombing on June 23, 1985 had left all 329 people on board dead. Mourners joined family members of the victims on the 40th anniversary of the tragedy. They gathered at the memorials in Ottawa, Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver on what is marked as the National Day of Remembrance for Victims of Terrorism in Canada. Describing the Khalistani terror attack as 'the deadliest attack in our country's history – one we must never forget', the PM added, 'Canada's new government unequivocally stands against terrorism, and we will deliver on our mandate of change to keep communities safe.' In Ottawa, India's Acting High Commissioner Chinmoy Naik told the gathering the tragedy was a reminder of the 'continuing threat posed by terrorism and violent extremism', and cited the 'barbaric terrorist attack in Pahalgam' on April 22, in this context and called for 'the need for zero tolerance against terrorism'. Among those present at the Ottawa memorial were MPs from the ruling party, as well as the director of the Canadian Security Intelligence Service Daniel Rogers and Royal Canadian Mounted Police Commissioner Mike Duheme. A day earlier on Sunday, three Conservative Party MPs attended a vigil for the victims at the Toronto memorial. Opposition party's deputy leader Melissa Lanstman said, 'Until there is justice, until there is no more denial of justice, until there is an eradication of terror, not only beyond our borders but right here in Canada, justice could never be served.' She said there was 'no question' there was an 'uptick' in Canada of 'unchecked terror', which targeted Hindu temples and synagogues. She blasted 'elements of Khalistani terror who terrorise communities and people in their neighbourhoods in this country'. On Monday, MPs and local representatives were among those who attended the memorial service in Toronto. Secretary of State for Labour John Zerucelli read out a message from the PM and acknowledged justice had not been done to the victims and their families and that needed to change. The Canadian National Council of Hindus has started a petition calling upon the Federal government to establish a permanent national memorial for them. A Liberal Party MP and four MLAs joined the service at the Stanley Park memorial in Vancouver as did representatives from the historic Ross Street gurdwara, among others.
Hindustan Times
5 days ago
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
40th anniversary of the tragedy: Hundreds in Canada pay homage to the victims of Kanishka flight bombing
Toronto: Hundreds gathered on Monday at memorials across Canada dedicated to the victims of the bombing of Air India flight 182, the Kanishka, by Khalistani extremists, as Prime Minister Mark Carney said that their 'new government unequivocally stands against terrorism.' The gathering at the Toronto memorial on Monday to pay homage to the victims of Air India flight 182, the Kanishka. (Supplied photo) Mourners joined family members of the 329 victims of the terrorist bombing of the Kanishka on the 40th anniversary of the tragedy. They gathered at the memorials in Ottawa, Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver on what is marked as the National Day of Remembrance for Victims of Terrorism in Canada. In a message released by the Prime Minister's Office, Carney said, 'Canada will continue to work with our allies and partners, at home and around the world, to better detect, prevent, and respond to the threat of terrorism and violent extremism.' Describing the Khalistani terror attack as 'the deadliest attack in our country's history – one we must never forget', he added, 'Canada's new government unequivocally stands against terrorism, and we will deliver on our mandate of change to keep communities safe.' The gathering at the Vancouver memorial on Monday to pay homage to the victims of Air India flight 182, the Kanishka. (Supplied photo) In Ottawa, India's Acting High Commissioner Chinmoy Naik told the gathering the tragedy was a reminder of the 'continuing threat posed by terrorism and violent extremism', and cited the 'barbaric terrorist attack in Pahalgam' on April 22, in this context and called for 'the need for zero tolerance against terrorism'. Among those present at the Ottawa memorial were MPs from the ruling party, as well as the director of the Canadian Security Intelligence Service Daniel Rogers and Royal Canadian Mounted Police Commissioner Mike Duheme. A day earlier on Sunday, three Conservative Party MPs attended a vigil for the victims at the Toronto memorial. The opposition party's deputy leader Melissa Lanstman said, 'Until there is justice, until there is no more denial of justice from Canadian, until there is an eradication of terror, not only beyond our borders but right here in Canada, justice could never be served.' She said there was 'no question' there was an 'uptick' in Canada of 'unchecked terror', which targeted Hindu temples and synagogues. She blasted 'elements of Khalistani terror who terrorise communities and people in their neighbourhoods in this country'. On Monday, MPs and local representatives were among those who attended the memorial service in Toronto. Secretary of State for Labour John Zerucelli read out a message from the PM and acknowledged justice had not been done to the victims and their families and that needed to change. The Canadian National Council of Hindus has started a petition calling upon the Federal government to establish permanent national memorial for them. A Liberal Party MP and four MLAs joined the service at the Stanley Park memorial in Vancouver as did representatives from the historic Ross Street gurdwara, among others.
New Indian Express
5 days ago
- Politics
- New Indian Express
Rich tributes to victims of terrorist attack on Air India flight on 40th anniversary
Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri-led Indian delegation paid tributes to the Kanishka Bombing victims memorial in Ireland. The investigation into the case squarely blamed the Canadian Govt agencies, Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS), Transport Canada, and Royal Canadian Mounted Police for the attack. The sole person convicted in this case was Mr. Inderjit Singh Reyat, who served a 20-year jail term and was released in 2016. The other accused have either died or have largely remained unpunished due to a lack of evidence.
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First Post
21-06-2025
- Business
- First Post
Canada's Carney seeks to mend ties, but Khalistan issue requires India to be cautious
Unlike other Canadian leaders such as Justin Trudeau and Pierre Poilievre, Prime Minister Mark Carney understands the importance of India as a country whose global influence is growing by the day, but Delhi must not lower its guard on the Khalistan issue read more In this season of geopolitical flare-ups, it seems at least one relationship is back on track. Years after the Justin Trudeau administration played sinister games with India trying to appease its domestic Khalistani vote bank, the India-Canada equation under newly elected Prime Minister Mark Carney is now becoming friendlier with each passing day. A good example of this was on display during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Canada last week for the G7 summit. Earlier India had downgraded its diplomatic ties with the country and had even recalled its diplomats after a controversy had broken out during the previous administration when then Prime Minister Justin Trudeau had accused Indian agents of the assassination of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar on Canadian soil. But now on the sidelines of the G7 summit, both PM Modi and Carney have not only agreed to the reinstatement of High Commissioners between India and Canada, but they have also decided to resume the long-stalled trade talks between the two countries. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD While speaking to media on the occasion of the G7 summit, PM Carney was all praises for PM Modi's leadership, calling his meeting with him a 'great honour' in addition to asserting how Modi has become a permanent invitee to the summit since the year 2018 and would also likely make an appearance at the next summit scheduled to be held in France. While the conciliatory notes extended by Carney towards India are a significant break from the past, what is also important to note is that the whole Canadian dispensation seems to be undergoing a shift of position towards India even on the much-controversial Khalistan issue as well. Around the same time that Carney and Modi held a meeting on the sidelines of the summit, an interesting report was released by the country's top intelligence agency, the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS). While the report has again made an unsubstantiated assertion over alleged Indian foreign interference in Canada, in a big break from the Trudeau era, the report has also conclusively noted that Khalistanis are indeed using Canadian soil to 'promote, fundraise and plan' violent activities primarily targeting India since the mid-1980s. This has to be the first time that a Canadian agency has made such an open and honest admission of Canada serving as a base for the Khalistani terrorists for almost four decades now. Looking at the changing tunes in Canada, one really wonders if the future of India-Canada ties will be bright now onwards, with the biggest irritant of extending state support to Khalistanis by Canada a thing of the past? Well, the truth is that it will be a constant cost-benefit analysis that will determine Canada's attitude towards India in the long run, no matter how friendly and favourable the Carney government seems at the moment. One may say that unlike the Trudeau government, which was at the mercy of noted Khalistani Jagdeep Singh's New Democratic Party (NDP), this time the Liberal Party government faces no such compulsions. NDP is now a politically spent force and Jagmeet a practical nobody in the Canadian political scene, allowing Carney to dictate terms more freely. This explains why, for the first time, a Canadian intelligence report has so openly indicted the Khalistanis for targeting India using Canada as a base. The last time an attempt towards this was made, the Trudeau administration had made sure to redact those portions. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD In addition to the reduced political dependence on the K-factor, Carney, unlike Trudeau, is a pragmatic leader who is choosing to see the big picture when it comes to the India-Canada relationship instead of pandering to the Khalistanis. This signalling was impossible to miss on the eve of the G7 summit when Khalistani groups were threatening to disrupt PM Modi's visit with charged-up protests taking place in Calgary, but Carney refused to budge to the threats and went ahead with his plans to host PM Modi. Carney's logic was simple: his predecessor had thrown an important diplomatic relationship to the wolves due to his political myopia, and G7 was a great opportunity to reset ties with India, a dynamic emerging economy. Maybe this is why Carney's dissociation with Khalistan was early to spot, as not even a single campaign rally of his had allowed the separatists to wield their flag or raise their cause. In comparison, opposition leader Pierre Poilievre had pandered fully to the Sikh separatists. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Unlike other Canadian leaders such as Trudeau and Poilievre, Carney understands the importance of India as a country whose global influence is growing each passing day. In a press query, he noted India's leadership on the world stage and called his meeting with PM Modi a 'foundational' necessary first step towards much-needed repair of bilateral ties. As per him, India is the fifth largest economy in the world and the most populous country, which is also central to the global economic flow by being at the heart of crucial supply chains. Carney's own recognition of India's economic significance was also driven by the diplomatic pressure that his administration faced from the other G7 countries. In an interview with a Canadian network, Vina Nadjibulla from the Asia-Pacific Foundation of Canada noted that there was a strong push from other countries to invite India to the G7 summit, leaving Canada with little choice. Now that Carney has finally embraced a friendlier approach towards India as a sign of his political maturity, Canada stands to benefit a lot from the relationship. India, after all, is Canada's tenth largest trading partner with an emerging market of 1.4 billion people for its agriculture, hi-tech and educational services offerings. There is also a two-million-strong Indian diaspora in Canada, of which the Khalistanis are just a small fringe. At a time when even big players in the West are looking to court India, Trudeau's alienation of India was a strategic suicide. It seems Carney for now has done a great job in mending the bridges. But will the Khalistan issue disappear from the Canadian political landscape and also become irrelevant in the India-Canada bilateral relationship? STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Well, hardly so because the Western countries, especially their deep states, have carefully nurtured the K-elements as an asset to balance a rising India. Whenever India will not follow their preferred course of diplomatic action, they will not take a moment to deploy the Khalistani separatists. On this matter, even Carney would not be any different from Trudeau. Not to forget that Khalistanis not only remain a strongly funded cause in Canada, but their activities to canvass support domestically are still continuing in the garb of freedom of speech even today. For now, the Canadian leadership seems to have understood the importance of India as a key partner, so we should make the most of it. But India's own efforts to keep the Khalistanis in check in the Western societies, including Canada, must go on without an iota of hesitancy. The author is a New Delhi-based commentator on geopolitics and foreign policy. She holds a PhD from the Department of International Relations, South Asian University. She tweets @TrulyMonica. The views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect Firstpost's views. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD
Economic Times
20-06-2025
- Politics
- Economic Times
Canada, a move away from the Rockies
Recognising a problem is the first step towards a solution. By that metric, Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) has taken an important step towards repairing a troubled India-Canada relationship. A recent CSIS report acknowledges the existence of Canada-based Khalistani extremists who continue to promote, fund and/or plan acts of violence targeting India. Not only do they mean harm to India, CSIS says these groups also threaten Canadian national security. That is lucid observation. The report's findings dovetail efforts by PM Mark Carney to repair and restore the bilateral relationship left hanging precariously by his predecessor Justin Trudeau. Recognition of continued operations of Canada-based Khalistani extremists is an important departure from the recent past when focus was turned on alleged involvement of Indian officials in the 2023 killing of Canadian citizen Hardeep Singh Nijjar. While perceptions of the threat may differ, acknowledgement that it's an issue of concern for both countries will allow addressing it, and avoid the kind of strange food fight that had broken out before. Like any long-standing relationship, especially between two democracies, there have been ups and downs. But, on balance, it has been a good one. The current fractured geopolitical and geo-economic landscape, exacerbated by unpredictability of the Trump regime - his continued suggestion of annexing Canada and newfound friendship with Pakistan and its generals - adds urgency to restoring and augmenting New Delhi-Ottawa ties. Working together and tackling problems with mutual respect, for mutual benefit, should become a SOP, allowing both nations to leverage the past - beyond the too-recent past, that is - and take on multiple challenges.
