Hundreds protest outside Indian Consulate in Vancouver held by Sikh community, supporters | 24CA News
Hundreds of protesters waved shiny yellow flags in entrance of Vancouver’s Indian consulate downtown Saturday to protest crackdowns focusing on Sikhs in Punjab, India.
The authorities of India lower off the web within the northwestern, Sikh-majority state of Punjab for a number of days.
“It’s all happening under the guise of a manhunt which we know to be false,” mentioned BC Gurdwaras Council’s Moninder Singh. “The suspension of civil liberties, the suspension of civil rights and political dissent… that has us worried.”
Indian police are on the lookout for Amritpal Singh — a polarizing Sikh preacher and activist. He leads a gaggle calling for an unbiased Sikh homeland referred to as Khalistan. The Indian authorities has banned the Khalistan motion.
Demonstrators in Vancouver informed Global News, they’re apprehensive about their family members within the Punjab area.
“Whether or not they see it as treason, individuals shouldn’t face such harsh reprimand in terms of taking away their civil liberties,” mentioned Harnoor Minhas, a Vancouver resident. “They should be able to speak out, especially if it’s in a peaceful manner.”
The authorities of Canada has mentioned officers are “monitoring” the scenario in India.
The unrest in India has sparked protests in main cities the world over, like San Francisco and London, sending a message to Indian officers that the world is watching.
“Maybe in the past, without social media and the connectivity we have today, that wasn’t an option,” Minhas mentioned. “But today these things…we won’t let this happen and we won’t allow these injustices to happen in silence.”
Global News has reached out to the Vancouver Indian consulate workplace for remark.
— With information from Negar Mojtahedi
© 2023 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
