Trudeau, the ‘Messiah of Sikhs’?

The manner in which Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is being presented, as the “Messiah of Sikhs”, tickles my fancy. The mindset of my fellow Punjabi, especially Sikh, community is weird – either they go over the top to be much more hospitable or turn completely hostile to individuals.

We lack the approach to look pragmatically into the core of issues and don’t feel any urge to read between the lines of highly inflated claims. Our over-ambitiousness has been proved our foolishness numerous times.

Agreed that the affiliation of Canada – being a developed country and strategically relevant in the first world – to the Sikh diaspora and its lingering demands has a huge socio-political importance at this point of time, but it is just a token affiliation or endorsement.

Sikhs, specifically Khalistanis, can propagate it as their victory by claiming that the Trudeau government instantly endorsed their sentiments, which have been ignored by the dominantly “Brahmanical-Hindutva” state of India for almost seven decades.

But I don’t feel that Trudeau will ever be able to play a major role in solving the long pending issues of Sikhs. His appeasement of Canadian Sikhs is like Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s pampering of Indian Hindus.

In the electoral political system, appeasement of the dominant majorities is not only the necessity of political forces but also an inevitable obligation. Moreover, Punjabis and Sikhs play a vital role in the Canadian economy as the migrant labour from UP and Bihar plays in eastern Punjab.

Considering Trudeau’s respect for the Canadian diaspora, we Punjabis in our homeland, should learn from him and acknowledge the talent and hard work of the migrant labourers, instead of feeling proud about calling them “Bhaiyyas”.

We can take a sinister pleasure in mocking the Indian establishment for giving the cold shoulder to Trudeau and his comrades, but in the long run it will harm the common Sikhs and Punjabis in their homeland. It will also widen the gap between the State and Sikhs and provoke hatred among common Punjabis at the ground level. Sikhs should avoid such divisive politics to gain political affiliation at the international level.

Those living in safe havens after gaining political asylum have nothing to worry about, but the threat is lingering on those who go out daily for tiny jobs with turbans on their heads, here in Punjab.

So my dear Sikh brothers and sisters, what you have achieved in Canada with your hard work and dedication, enjoy it to the full, try to uplift your regions in your homeland with this success, and use your position to establish peace, brotherhood and secular coexistence in your country and in your homeland.

Let’s follow the footsteps of our revered master Guru Nanak, to treat everyone with compassion and seek the welfare of the entire humanity – “Sarbat Da Bhalla”. Please push forward our rooted core values wherever you go.

Help to educate and awaken the young generation in your homeland, inspire them to adapt an ethical administrative and political lifestyle, empower them to be honest statesmen, so that you can feel secure while investing your hard earned resources in Punjab in the coming future. Only this will propel the engine of development and prosperity in your beloved homeland, Punjab.

For the bright future of Punjab and the diaspora in Canada, we should look at Trudeau’s visit with the perspective of achieving the above mentioned goals.