Sikh groups want Punjab deputy chief minister arrested in Canada

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      The Sikh Activist Network has declared on its website that there will be an attempt to bring charges against a politician from India when he visits Canada next month.

      It has highlighted a statement by two Sikh groups alleging that Sukhbir Badal, deputy chief minister of Punjab, has played a role in the disappearance, abduction and torture of Canadians in the northwestern Indian state.

      Badal, president of the Akali Dal political party, has not been convicted of these crimes in any court.

      His father Parkash is the chief minister of Punjab, which is home to more than 27 million people, of which almost two-thirds are Sikh.

      Sikhs for Justice and the Canadian Sikh Coalition are seeking the prosecution and an arrest warrant against Badal, citing the Criminal Code prohibition on torture.

      It applies to "every official or every person acting at the instigation of or with the consent of an official, who inflicts torture on any other person". The law applies to visitors from other countries when they step on Canadian soil.

      "The Canadian Sikhs who were tortured and extra judicially killed by security forces in India include Harjinder Singh, Surinder Singh, Kulwinder Singh, Mohinder Singh and Surinder Singh Ravi from Ontario, Bhupinder Singh from BC, Davinder Singh from Quebec and Balbir Singh from Alberta," Sikhs for Justice and the Canadian Sikh Coalition said in a statement on the Sikh Activist Network website. 

      In the past, Sikhs for Justice have accused Bollywood megastar Amitabh Bachchan of inciting the killing of Sikhs in 1984 following the assassination of then-prime minister Indira Gandhi.

      The Canadian Sikh Coalition supports the creation of an independent country for Sikhs called Khalistan, which would be carved out of northwestern India.

      In a statement issued in late June, the Canadian Sikh Coalition condemned India's governing Congress Party for selecting a Sikh, Manmohan Singh, as prime minister.

      "Using the Sikh image and parading a puppet Prime Minister at the forefront of the Congress Party is a tactic that has been deployed by various governments in history who have wished to destroy the culture, language and heritage of the people whose territory they occupy," it declared.

      Comments

      9 Comments

      James

      Aug 15, 2013 at 12:05am

      Just curious, how the Sikhs for Justice and the Canadian Sikh Coalition think Canada has grounds to arrest the Sukhbir Badal when even if the allegations are true the crimes were not committed in Canada? Perhaps they may wish to refer the issue to the United Nations and the International court, or perhaps since I'm guessing torture is also illegal in India, they may wish to seek justice in that country's legal system.

      KS

      Aug 15, 2013 at 5:58am

      Sikh trying to get justice in Indian Courts for a long time but so far they failed. IMO it is anly to make pepole and foreign official aware about the nature and character of indian politicians.

      MSB

      Aug 15, 2013 at 12:30pm

      Actually Canada allows grounds to criminally charge individuals who have participated or been complicit to human rights violations anywhere in the world. Beyond that, Canada also bans these types of individuals from entering the country. It is a bit lengthy but I am adding some information below:

      According to Canada's Immigration Manual, ENF 18 Section 7, Procedure: Establishing inadmissibility under A35(1)(a):

      35. (1)

      (a) committing an act outside Canada that constitutes an offence referred to in

      sections 4 to 7 of the Crimes Against Humanity and War Crimes Act

      This includes the following:

      • persons who commit an offence;

      • persons who attempt to commit an offence;

      • persons who aid and abet, encourage, or are involved in the planning of an offence;

      • persons who are complicit when an offence is committed.

      Establishing complicity

      A person is considered complicit if, while aware of the commission of atrocities, the

      person contributes, directly or indirectly, remotely or immediately, to their occurrence.

      Active or formal membership in the organization responsible for committing the atrocities

      is not required. For example, the act of guarding an execution site, even if one had not

      participated in an execution, constitutes complicity.

      Case law in Canadian courts has determined that complicity can be found in the following

      three situations:

      • being present at the scene of a war crime, a crime against humanity or genocide;

      • being a member of an organization involved in such crimes; or

      • being a member of an organization with a limited brutal purpose.

      Based on this, Sukhbir Badal is complicit to the atrocities committed in Punjab and continued atrocities that are occurring (the amount has definitely decreased since the mid 90s...but even 1 violation of human rights is too many).

      Moninder Singh
      Canadian Sikh Coalition

      PM

      Aug 15, 2013 at 3:36pm

      @John LOL, the backlog of cases in India's system is immense, for political reasons and this the case would never see the light of day

      dave19

      Aug 15, 2013 at 5:39pm

      Here in Canada war criminals and the like Bush/Cheney are first given assurance that they will not be prosecuted before they arrive. We protect our own kind.

      ron banerjee canadian hindu advocacy

      Aug 27, 2013 at 5:06pm

      Rest assured that the Canadian Hindu Advocacy WILL take action to expose these Khalistani Sikh jihadist hatemongers. The Sikhs in Canada blew up Air India jet and have created much havoc. Their day of reckoning is coming. (by legal means of course)

      punjabi61

      Sep 5, 2013 at 4:52am

      first of all where is this country khalistan?,all this trouble in india is caused by all these terrorists hiding in Britian,america and Canada who pay the poor to do all the dirty work,then these people bring the black money to india to buy all the land.
      All religions raise all these mad people wanting to create a new country, Punjab will always be called Punjab,if the Khalistani sikh want a new country why not FORCE your new country to give all you sikhs land in Canada and create khalistan.

      Sonil

      Oct 16, 2013 at 2:26pm

      @Ron banerjee Canadian Hindu Advocay: very emotive words you are using "Khalistani Sikh Jihadist hatemongers"! Not sure what is so 'jihadist or hatemongering about trying to get someone who has committed human rights violations convicted under the law. This comment says more about you then it does about the two organizations mentioned in the article.

      Cool Video

      Oct 21, 2013 at 8:42pm

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