Ottawa: Canadian gurdwaras have condemned Indian government’s violent crackdown including the use of drones, tear gas, live ammunition, incendiary devices, and other weaponry against the unarmed protesting farmer activists.
According to Kashmir Media Service, the delegation of the British Columbia gurdwaras Council wrote a letter to the Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly and urged her to condemn India’s violent crackdown against farmer activists and raise this issue with the High Commission of India in Canada
In the letter, the council members wrote: “We are writing to raise concerns regarding paramilitary troop mobilization at Punjab-India and the repression of farmer activists in recent days. We urge you to immediately raise this issue with the High Commission of India in Canada to ensure that civil liberties and fundamental rights are protected. Communities across Canada are concerned about the possible escalation of violence, as well as the draconian measures being implemented to repress the freedom of expression and democratic assembly.”
The council members mentioned that since February 13, 2024 farmer activists from across India have been protesting against the government’s lack of action on numerous policy issues to ensure the livelihood of farmers. “Despite written commitments to do so in 2021, the government has since failed to take any concrete action in this regard. Instead, the government of India has responded with a marked escalation in its repression of political dissent-deploying drones, tear gas, live ammunition, incendiary devices, and other weaponry against unarmed demonstrators”.
