New Delhi, April 7 (IANS) For the Khalistani terror groups, the narrative is fast falling. A referendum call by the proscribed terror group Sikhs for Justice (SFJ) had earlier attracted a crowd of 1.3 lakh, but a recent event in Canada turned out to be a damp squib.
The SFJ had called for an anti-India referendum and asked people to gather in large numbers outside the Triveni Temple and Lakshmi Narayan Temple at Brampton and Surrey. The SFJ was in for a surprise to see that the police had made extensive arrangements to ensure that the protests did not take place in a manner that the terror group would have hoped for.
The authorities had initially thought that large crowds would gather and hence had made ample arrangements. However, the crowd on the day was minimal to everyone’s surprise, with some estimates suggesting it may not have been more than 20 people.
Post the Surrey rally, the SFJ had claimed that 1.36 lakh people had gathered. An official said that the SFJ is in the habit of hyping the numbers, and the figure that Gurpatwant Singh Pannun’s outfit claims was inflated.
Another official said that the poor turnout also suggests the dwindling base of the SFJ and other Khalistani terror groups. The people are fed up with vandalism, and hence, there is no support base anymore.
What was sold to the people as a cause has turned out to be nothing but an extortion racket and a money-spinning business. An Intelligence Bureau official said that even the core support base is dwindling. They feel that Khalistan is a lost cause, and wasting their time supporting gangsters, criminals and terrorists is no longer their cup of tea. Moreover, they have realised there is no support for this movement even in Punjab, which was once their core base, the official also said.
India has dealt with this problem with an iron fist and has ensured that these elements do not raise their ugly head.
The Punjab Police, National Investigation Agency (NIA) and Intelligence Bureau have kept close tabs on such activity and managed to nip it in the bud. Further, there has also been participation by the old timers in Punjab who have educated the youth about the ills of this Khalistan movement.
Another game changer was the meetings between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Canadian counterpart Mark Carney. Both leaders agreed to work closely on the issue.
The Canadian House of Commons on March 29 passed Bill C-9, which is a stringent law against hate crimes. This was seen as being affected following the referendum call by the SFJ.
C-9 criminalises acts of intimidating or obstructing access to places of worship. It also criminalises wilfully promoting hatred through hate or terrorist linked symbols.
This Bill, once passed by the Senate, would prohibit members of the Khalistan terror groups from planning targeted demonstrations in front of Hindu places of worship.
The SFJ’s ‘Khalistan Zindabad’ referendum was aimed at protesting against the new law. Despite the call by the SFJ, Hindus continued to visit the temple and offer prayers.
There was also a marked difference in the attitude of the few protesters who had gathered. The authorities had told them to leave the place, and without a protest, they obeyed.
Moreover, the protesters could not go near the Temples owing to Brampton’s 10-metre safety zone bylaw. This requires protesters to maintain a distance of 100 metres. This was applied at the Triveni Mandir. In the case of the Lakshmi Narayan Mandir in Surrey, the police had obtained a court order restricting gatherings within 100 metres.
The Intelligence agencies say that the turn of events and the lack of interest by the people have left Pannun and his members at SJF highly frustrated. They realise that the movement is going out of their hands, and intimidation tactics on the streets will be dealt with by the Canadian authorities.
An official said this frustration may drive the SFJ to boost its digital campaign against India. One can expect more hate messages and videos against India, the official also added.
–IANS
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