Assassination and killing of Khalsa Tiger Force founder and leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Canada has stirred a row with India being blamed for perpetuating his execution which the Indian side has dubbed as absurd, meaningless and motivated. Justin Trudeau feels that Indian side should stand by the side of truth than for shifting goal posts shirking from its moral obligation and responsibilities.
Nijjar who had absconded long back to Canada was booked and charged under different cases from riots to communal discord a lookout notice was issued way back against him. Trudeau,s over reaction runs the risk of jeopardizing the civic ties, co operation and collaboration between both the countries hampering chances for a course correction.
Canada has been a reliable and trustworthy partner and a natural home to Indian diaspora especially the Sikh community migrating for want of better economic and educational opportunities to excel, succeed and prosper creating a niche for themselves in their respective fields and domains.
Canada has some of the finest higher education centres providing easy accessibility and affordability to Indian students enrolling themselves to different academic programs and courses. For Trudeau, Sikhs are a constituency with a clout politically and electorally in bellweather seats shaping the outcome. With him running a coalition government he has to be particular with his stance, sentence and posturing for any untoward act drawing the ire from a community whose presence hugely matters.
Had Trudeau practiced some restraint than the implications of it could have been minimized with India lodging a strong protest sacking Canadian diplomat to India with immediate effect. Canada did similarly react for a thaw in the relations which needs to possibly addressed and articulated.
Can Trudeau imagine endorsing fringe elements whose main agenda is to destabilize the very sovereignty and integrity of a nation that has had its share of turbulence and turmoils in late 1980 and early 1990s when Punjab was on the boil with radicalism and militancy reaching a peak.
Khalistani activists taking charge of the situation did all sorts of notorious misadventures bringing disrepute to the nation operating from foreign soil arranging for funds, manpower and an hidden agenda became their instruments inspiring a violent uprising. Nijjar was way too powerful to be tamed and tarnished choosing avenues carrying forward his tasks in a very tactical and strategic manner.
Rather than confronting these realities a Trudeau blasting at India sends a disturbing signal mellowing down his discontent will be a welcome step with Canada offering a safe heaven and harbour to such kind of fringes there are bound to be opinions, presumptions and assumptions with the Canadian security establishment hardly bothering to interfere and intervene.
Trudeau should become real by not deflecting from his path committing to address the gaps and loopholes which the Nijjar episode has brought to the fore. For the merit in adopting a resolve to counter it’s after effects with a scheme in place negotiating through dialogue sounds mindful than for the unqualified off the cuff rebuttals and remarks.
Let’s be more practical than being swayed by idealism as International Relations is all about who makes the first move with a clarity in the heads of the actor negotiating and re negotiating their morals of judgement.
Hmmm…