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Key Points

Canadian journalist Daniel Bordman observes a decline in public support for Khalistani extremism, linking it to strained India-Canada relations. He highlights recent protests against PM Modi during the G7 summit, where Khalistani leaders made provocative statements. Bordman credits the Hardeep Singh Nijjar controversy and Trudeau’s government for emboldening the movement in 2023. However, he notes growing frustration among Canadians, who now view Khalistanis negatively.

Key Points: Canadian Journalist Says Public Opinion Turns Against Khalistanis

  • Canadian journalist notes shift in public opinion against Khalistanis
  • Links movement to strained India-Canada relations under Trudeau
  • Highlights extremist protests during Modi’s G7 visit
  • Cites frustration among ordinary Canadians over Khalistani activism
3 min read

People have negative opinion about Khalistanis here, says Canadian journalist Daniel Bordman

Daniel Bordman reveals growing Canadian frustration with Khalistani extremism, citing strained India relations and declining public support.

"Khalistanis are into batting, and normal Canadians are just terribly confused as to why they’re yelling so much. – Daniel Bordman"

Toronto, June 17

Canadian journalist Daniel Bordman on Tuesday said that public opinion in Canada has turned largely negative towards the Khalistani movement, which he described as a factor that made the country look "a bit silly" and severely strained Canada-India relations in 2023.

His remarks come as hundreds of Khalistani extremists held demonstrations in Alberta against Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, coinciding with the ongoing Group of Seven (G7) summit in Canada.

PM Modi is attending the summit as a special guest alongside world leaders, including US President Donald Trump, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Among the protesters, one of the leaders, Manjinder Singh, made provocative statements, declaring he was prepared to "ambush Modi" and "kill India's PM Modi's politics," sparking sharp condemnation.

Speaking to IANS, Bordman said, "I've been to an 'Ambush Modi' protest. They ambushed Modi. He wasn't near them, but they were still ambushing. The Khalistanis are into batting, and normal Canadians are just terribly confused as to why they're yelling so much."

He said the Khalistani movement had peaked around the time of the Hardeep Singh Nijjar controversy, when Canada's liberal government, led by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, included several individuals with extremist affiliations.

"At the end of 2023, Khalistan had sort of maximum strength because you had a liberal government run by Justin Trudeau, deeply infiltrated with people with all types of extremist backgrounds. A lot of Khalistanis, especially within the Cabinet. And then there was Jagmeet Singh, a minority leader who's an open Khalistani," Bordman said.

"This is the reason why Khalistan had sort of maximum strength in 2023, and that caused lots of problems. That led to the whole Canada-India fight, broke down our relations with India, generally made the country look a bit silly, with all the people waving swords, tearing up flags," he added.

Bordman noted a shift in how Khalistani extremism is now viewed among Canadian locals.

"It feels nice to know that now people know what the Khalistani movement is and have a pretty negative opinion about it... Khalistani movement doesn't have a good reputation," he said.

He pointed out that frustration has grown among ordinary Canadians, who are now more vocal about their disapproval of the movement.

"You need someone to run drugs in a truck through the country, you know who to call. You need a functioning stable country, do not call Gurpatwant Singh Pannun," he added, referring to the self-styled Khalistani leader.

- IANS

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Reader Comments

R
Rahul K.
Finally some sense in Canada! These Khalistani protests were making India-Canada relations worse than Pakistan-China friendship. Hope Trudeau government now understands how these extremists were damaging their own country's image. 🇮🇳
P
Priya M.
As an Indian living abroad, it's embarrassing to see these protests. The "ambush Modi" comment shows their mentality. Canada should take strict action against such hate speech. We left Punjab because of terrorism, now they're exporting it abroad?
A
Arjun S.
The journalist is right - these protests make Canada look silly. But our media should also stop giving so much coverage to fringe elements. 99% Punjabis in India want peace and development, not this nonsense.
S
Sunita R.
While I agree Khalistanis are wrong, we must be careful not to generalize all Sikhs abroad. Many Canadian Sikhs contribute positively to both countries. The extremists are a small but loud minority. Let's not fall into their trap of polarization.
V
Vikram J.
Canada's wake-up call came too late! They allowed these elements to grow for votes. Now their economy needs India more than ever. Hope they clean house properly this time. Meanwhile, India should focus on strengthening ties with other G7 nations.
N
Neha P.
The drug trafficking comment hits hard! These so-called leaders are just criminals hiding behind political slogans. Punjab has suffered enough - now they want to ruin Canada too? Shameful! 🙏

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