APPLIANCES REPAIR

Sikh separatist movement finds way to Australia, Canada; Hindu temples vandalized

Multiple Hindu temples have been vandalized in Australia and Canada, actions that have been attributed to members of the pro-Khalistan movement.

In the span of two weeks, three Hindu temples were vandalized in Australia – on January 12 at the Swaminarayan temple in Melbourne, January 16 at the historic Shri Shiva Vishnu Temple in Victoria, and on January 23 at the ISKCON Temple in Melbourne.

The latest defacement saw slogans on the walls including “Khalistan Zindabad” (a rally call in support of Khalistan) and “Hindustan Murdabad,” (death to India).

The Khalistan movement is part of a separatist agenda to create an independent homeland for Sikhs by establishing a sovereign state. Various independent referendums to secede Punjab from India have been held, one in London in 2021, and another in Canada in 2022 – all of which bore non-binding results.

On January 26, the High Commission of India released a strongly-worded statement to address the vandalism:

“The High Commission of India strongly condemns the deeply disturbing incidents of vandalization, including of three Hindu temples in Melbourne in recent weeks. The frequency and impunity with which the vandals appear to be operating are alarming, as are the graffiti which include glorification of anti-Indian terrorists. These incidents are clear attempts to sow hatred and division among the peaceful multi-faith and multicultural Indian-Australian community.”

The statement continued, “Signals that pro-Khalistan elements are stepping up their activities in Australia, actively aided and abetted by members of proscribed terrorist organizations such as the Sikhs for Justice (SFJ) and other inimical agencies from outside Australia, have been evident for some time.”

“Our concerns have repeatedly been shared with the Australian Government, both by the High Commission and our Consulates in Australia, and by our Government with the Australian High Commission in Delhi. It is hoped that not only will the perpetrators be brought to justice, but suitable action will also be taken to prevent further attempts.”

Following the vandalism in Australia, the Gauri Shankar Mandir was vandalized with “anti-India graffiti” in Canada’s Brampton province, Indian media reported on Tuesday. Times Now reported that the SFJ and other pro-Khalistan groups could be responsible for the attack.

Police are asking the public to help return a 74-year-old Rosedale man back into medical care after a Form 21 Director’s Warrant was issued by a doctor on Jan. 20, 2023.

The Form 21 Director’s Warrant under the Mental Health Act for Wilfred James Kilgren was issued after he failed to return to the Chilliwack General Hospital.

The purpose of this type of warrant is to allow police to legally arrest an individual who has been involuntarily admitted to hospital to get them back into medical care. RCMP said Kilgren apparently had a desire to travel to Saskatchewan and may be attempting to make his way there. He may be in a grey 2001 Toyota RAV4, B.C. licence plate SW807B.

Opinion

Khanduri

Manish

Giant blisters and leg fractures. Inside a marathon march to ‘remake India’

By the time he had walked 400 kilometers in the wet and humid Indian monsoon season, the soles of Vaibhav Walia’s feet were covered in giant blisters. His colleague, Lhingkim Haokip, had been diagnosed with a minor fracture in her leg. Walking alongside them, I experienced something I’d never previously heard of — blisters developing inside my blisters. Every step was beyond agony.

All of us kept walking. We had a long way to go. Walia, 36, Haokip, 48 and I are members of India’s oldest political party, the Indian National Congress. Along with tens of thousands of party cadre, we were part of the Bharat Jodo

Yatra (Unite India March), a marathon trek on foot across the length of India, with a route totaling over 4,000 kilometers. Party member Rahul Gandhi, a fellow walker, has emerged as the face of the yatra, attracting intense interest and much media coverage.

Gandhi, 52, a Congressman and former party leader, is the great-grandson of India’s first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, grandson of the nation’s first female Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, and son of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi and former Congress party leader Sonia Gandhi. (As an aside, I note that a common complaint among yatris has been that the man walks too fast, making life tough for everyone around him who’d prefer a more reasonable pace.) he journey began on September 7, 2022, in the southernmost part of the country, Trivandrum — “where the three oceans meet.”

Over 136 days, yatris traversed 12 states and 2 union territories, following scenic routes along the Arabian Sea and through the fabled Western Ghat mountain ranges. We walked through desolate countryside and congested cities; on national highways and village mud tracks; in 35 degree Celsius (95 Fahrenheit) temperatures and the freezing cold of the Himalayas.

In the Indian tradition, the word ‘Yatra’ is closely associated with religious and political tradition — in Hindu culture, ‘tirtha yatra’ is a journey to a sacred place, with the physical suffering endured along the way seen as an affirmation of devotion.

The 8th century Indian sage, Vedic scholar and teacher Adi Shankaracharya walked across India to establish multiple religious centers.

In 1930, Mahatma Gandhi led the iconic Salt march, a walk of 385 kilometers, to trigger the hugely popular civil disobedience movement.

Our Bharat Jodo Yatra is an ambitious attempt to follow in the footsteps of these illustrious peers — and, like them, help remake India.

The Yatra is the centerpiece of a multi-pronged strategy the Indian National Congress is deploying to revitalize its base and attract new voters. Every day we covered 20-30 kilometers. While a core group of around 250 people walked the entire route, on any given day, there were between a few thousand to a hundred thousand joining us. (I myself walked roughly three-quarters of the route.)

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BC’s 3-year experiment with drug decriminalization started from Tuesday

The B.C. government outlined details around the three-year trial for drug decriminalization on Monday.

Starting Tuesday, adults with up to twoand-a-half grams of drugs for personal use, including opioids, cocaine and MDMA, will not be arrested or charged.

The goal is to reduce the shame and stigma surrounding drug use, which the province says keeps people from accessing life-saving services.

Since 2016, toxic drugs have killed almost 11,000 people in B.C. The B.C. government said this does not mean drugs are legalized. “The drugs covered under this exemption remain illegal,” the province said in a release. “The selling (or trafficking) of controlled substances remains illegal under the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act, regardless of the amount.”

Possession of illegal substances will remain illegal on K-to-12 school premises, at licensed child-care facilities, in certified airports, on Canadian Coast Guard vessels and helicopters, for Canadian Forces members subject to the Code of Service Discipline, in a motor vehicle or watercraft operated by a minor, when the illegal substances are readily accessible to the operator of a motor vehicle or watercraft and for anyone under the age of 18.

“In many cases, illegal drug use continues to be prohibited on private property, including places like shopping malls, bars and cafes,” the province said. “Police retain legal authority to remove people from these premises under the authority of the Trespass Act if open drug use is occurring against the wishes of the owner.” The provincial government said it has hired health authority-specific positions to bridge the gaps between those using illicit drugs and organizations working in the community to help them. It has also worked with BC RCMP and municipal police departments to train officers and provide guidance about decimalization and has invested in more treatment and recovery centres and resources.

Five things to know about BC’s decriminalization model

British Columbia is introducing a policy of decriminalization on Tuesday as part of what it says is an overall plan to prevent overdose deaths from illicit drugs.

The pilot project will continue until Jan. 31, 2026, after a federal exemption from the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act.

Here are five things to know about decriminalization. Which drugs will people be permitted to possess, and how much?

Drug users will be allowed to carry up to a total of 2.5 grams of opioids such as heroin and fentanyl, as well as crack and powder cocaine, methamphetamine and MDMA, also known as ecstasy. B.C.’s application to the federal government called for 4.5 grams, but police requested one gram before a decision by Ottawa to allow a cumulative 2.5 grams. Why is B.C. decriminalizing people who possess illegal drugs?

The province says it aims to reduce stigma around drug use, so people reach out for help to get services like counselling and treatment in the midst of the crisis that has claimed over 11,000 lives since a public health emergency was declared in April 2016. The B.C. government says decriminalization is one tool to deal with the toxic drug supply.

However, drug users and advocates are concerned that services will not be available when people are ready to use them, especially in rural and remote communities. How will the justice system adapt to decriminalization?

Substance users who carry up to the maximum threshold will no longer be arrested or charged, and police will not seize their drugs.

Instead, police will be handing out so-called resource cards with information on where people can access services in their community.

The province says it has hired staff in each health authority to liaise with people who have been referred by police. How will decriminalization be monitored and evaluated?

The federal and provincial governments say they will work together to monitor indicators related to health and criminal justice, for example.

Trends in substance use, interactions with police and public perceptions of people who use drugs are expected to be included in the data, as well as input from drug users.

The evaluation will be done by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research.

What are some exceptions to possession of illegal substances?

Illegal drugs will still be prohibited for youth under 18, on school grounds, at licensed child-care facilities and at airports.

Sexual assault charges against three former University of British Columbia football players have been stayed, according to the BC Prosecution Service (BCPS).

The three were accused of sexually assaulting a woman near the school’s campus in November of 2021.

“The BCPS can confirm that the charges against the three accused were stayed on Jan. 25, 2023,” said Dan McLaughlin, a BC Prosecution official.

“The charges were stayed when the Crown Counsel with conduct of the file concluded the charges no longer met the charge assessment standard.”

The BCPS applies a two-part test to

Sexual assault charges stayed for three former UBC football players determine whether criminal charges will be approved and prosecution to be initiated. “Crown Counsel must independently, objectively, and fairly measure all available evidence against a two-part test,” McLaughlin said. The two-part test is: Whether there is a substantial likelihood of conviction; and, if so, Whether the public interest requires a prosecution. “This test applies at all stages of the prosecution. If, at any point, the prosecutor concludes that this test is no longer met, a stay of proceedings is the appropriate course of action. That is what occurred here,” McLaughlin said in an email.