India detaining, ejecting Canadian man is the latest example of revived ‘blacklist’ for Sikhs: experts
A Canadian man from Mississauga, Ontario, recently shared his harrowing experience of being detained at the Amritsar airport in India on New Year’s Eve. Gurcharan Singh Banwait, a 77-year-old Canadian citizen for nearly five decades, frequently travels to India for his healthcare charity, the International Punjabi Foundation. However, his most recent trip took a traumatic turn when Indian officials detained him for 36 hours without food or medical assistance before ejecting him from the country.
Banwait, who recently underwent heart surgery and suffers from spinal disc herniation, described the ordeal as painful. He was confined to a room with two security guards armed with guns, and despite his health conditions, he was not provided with a place to lie down. The cold weather exacerbated his back pain, and he alleges that he was not allowed to use the washroom unassisted. To add insult to injury, an Indian officer reportedly called him a “Khalistani,” a term associated with supporters of the Sikh separatist movement.
The incident has raised concerns among those monitoring Canada-India relations, with some viewing it as part of a broader trend of India harassing and blacklisting Sikhs and journalists. Banwait’s worries extend to other Sikh Canadians who may face similar treatment without warning, potentially leading to costly and distressing situations.
Efforts to seek clarification from Indian authorities, including the High Commission in Canada and the Ministry of External Affairs, were met with silence or refusal to comment. Global Affairs Canada acknowledged the situation but clarified that they cannot intervene in immigration matters on behalf of Canadian citizens.
According to Balpreet Singh, legal counsel and spokesperson for the World Sikh Organization Canada, the number of Canadians on India’s adverse list has been growing since Prime Minister Justin Trudeau implicated the Indian government in the killing of a Canadian Sikh activist in 2023. Singh highlighted how Indian officials have used visas as a means of exerting pressure on individuals to conduct surveillance or become informants, labeling it as a form of foreign interference.
Raman Sohi, an immigration lawyer in Vancouver, echoed these concerns, noting that the Indian government has increasingly targeted critics and individuals associated with movements like Khalistan. He emphasized that India’s tactics, which include blacklisting, denying visas, and even prosecution, are aimed at silencing dissent.
For Banwait, the uncertainty looms large as he questions the validity of his Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) card, which grants him lifelong visa privileges. While he speculates that his deportation could be linked to past legal issues, he suspects his recent attendance at an event in Punjab discussing Sikh history may have triggered the authorities’ actions.
The case of Angad Singh, an American journalist who was blacklisted for his work on a documentary critical of India’s citizenship laws, serves as a stark reminder of the consequences faced by those deemed to be in opposition to the Indian government. Singh’s ongoing legal battle underscores the weaponization of visas against certain segments of the diaspora and minority groups.
As Banwait grapples with the aftermath of his detention, he remains uncertain about his future visits to India and the implications for his charity work, properties, and family ties in the country. The troubling trend of using visas as a tool for political control and surveillance continues to raise alarm bells among advocates and observers of Canada-India relations.
