Sikh rights group to oppose Modi’s visit to Kanishka Bombing Memorial Site

Toronto (Canada, April 6 2015)

While Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be visiting Kanishka Memorial site in Toronto, “Sikhs For Justice” (SFJ), a human rights group is gearing up to hold a parallel rally to expose the ongoing smear campaign of the Indian Government labeling Canadian Sikhs as "terrorists". 

PM Modi is expected to visit the Humber Bay Park memorial to pay tribute to the victims of 1985 Kanishka bombing on April 15. 

Sikh rights group is planning to bring hundreds of community members to converge at the memorial site to challenge the labeling by India of Canadian Sikh “nationalists as terrorists”. 

Holding Sikh nationalists living in Canada responsible for bombing of Air India Flight 182, Indian government has been pressuring the Canadian government to curb the Sikh nationalist activities in Canada. However, in 2012, PM Harper stated ‘violence and terrorism cannot be confused with the right of Canadians to hold and promote their political views.’ 

“With Modi’s track record of gross human rights violations resulting ban on his entry to the western world, Indian PM’s visit to Kanishka memorial site will be nothing but a dishonor to the victims of violence” stated Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, SFJ Legal advisor. 

The motive behind Modi's planned visit to the memorial site is to terrorize and defame the Canadian Sikh community which vocally supports Sikhs' right to self determination and demands holding referendum in Punjab, stated Jatinder Singh Grewal, SFJ’s Director of International Policy.

 â€œWe will expose PM Modi by holding public rallies and Indian government's organized campaign to tarnish the image of Canadian Sikhs, added Grewal. 

Sikh rights group is also petitioning PM Harper to press Modi to recognize Sikhs' right to self determination and hold a “Referendum” in Indian Occupied Punjab. SFJ will submit the “Punjab Referendum” petition with more than 25,000 signatures to the Canadian Prime Minister on April 8.