Ottawa (January 01, 2013): An ‘Op-Ed’
by Jagmeet Singh NDP, has appeared in ‘Ottawa Citizen’, in which the
Sikh Canadian MPP has said that India was wrong to deny his visa. The
text of this write-up reads as follows:
Source:
http://www.ottawacitizen.com/opinion/op-ed/India+wrong+deny+visa/9337921/story.html
Op-Ed:
India was wrong to deny my visa
by: JAGMEET
SINGH, OTTAWA CITIZEN DECEMBER 31, 2013
At a
time of year when Canadians across our nation are taking a pause in our
busy lives to celebrate and come together, I find the timing sadly
ironic as in my mind this also marks a dark time in our national history
and our much-heralded relations with the nation of India.
Recently I, an
elected Member of Provincial Parliament (MPP) in the province of
Ontario, have been denied permission to travel to India, permission
afforded to citizens around the world each day of the year by the Indian
government. Sadly, that approval seems contingent on turning a blind eye
to injustice and being complacent to the political misrepresentations of
one of the world’s most powerful economies.
Earlier this year I
was extremely honoured when I was notified by SEWA — a respected
non-profit organization based in India which is committed to social
justice initiatives like ending drug abuse, promoting the equality of
women by opposing both the dowry system and female feticide — that I had
been selected as Sikh of the Year for 2013. This organization annually
selects a single recipient to be recognized for his or her work in the
area of human rights and humanitarian issues. As a proud Canadian of
Indian decent, this honour is particularly poignant for me.
After over a month
of waiting for my entry visa in order to travel to India to receive the
honour at an awards ceremony, I was informed my visa application had
been denied. To my knowledge, this is the first time an elected official
from Canada has been denied an entry visa to India. It is a significant
affront to not only me but also to our nation, an affront compounded by
the fact that the denial is without explanation. It is my belief that
true democracy is not merely a political ideal but a complete social
philosophy, and the right to freedom of expression is a cornerstone of
democratic freedoms. As a Canadian, my right to give voice against
injustice is part of what makes this country a great nation, but as an
elected official I feel the same ability is an obligation.
In my life I have
had the amazing opportunity to travel to over 20 countries. I have
greatly enjoyed the wonderful diversity of each country I have visited.
From Turkey to Jamaica and the United Kingdom to Sweden, I have always
received a warm welcome as a Canadian. Some of the countries I have
visited have required travel visas and I am proud to say, though to be
honest I am not particularly surprised as a law abiding Canadian
citizen, I have always been approved for a visa to visit any of the
countries to which I have applied. This includes visiting India on a
number of occasions, most recently in January of 2013.
I am a proud
Canadian. I was born in Scarborough, Ontario and grew up in St. Johns
and Gander, Newfoundland and Windsor, Ontario. I enjoy typically
Canadian activities like soccer, skiing and snowboarding, beaver tails
and skating. I graduated university and practised Canadian law in the
great province of Ontario before moving onto politics. And like millions
of Canadians it is the liberties of democracy and freedom of speech that
give me to strength to speak out for those who cannot, here at home and
often in countries where the have and have not classes are world’s
apart. For any democratically elected official of a G8 nation to be
denied an entrance visa by a country calling itself the world’s largest
democracy is an outrage. What kind of message does this denial send to
Canadians? What does this say about the government of India’s view of
Canadians and our Canadian democratic system? And finally, what
international implications does this action have? This is not a partisan
issue — this is a Canadian and global issue. India purports to be a
great friend of Canada. Through this act of exclusion, it is my belief
that relationship is now in question and international community must
defend Canada’s place as a country whose law-abiding citizens are
welcomed by the world.
* Jagmeet
Singh is the NDP MPP for Bramalea-Gore-Malton.