Toronto: India’s missions in Canada are continuing with holding the last batch of scheduled consular camps at various locations in the country over the coming weekend.
The camps that are scheduled to be held include one at the Lakshmi Narayan Mandir in Toronto on Saturday, as well as others in Surrey, British Columbia as well as one in the town of London in the province of Ontario.
The consular camps, which are aimed at providing life certificates to pensioners, were also held last weekend. On November 24, nearly 600 life certificates were issued to seniors in the town of Kitchener in Ontario and another 100 given at one in Montreal in Quebec on Saturday, organised by India’s High Commission in Ottawa. India’s Consulate in Vancouver also held a similar camp in Prince George, British Columbia, on Sunday.
However, security concerns did cause the camp to be hosted by the Vaishno Devi Mandir in Oakville, Ontario, to be cancelled. On Thursday, in a message on X, India’s Consulate in Toronto said, “Due to continued inability conveyed by security agencies to provide minimum security against heightened threats, the Consulate has had to cancel some more consular camps. Most of them were not at any places of worship, including one at a Police facility. The Consulate is fully sensitive to the difficulties faced by close to 4,000 elderly members of the diaspora in the Greater Toronto Area – both Indian and Canadian nationals – who have been deprived of an essential consular service.”
The camps have been targeted by pro-Khalistan groups including the secessionist Sikhs for Justice SFJ). That resulted in the violent invasion of the Hindu Sabha Mandir in Brampton on November 3 by pro-Khalistan radicals, and its aftermath led to multiple arrests being carried out by local law enforcement.
Menwhile, anger within the Indo-Canadian community over the absence of action from Canadian leadership against radical elements continues with nearly 100 gathering in front of the riding (as constituencies are called in Canada) office on Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in the Papineau locality of Montreal on Sunday to stage a peaceful protest against “threats to Hindu community coming from Khalistanis,” a participant said.
That person did not want to be named due to concerns over personal safety. The participant said they opted for Trudeau’s riding office as the venue for their demonstration to take the point that there is “clear political patronage coming from current ruling party” for pro-Khalistan elements leading to “growing Hinduphobia” in the country.
