A dozen gurdwaras in Canada’s Ontario province have barred officials from the Indian government, consular officials and members of organisations ‘who seek to undermine the Sikh nation and Sikh institutions.’
As per a media reports, the notice has come from a group of office bearers claiming to represent the gurdwaras. This decision was made at a meeting held at the Jot Parkash Gurdwara in Brampton, a suburb of Toronto, on December 30.
“Pursuant to the Trespass to Property Act (1990), the management of this Gurdwara Sahib reserves the right to bar entry to officials of the Indian Government including but not limited to Indian elected officials, Indian Consular officials, and members of organisations who seek to undermine the Sikh nation and Sikh institutions”
The meeting was held under the auspices of the Ontario Gurdwaras Committee (OGC). Amarjit Mann, a spokesperson for OGC, told that managements of 15 gurdwaras in the Greater Toronto Area had “jointly agreed” to this “decision”.
The statement added: “Keeping in mind the interference of Indian Consular and Indian Government officials in the lives of Canadian Sikhs, Gurdwara Management Committees have jointly taken the decision to bar the entry of these officials and members from Gurdwaras across Canada.
The ban will be on those visiting gurdwaras in their official capacity, not if they come with personal purpose.
Speaking to media, Gurpreet Singh Bal, president of the Ontario Khalsa Darbar in Mississauga, better known as the Dixie gurdwara, said, “This decision was taken unanimously. The Indian government interferes too much in the community.”
However, he clarified the ban will be on those visiting gurdwaras in their official capacity, not if they come with personal purpose. “Gurdwara is open for everyone, but when they are on official basis, that’s not allowed,” he said.
Pro-Khalistan activist Sukhminder Singh Hansra was among those present at the meeting and in an emailed statement, he said, “We applaud the decision of Gurdwara Managements to bar Indian High Commission and Indian Consulate as the officials of Indian High Commission (were) directly infiltrating the Sikh affair within Canada.”
He added that “consular powers” such an issuing visas for India were used to “influence” Sikhs against their own “interests.”
The hardline activist group, Sikhs for Justice, welcomed the announcement. In a statement, its legal advisor Gurpatwant Pannu said, “We appreciate the decision of Ontario Gurdwaras to ban entry of Indian diplomats in the gurdwaras. Consulate members represent India, which committed genocide of Sikhs and their presence in gurdwaras is not acceptable to the victims of genocide and to the Sikh community. We urge the management committees across Canada to ban and boycott members of Indian consulates.”
Harjit Singh Sahota, representative of Gurdwara Jot Parkash where the last meeting was held, said: “It is just the start and we are hopeful that more and more gurdwara committees will take this step to block access of Indian officials. There are around 25 gurdwaras in Ontario. I am hopeful that all gurdwaras will make it officials in coming days not only in Ontario, but in whole of Canada and US.”
In Amritsar, Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Gurbachan Singh said, “I have no information about this decision. I do not know the reason behind this decision. But in principle, no one can be stopped from visiting a gurdwara.”
Last year, the Indian Consulate in Canada had faced a similar situation when it booked a gurdwara in Vancouver for Akhand Path (three-day-long uninterrupted reciting of Guru Granth Sahib) in the month of June to celebrate 350th birthday anniversary of Guru Gobind Singh. The Indian Consulate had to cancel the event at last moment due to “unavoidable circumstances”. Later, some pro-Khalistan groups claimed credit for forcing the gurdwara committee concerned to cancel the booking.
Recently, a video went viral in which some Sikh youths apparently blocked the entry of Indian government representatives in an Australian gurdwara.
