Amidst the usual celebrations on Chhoti Diwali, good news arrived from the China-India border. India and China had completed the withdrawal of their troops in eastern Ladakh. The majority of Indians who loved peace and security were very happy with this situation. However, the enthusiasm was short-lived.

PREMIUM

It was strange that a top minister of a country was preparing stories against a popular political figure from the world’s largest democracy, while the chief of that country’s police force, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, told the same committee that anyone could be involved in the murders. . This means that the Canadian government is relying on propaganda rather than evidence of India’s involvement in the matter.

A few months ago, Canadian Prime Minister (PM) Justin Trudeau also made “credible allegations” against India, insisting that he had received information from intelligence sources.

What should we do in the face of such unfounded claims? Is this arrogance or pure arrogance? Trudeau’s opponents believe he deliberately made such statements to garner Sikh votes. His words may sway a handful of extremists, but the majority of Canadian Sikhs have no interest in Khalistan. But the Trudeau government is still doing its best to attract Khalistanis. Otherwise, Canada would not have expelled seven Indian diplomats without valid reason.

We must also keep in mind a disturbing fact: those who risked life and limb to preserve the integrity of India during the uprising in Punjab today find it almost impossible to enter Canada at a time when extremist elements operate freely.

You will be surprised to learn that after Türkiye and Iran, the largest number of separatists from India have taken refuge in Canada. This year, Canada canceled Diwali celebrations, breaking a 23-year tradition and showing where the country is heading. Unfortunately, even the USA supported Canada on this issue. Is this a concerted effort by powerful Western nations to corner India? The possibility cannot be ignored.

In this context, two questions remain to be answered. Why were baseless allegations leveled against the Indian home minister on the exact day the Sino-Indian troop disengagement was completed? Are some forces uncomfortable with India becoming stronger with a strong Prime Minister?

The statement of Sheikh Hasina Wajed, former Prime Minister of Bangladesh, is significant in this context. Sheikh Hasina claimed that the US was the victim of a conspiracy against her after she refused to leave a strategically located island in Bangladeshi waters, without naming her.

Sheikh Hasina has always been pro-India. The two countries have always worked together, and the region can progress rapidly if China mends its ways. However, some Western countries are cautious about this scenario.

The West’s hostility towards a rising India is not new. History is full of such events. Remember Indira Gandhi’s statements in 1983 and 1984. He insisted that foreign powers were determined to disintegrate India, alluding to the Khalistan movement. At that time, Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), along with separatists in Canada and other Western countries, were involved in luring unsuspecting Sikh youth into militancy. These were the people who created the monster named Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale.

Indira Gandhi was aware of the dangers as many conspiracies to destabilize India emerged during her time. He sacrificed his life fighting against the separatist forces unleashed by Western countries.

Dragging the Union home minister into murder cases smacks of the same old dirty tricks that Western nations have played in the past. Of course, there is a world of difference between Indira’s India and Modi’s Bharat, but our bloody past warns us that the Indian establishment, and Indians in general, must remain vigilant.

Shashi Shekhar is the editor-in-chief of Hindustan. Opinions expressed are personal