Скачать или смотреть Sikh separatism strains Canada-India ties to their lowest point in years

(20 Sep 2023)
RESTRICTION SUMMARY:

ASSOCIATED PRESS
New Delhi - 20 September 2023
1. Wide of Sikh temple Gurudwara Sis Ganj Sahib
2. SOUNDBITE (English) G Parthasarathy, former Indian High Commissioner to Pakistan:
“You are dealing with an Indian government which won't take this lying down. So I don't know what happened in this particular case, but we certainly take a very strong view. And your (Canada's) own secret intelligence agencies know precisely what the population from Punjab, which is their Indian Punjab, is doing. And we expect you to take strong action. It's your territory."
3. Temple exterior
4. People in street
5. SOUNDBITE (English) G Parthasarathy, former Indian High Commissioner to Pakistan:
“I think we'll have to wait till the next prime minister's election, because Mr. Trudeau seems to believe that he needs these votes. So I don't see him doing anything drastic. I hope he will fulfil his responsibilities to not to allow Canadian soil to be used for terrorism against a friendly democracy.”

ASSOCIATED PRESS
Amritsar, Punjab - 20 September 2023
6. Various of Golden Temple, the most revered Sikh shrine, people offering prayers
7. Various of grocery store owner Kulwinder Singh sitting
8. SOUNDBITE (Punjabi) Kulwinder Singh, store owner:
“People migrate from India to Canada in search of better education and employment opportunities. This move by the Canadian government will adversely impact our students and workers living in Canada.”
9. Various of traffic in Amritsar city
10. SOUNDBITE (Punjabi) Pawandeep Singh, businessman:
“The Canadian government and the Indian government, both must contemplate about what’s happening. Any action either government takes, it will have consequences on the Punjabi community living in India and Canada. The Indian government should ensure that Indian nationals should get the best facilities in India so that they don’t have to migrate abroad.”
11. Various of people offering prayers at Golden Temple
12. Wide of people cleaning premises of temple
STORYLINE:
Relations between Canada and India have sunk to their lowest point in years as the two countries swap accusations and expel each other's diplomats over the killing of a Sikh separatist leader.

Experts said it remains to be seen if it will create a lasting rift between the two U.S. allies, but it's nonetheless an awkward situation for Western countries seeking to woo New Delhi as a counterweight to China and win India’s cooperation on the Ukraine war.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Monday that his government was investigating “credible allegations” that India may have been tied to the killing of a Canadian Sikh independence activist in British Columbia in June.

India rejected that as “absurd” Tuesday and accused Canadian diplomats of interfering in “internal matters.”

Canada has yet to provide evidence of Indian involvement in the slaying of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a 45-year-old Sikh leader who was killed by masked gunmen in British Columbia.

Former Indian High Commissioner to Pakistan, G Parthasarathy said that the Indian government would not take the situation "lying down," but added that Trudeau was unlikely to take "drastic" further steps.

Residents of the city of Amritsar expressed worries that the rift between governments could have consequences for the Punjabi community living in both India and Canada.

“The Canadian government and the Indian government, both must contemplate about what’s happening," said Amritsar businessman Pawandeep Singh.

AP Video shot by Prabhjot Gill and Piyush Nagpal



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