According to Indian officials, there was evidence that Kashmiri groups supporting both Pakistan and Khalistan "planned to disrupt" such activities.
Digital Desk: For the first time ever, the
Indian government has requested that Canada provide sufficient protection
during Independence Day celebrations at its embassies while also taking
precautions to avoid interfering with festivities planned by the Indo-Canadian
community.
This was communicated to Global Affairs
Canada, the nation's foreign ministry, by the high commission of India in
Ottawa. As Covid-19-related restrictions loosen, the community is getting ready
to mark August 15 with open, in-person activities for the first occasion since
2019.
A senior Indian official confirmed that this was the
first time India had expanded the scope of its security request for
Independence Day from protecting "Indian interests" related to local
events across the nation to including additional security measures at its diplomatic
facilities in Ottawa, Toronto, and Vancouver.
The official made it clear that although such
celebrations were planned by Canadians, there was a "broader" cause for
concern because of the significant number of Indian citizens there,
particularly children and students. The official stated, "We understand
this is a Canadian internal concern, but we advise Canadian authorities to
ensure their safety as well.
According to Indian officials, there was
evidence that Kashmiri groups supporting both Pakistan and Khalistan "planned to disrupt" such activities.
An event was planned by the nonprofit Panorama India for
August 15 in the Toronto suburb of Mississauga, but there were reported
protester-related disturbances at the time.
Similar to this,
protesters confronted the organizers of a Tiranga Rally in Vancouver to
commemorate Republic Day in 2021. That followed the demonstrators' blockade of
the Indian embassy in Vancouver on January 26 of that year, which included
pro-Khalistan remarks and chants.
The highlight of the year
will be the Panorama India-organized India Day parade in Toronto, which will
feature floats from various states and community organizations. It will
conclude with a big celebration for everyone in Toronto's downtown. This event
gathered more than 50,000 people of Indian descent in 2019. Indo-Canadian
organizations in British Columbia are organizing a sizable vehicle rally from
the municipality of Surrey in the Metro Vancouver area.
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