Ottawa, June 9 (IANS) The international community needs to recognise Khalistani extremism as a radical fringe exploiting grievances and posing a threat to security, communal harmony, and bilateral relations. Canada should act decisively to curb hate parades, ban incitement, and place the rule of law over electoral politics, a report has stated
A report in Khalsa Vox highlighted a widely shared video circulating on social media from Canada’s Brampton city depicting what it described as “a disturbing spectacle, a brazen display of extremism” on Canadian soil.
“On Sunday, June 7, 2026, during events marking the anniversary of Operation Blue Star (1984), a massive 50-foot moving tableau organised by pro-Khalistan elements openly glorified the assassination of India’s former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. The tableau, reportedly linked to the banned Sikhs for Justice (SFJ) and associated groups, depicted the graphic scene of Indira Gandhi being shot by her Sikh bodyguards, Beant Singh and Satwant Singh, on October 31, 1984,” the report detailed.
“Another life-size figure targeted Lt Gen. Kuldip Singh Brar — who led Operation Blue Star to flush out militants from the Golden Temple in Amritsar — with a bullseye on his forehead. Banners screamed “Revenge” for the military action against Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale and his armed followers holed up in the holiest Sikh shrine, it added.
According to the report, this is not an isolated provocation by Khalisthani extremists, adding that Brampton city, with its large Punjabi diaspora, has increasingly become a hub for such processions.
“A 5-km-long parade featured Khalistani flags, glorification of violence, and open calls that echo separatist ideology. SFJ, designated a terrorist organisation and banned by India in 2019 for activities prejudicial to national security, continues to operate freely in Canada, pushing its so-called ‘Khalistan Referendum’ campaigns,” it stated.
The report noted that freedom of expression cannot be used to justify the glorification of terrorism. It added that although Canada designates certain groups as threats, activities linked to SFJ continue to persist.
It further warned that this not only strains India–Canada relations, already tense over issues such as the Nijjar killing and trade, but also raises concerns for the wider Indo-Canadian community. Hindu temples in Brampton and Surrey have reportedly faced incidents of targeting, underscoring fears of “spillover hate”.
Asserting that such brazen acts undermine the shared democratic values between India and Canada, the report said that the viral videos of the Brampton tableau going viral lay bare the cost of “unchecked separatism.”
“India will defend its sovereignty and unity. Friends must not harbour those who celebrate its leaders’ murders. The time for performative outrage is over — concrete measures against extremism are essential,” it noted.
–IANS
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