Toronto: Dabinderjit Singh, a British citizen and leader of the banned International Sikh Youth Federation (ISYF), has sought support of Canadian political leaders and radical Sikhs for reviving the Khalistan separatist movement. The ISYF and the Babbar Khalsa are banned in Canada for promoting terrorism. The two outfits are also delisted in Britain. During his three-week visit here, Singh met political aides and radical Sikh leaders to promote what he told the Vancouver Sun was his new seven-point "Sikh Agenda".
Singh said the agenda included the creation of Khalistan, lobbying with political leaders to get the ban on the ISYF and the Babbar Khalsa lifted, and promote Sikh interests in their adopted lands. He said he had been lobbying with politicians in Britain to promote his seven-point agenda since 2001 when the ISYF was banned there. Singh serves as an advisor to the Sikh Federation (UK) whose 2008 calendar eulogised Air India bombing plotter Talwinder Singh Parmar and former Indian prime minister Indira Gandhi's assassins.
During his meetings, Singh said like-minded Sikhs have formed a lobby group to promote the seven-point agenda. The lobby group, he added, would pressure Canadian politicians to support their cause. Only those leaders who promise to support the Sikh agenda should be allowed to speak at Sikh gatherings, he said. This assumes significance as the national election looms in Canada because of the minority status of the current government. With Sikhs forming a huge chunk of the electorate in the seat-rich provinces of British Columbia and Ontario, politicians of all hues woo them by visiting Sikh temples and Vaisakhi parades. He said the new lobby group would unveil its agenda for Canadian Sikhs next month.
