Canada: Ontario gurdwaras say they will not let Indian officials, diplomats enter
A group of office-bearers claiming to represent more than a dozen gurdwaras in the Canadian province of Ontario have collectively resolved to “bar” officials representing India, its diplomats and others from entering the premises of these places of worship. A meeting was held at the Jot Parkash Gurdwara in Brampton, a suburb of Toronto, on December 30, wherein the decision was taken. A proforma statement on the ban said: “Pursuant to the Trespass to Property Act (1990), the management of this Gurdwara Sahib reserves the right to bar entry to officials of the Indian Government including but not limited to Indian elected officials, Indian Consular officials, and members of organisations who seek to undermine the Sikh nation and Sikh institutions.” Amarjit Mann, a spokesperson for OGC, said that managements of 15 gurdwaras in the Greater Toronto Area had jointly agreed to the decision. “Keeping in mind the interference of Indian Consular and Indian Government officials in the lives of Canadian Sikhs, Gurdwara Management Committees have jointly taken the decision to bar the entry of these officials and members from Gurdwaras across Canada” he added. “The presence of these officials makes members of the Sikh community uncomfortable due to their agenda of undermining the autonomy of Sikh institutions and organisations. It is our obligation to ensure the safety of the Sangat, and accordingly we have arrived at this decision, ” he said. Gurpreet Singh Bal, president of the Ontario Khalsa Darbar in Mississauga, better known as the Dixie gurdwara, said, “This decision was taken unanimously. The Indian government interferes too much in the community.” “Gurdwara is open for everyone, but when they are on official basis, that’s not allowed,” he added. In recent times, Indian officials have visited gurdwaras in the province and elsewhere, a change from how these were once considered no-go zones for them. -PTC News
