New York [US], June 15 : New York-based expert on Khalistani terrorism, Puneet Sahani, believes that the Khalistani agitation is severely damaging Canada's international reputation.
In an interview, he warned that violent rhetoric and incidents most recently the harassment of Canadian Journalist Mocha Bezirgan in Vancouver are making Canada appear like "a Pakistan of the West" and raising fears that the country could become "a future exporter of terrorism."
Sahani urged Ottawa to confront these extremist networks with the same seriousness it applies to other global threats.
The analyst also called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi to abandon what he described as a "soft approach" toward Sikh radicals abroad. He advocated for tougher legal measures, including banning overseas Khalistan-linked organisations and placing their leaders on international no-fly lists.
Ahead of PM Modi's travel to Canada for the G7 Summit, Sahani warned that the growing influence of Khalistani extremists in Canada may keep New Delhi and Ottawa diplomatically distant for the foreseeable future. He claimed that pro-Khalistan networks now have "deep roots in every order of the Canadian state."
Sahani explained that, unlike the original wave of militants who migrated in the 1980s, today's Khalistan movement is increasingly driven by a new generation of activists, many of whom were born and raised in North America. These individuals, he said, are "even more radicalised" than their predecessors, despite having little or no lived experience of life in Punjab.
"These organisations are indoctrinating young people who have never lived in India, pumping them with hatred of Bharat and Hindus," he said. "They are essentially bringing a conflict from the subcontinent onto Canadian soil."
Citing public tributes to slain Khalistani separatist leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar, Sahani said such gestures are clear signs of radical penetration into mainstream Canadian politics. "They had enough influence to hold a minute of silence in Canada's Parliament," he noted, calling it evidence that sympathisers hold disproportionate sway over political decision-makers.
While acknowledging that most Canadian Sikhs condemn violence, Sahani cautioned that prolonged political pressure from extremist organisations may keep bilateral relations in a deep freeze.
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