In a recent interview, Sanjay Verma, India’s recalled High Commissioner to Canada, shed light on the growing influence of Khalistani terrorists and their efforts to radicalize Indian students in Canada. Verma issued a stark warning to parents of Indian students abroad, urging them to regularly check on their children and guide them away from dangerous influences.
What He Revealed?
Verma explained how Khalistani operatives, capitalizing on economic vulnerabilities, lure Indian students in Canada by offering money and basic necessities such as food. With limited job opportunities for students in Canada, these extremists exploit their need for financial stability, ultimately leading them into anti-India activities.
Once recruited, these students are often coerced into participating in protests against India, taking photographs or videos of themselves chanting anti-India slogans, and even desecrating the Indian flag outside diplomatic buildings. These actions are then used as leverage to encourage the students to seek asylum in Canada, falsely claiming that returning to India would lead to persecution.
Khalistani Reach To Indian Diaspora
Verma noted that the Khalistani network’s reach within Canada is not limited to students, but extends to the broader Indian diaspora, posing a significant threat to the Indian community and diplomatic staff. He urged Indian parents to maintain open communication with their children studying abroad, cautioning that negative forces are actively working to push students towards making “unwise choices.”
Ongoing Tensions Between India-Canada
Verma’s warning comes amid escalating diplomatic tensions between India and Canada, exacerbated by allegations from Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau that Indian agents were involved in the assassination of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a Canadian citizen and Khalistani separatist, who was designated a terrorist by India’s National Investigation Agency in 2020. Nijjar was killed in Surrey, British Columbia, in June 2023, and his death has since become a flashpoint in India-Canada relations.
Trudeau’s claims of India’s involvement in Nijjar’s death, based on what he described as “credible allegations,” have been met with strong denials from New Delhi. India dismissed the accusations as “absurd” and “malicious,” demanding that Canada provide concrete evidence. The diplomatic fallout has seen both countries expel several of each other’s diplomats, with Verma himself being declared persona non grata by Canada.
The ongoing dispute has created a diplomatic rift between the two nations, with each side accusing the other of harboring individuals involved in terrorism and organized crime. The situation has left the future of India-Canada relations uncertain, with both countries facing pressure to resolve their differences while maintaining national security concerns.
As Verma’s interview underscores, the plight of Indian students caught in the crossfire of this geopolitical tension remains a pressing issue. His appeal to parents emphasizes the importance of vigilance and communication in ensuring that young students do not fall victim to extremist ideologies.
With over 319,000 Indian students currently studying in Canada, according to Verma, the stakes are high. As diplomatic tensions between India and Canada persist, Indian families must remain mindful of the external forces at play that could influence their children’s futures in a foreign land.
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