A Canadian immigration panel ruled that a Sikh man who provided shelter to Khalistani terrorists in India for almost a decade should be permitted to stay in Canada, adding that he did so “mostly out of necessity” and fear of reprisal. The decision in this regard came on 29th August this year.
The original decision to deny entry to Indian citizen Kamaljit Ram came up after he told the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) that he “housed and fed armed Sikh militants on and off between 1982 and 1992 at his farm in India.” He also told them that he supported the separatist ideas propagated by the adherents of slain Khalistani terrorist Jarnail Singh Bhindrawale.
Moreover, Kamaljit Ram claimed in his interviews with CBSA that he did not voluntarily house the armed Khalistani terrorists saying that although he was not supportive of the Khalistani ideology, the terrorists would arrive at his farm located outside the village considering it a safe place and demand food and shelter.
“Mr Ram stated at various times that he did not voluntarily house and feed armed activists and that he was not a supportive member of this group. However, as the activists knew that his farm was outside the village and that it was a safe place to take refuge, they showed up at his house and demanded shelter and food, whether Mr. Ram actively supports them or not,” the Reasons and Decisions document stated.
Notably, it was alleged that there were numerous inconsistencies in the statements made by Kamaljit Ram in CBSA interviews and his testimony at the inquiry. Moreover, Kamaljit gave inconsistent responses regarding the number of times Khalistani terrorists arrived at his farm seeking food and shelter, and the duration and dates of their visits. “However, he always maintained that he did not actively seek to help the activist groups, but that he acceded to their requests or their needs for food and shelter when they
came to his house.”
However, the tribunal of the Immigration and Refugee Board (IRB) observed that the federal government did not have “reasonable grounds” to stop Ram from entering Canada. Heidi Worsfold, an IRB tribunal member, stated that the government failed to include in its assessment that Ram repeatedly stated that he agreed to host the armed individuals because he “feared the consequences” of ending up on the wrong end of the Khalistani group.
“The atmosphere in the Sikh community of the 1980s was rife with militancy where groups of militants, including the Bhindranwale followers, as well as the police created an atmosphere of fear and distrust among many of the local residents,” the court’s verdict said.
The decision comes in the midst of a diplomatic conflict between India and Canada in the aftermath of Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s allegations of the “potential” involvement of Indian agents in the June 18 killing of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in British Columbia, a claim India dismissed as “absurd” and “motivated.” It was worth recalling that two masked attackers had shot Nijjar dead. Nijjar was designated a terrorist by India in 2020.
Canada providing a safe haven to wanted criminals and terrorists from India has been a constant issue haunting the bilateral relations of the two nations.
