India's envoy to Canada, Dinesh Patnaik, has delivered a sharp response to the recent Khalistan referendum organized in Ottawa, labeling the exercise as "farcical" while issuing a strong diplomatic message about the potential consequences for bilateral relations between the two nations.
Diplomatic Protest Over Ottawa Referendum
In a candid interview with CBC, Ambassador Patnaik expressed significant concerns about the Sunday referendum conducted by the organization Sikhs for Justice. While acknowledging the right to peaceful protest, the Indian diplomat questioned the legitimacy of the referendum process and highlighted how such activities are perceived in India.
"I mean for us, having peaceful protest or asking for something is part of a political process. We have no problem with it," Patnaik stated, before adding crucial context about India's domestic political landscape. "In India, there are political parties which ask for the formation of a Khalistani government and they are in Parliament."
The Core Issue: Perception of Foreign Interference
The envoy emphasized that the fundamental problem lies in how these activities are interpreted back in India. "The problem that happens is that back home in India they see this as Canadian interference in India," Patnaik explained, drawing a direct comparison to how Canadians would react to similar situations involving their internal matters.
Patnaik posed a thought-provoking question to Canadian audiences: "Imagine a situation where some other country would do the same thing with Quebec... how do you feel?" This reference to Quebec's historical separatist movements, which included referendums in 1980 and 1995 where voters ultimately rejected independence, served to contextualize India's sensitivity about the issue.
Concerns Over Violent Imagery and Glorification
The Indian diplomat expressed particular concern about the nature of the protests, noting that they went beyond peaceful expression. "If it's peaceful, it's fine. But what are you doing? You are displaying pictures of violence, showing pictures of a former Prime Minister of India being assassinated," Patnaik stated.
He further criticized what he described as the glorification of violent acts, specifically mentioning "suicide bombers who killed a former chief minister of Punjab." These elements, according to the envoy, transformed the event from legitimate protest into something more concerning.
The referendum was organized by Sikhs for Justice, whose Canadian chapter was previously headed by Hardeep Singh Nijjar until his assassination in 2023. This context adds another layer of complexity to the already sensitive diplomatic situation between India and Canada.
Despite the strong language used, Patnaik maintained a respectful tone throughout the interview, acknowledging when the CBC anchor objected to his Quebec comparison while still firmly making his point about the sensitivity of the issue in India.
