WINNIPEG, Canada: Sikhs here held a demonstration to protest the visit of the Indian High Commissioner at the University of Manitoba on April 22 and focus the attention of the people on the atrocities of the Indian government on the Sikhs in India.
Kuldip Singh a spokesman for the 10 Sikhs who stood outside Pembina Hall while a reception by the Indian Association of Winnipeg went on inside, said the demonstrators would not throw eggs and tomatoes at Survir Chhatwal because they are peaceful people. And he denied a 1984 incident at the Legislature was the fault of the local Sikh community. Instead he blamed it on people planted in the crowd by the Indian government.
Singh said the demonstration was held to attract attention to the secret meeting Chhatwal was holding.
“He’s coming to send the message of the Indian government that if you oppose their regime whether it does good or bad, you better be careful,” he said. The Sikh community opposes the Indian government’s alleged illegal detention and murder of Sikhs in India.
But inside Chhatwal told the crowd of about 100 his reason for being here was to inform them about the current situation in India. He said he was pained and pointed by the demonstration outside, but he did not face them and slipped into the building under heavy RCMP escort.
Article extracted from this publication >> April 28, 1989
