ANANDPUR SAHIB, INDIA—Prime Minister
Stephen Harper paid a politically charged visit to a Sikh holy site, a
trip that holds significance for Canada’s Indo-Canadian community but
one that risks riling his Indian hosts.
Harper came to the Punjab region in
northern India on Wednesday just a day after Indian politicians
pointedly told the prime minister of their government’s worries about
Sikh extremism in Canada.
But the prime minister appeared
undeterred by the Indian cautions as he used an afternoon visit to the
Punjab to publicly show his support for the Sikh community.
Harper arrived in the regional
capital of Chandigarh shortly after noon and then flew by helicopter
north to this town, near the Himalayan foothills.
The prime minister paid a visit with
the Punjab governor to reaffirm the “strong relationship that exists
between Canada and the State of Punjab,” Harper’s office said in a
statement.
Harper was then joined by his wife,
Laureen, and visited the Sri Keshgarh Sahib gurdwara, a temple that
ranks as among the holiest of Sikh religious sites.
With shoes and socks doffed and their
heads covered with scarves, Harper and his wife toured the temple,
visiting with community members. He was also joined by several members
of the Conservative caucus, including Parm Gill and Tim Uppal.
Finally, he toured the Khalsa
Heritage Centre, a stunning museum that features soaring rooflines
designed by Canadian architect Moshe Safdie. The centre profiles the
history and culture of the Punjab.
Local community member B.S Balli said Harper’s visit was a significant and welcome show of respect for the Sikh religion.
He said Sikhs were “very happy” to play host to Harper’s high-profile visit.
“They feel elevated by his visit over here,” Balli told reporters. “It’s about humanity. Brotherhood.”
He sidestepped the question of
whether he thought Harper’s visit might be politically motivated to win
the favour of Canada’s Sikh population, estimated at about 500,000.
“I obviously can’t say this is a political visit,” Balli said.
“The prime minister has come to view
that very great marvelous heritage complex and he has paid his respects
at this religious place. He has a regard for the Sikh sentiments
everywhere. All the Sikhs welcome his visit,” Balli said.
Just a day before, the Indian
government was raising a flag about Sikh’s separatist ambitions and the
extremism they claim is on the upswing in Canada. In a meeting with
Harper, Preneet Kaur, Minister of State of External Affairs, said the
“revival of anti-India rhetoric” in Canada was of “great concern.”
At the heart of the Indian worries is support in Canada for a separatist Sikh state in India, known as Khalistan in the Punjab.
For Harper, the last two days have
been a balancing act, as he first assured Indian leaders that Canada
favoured a united India, and then the next day, making a public display
of support for the Sikh community.
He even brought along Canadian
business leaders who have joined him on his extended visit in a pointed
attempt to not just boost trade with India, but the Punjab region in
particular.
Later, the prime minister refused to
comment when asked whether he shared the Indian government’s concerns
about Sikh extremism in Canada.
“I think the Indian government knows
about (our) position. We’re aware of the challenges and we’ll keep
working on those,” he said.
The Tribune newspaper in Chandigarh
quoted Harper as saying, “we are committed not to permit any
secessionist activities on our soil.”
Andrew MacDougall, the prime
minister’s director of communications later refuted the comment, saying
that Harper never talked to the newspaper.
There were some obvious sensitivities
with the visit as officials with the Prime Minister’s Office actively
frustrated attempts by Canadian reporters to attend Harper’s gurdwara
visit. At first they claimed narrow streets couldn’t accommodate buses
carrying the media contingent. The streets in fact were wide and a
parking lot outside the temple accommodated other buses that had brought
visitors for Harper’s visit.
Then they claimed the temple was a long distance away even though it was a 10-minute walk.
Finally they refused to provide directions, leaving reporters on their own to find it.
MacDougall later apologized to reporters for what he called “unacceptable” logistical problems.
