Qazi Mizan: The issue of Khalistan Referendum has already created huge waves in Canadian internal politics and on the diplomatic front between Canada and India.
Canada’s National Democratic Party (NDP) has announced its support for the Khalistan Referendum on Canadian soil on 6 November, calling it the basic human right of Canadian Sikhs enshrined in local and international laws.
National Democratic Party (NDP) leader Jagmeet Singh MP has supported Sikh peoples’ right to seek independence and create Khalistan through the means of referendum.
NDP leader stated: “Some people are spreading false information to create division, distraction and misinformation to the public. The straightforward thing is that seeking impudence through referendum is an inalienable right of all peoples.”
NDP leader’s statement is important because the party is an ally of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau government.
Despite India’s strong protest, Canadian officials maintained that it could not take away the right of its nationals to engage in any kind of political activity and demand their rights through peaceful and democratic means.
However, India refuses to accept referendum as a constitutional right but rather terms it as an extremist move by the Indian Sikh diaspora. In their defense, Gurpatwant Singh Pannun reiterated that SFJ along with other pro-Khalistan organizations bears no links to violence, “We are for ballot, not bullet. India hates our approach to peace.”
Canadian government has coughed up a standard line that individuals in their country have a right to assemble and express their views so long as they do so peacefully and without breaking the law.
More than 110,000 Sikhs had voted on 18 September in a massive turnout and thousands were unable to vote and it was not possible for the organizers to accommodate nearly 40,000 Sikhs who were still in queues as the voting ended.
SFJ has announced plans to hold phase II of the Khalistan Referendum voting on 6 November at Paul Coffey Arena, Mississauga to accommodate those who were unable to vote on 18 September.
General Counsel to SFJ Gurpatwant Singh Pannun stated, “6 November voting is a journey of the Sikh community from being the victim of genocide to seek independence through Khalistan Referendum.”
6 November voting is a journey of the Sikh community from being the victim of genocide to seek independence through Khalistan Referendum.
