Canada doesn’t support any separatist movement: Trudeau

Punjab Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh on Wednesday met the Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau along with his Defence Minister Harjit Singh Sajjan, while raising the separatist issue and highlighting the involvement of some Indo-Canadians in hate crimes and targeted killings in India.

Capt Amarinder also handed over a list of nine Category ‘A’ Canada-based operatives alleged to be involved in hate crimes in Punjab, that took place in the recent past, by financing and supplying weapons for terrorist activities and also engaged in trying to radicalise youth and children in Punjab.

Responding, Trudeau assured Capt Amarinder that his country did not support any separatist movement in India or elsewhere. Trudeau’s categorical assurance came during their 40-minute long meeting when Capt Amarinder sought the Canadian PM’s cooperation in cracking down on separatism and hate crime by a fringe element, constituting a minuscule percentage of Canada’s population.

Citing the separatist movement in Quebec, Trudeau said that he had dealt with such threats all his life and was fully aware of the dangers of violence, which he had always pushed back with all his might.

Later, Capt Amarinder took to Twitter to appreciate Trudeau’s assurance. “Really happy to receive categorical assurance from Canadian PM @JustinTrudeau that his country does not support any separatist movement. His words are relief to all of us in India and we look forward to his government’s support in tackling fringe separatist elements,” tweeted Capt Amarinder after the meeting.

Capt Amarinder, who was accompanied by the State Tourism and Local Government Minister Navjot Singh Sidhu, his Chief Principal Secretary Suresh Kumar and Chief Secretary Karan Avtar Singh, raised issue of Indo-Canadians believed to be involved in targeted killings in Punjab, urging him to take cognizance of the same and take action against such elements.

Though freedom of speech was enshrined in the Indian Constitution, separatists and hardliners as well as those propagating violence had lost any such right as they had been rejected outright by the people of Punjab, said CM. People fighting elections on the plank of a separate Sikh State ended up losing their security deposits, pointed Capt Amarinder while thanking Trudeau for his explicit stand on a united India.

Trudeau assured Capt of addressing all concerns raised by the latter, saying that he looked forward to closer ties with India, particularly with Punjab, which he was happy to see progressing well.

Capt Amarinder also called for cooperation between India and Canada on the issues of terrorism, crime and drugs, while seeking greater sharing of relevant information, in the interest of national and international security.

Responding to concerns raised in some quarters on reports of human rights violations, Capt Amarinder said that any aberrations were always dealt with strictly, with even policemen being sent to jail by the courts in such cases. He reiterated his government’s firm commitment to the protection of human rights of all individuals.

Citing the close historical ties between the two countries, particularly in the context of the contribution of both Indians and Canadians in the Great War, Capt Amarinder underlined the need for their governments to work closely together in mutual interest.

He pointed out that 64,000 Canadian and 74,000 Indian soldiers, who fought in the first World War, were lying buried together in 134 cemeteries, creating an unbreakable tie between the two countries.

This is for the first time that any Punjab Chief Minister has met the Prime Minister of Canada.

Earlier, Capt Amarinder had refused to meet Trudeau, claiming that the Canadian Prime Minister’s cabinet members supported the formation of Khalistan.

Capt Amarinder, in April last year, during Canadian Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan’s visit to India called the Canadian MP a ‘Khalistani sympathiser’’ Capt Amarinder felt Sajjan was advocating for the formation of Khalistan — regarding which Sajjan has clarified his stand later and the same was welcome by Capt Amarinder.