On Tuesday, 15th October, the Communist Party of India (Marxist) issued a statement in support of the Government of India amid the India-Canada row over the allegations made by Canada against India that Indian agents and officials were using a criminal syndicate to target pro-Khalistani Sikhs on Canadian soil. These recent allegations were an extension of those made by Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in September 2023, claiming that India was behind the murder of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar. In its statement, CPI(M) called anti-India Khalistani elements operating in Canada a matter of “serious concern” and added that the Government of India is duty-bound to protect the national interest.

The statement read, “The activities of anti-India Khalistani elements operating in Canada have been a matter of serious concern and have a direct impact on national security. The Government of India is duty-bound to protect the national interest, for which it has support across political parties in India. The allegations levied by various official authorities of the Canadian government against India have been rejected by the Government of India. It is to be expected that the Government of India will take the opposition parties into confidence on these issues, including the allegation made about the role of the Lawrence Bishnoi criminal gang.”

While the statement from CPI(M) supporting the central govt might have appeared surprising to many, as other opposition party leaders are targeting the Indian Government over the allegations by Canada, it should be noted that Communist Party leaders were among those killed by Khalistani terrorists during the insurgency in Punjab.

Communist leaders targeted during the insurgency in Punjab

During the 1980s insurgency in Punjab, Communist Party leaders were among the most vocal opponents of the Khalistani movement and paid a heavy price for it. As noted by India Today in a report in 1986, communist leaders and workers, particularly from CPI, became targets of Khalistani terrorists for their outspoken condemnation of violence and separatism.

Murder of Darshan Singh Canadian

At least 17 communist leaders were hacked to death by Khalistani terrorists between 1984 and 1986, including prominent figures like Darshan Singh Sangha, alias ‘Canadian,’ a former state secretary of the CPI, and Naxalite leader Baldev Singh Mann. They were targeted because of their public campaigns and efforts to organise resistance against Khalistani terrorism in rural areas of Punjab.

Darshan Singh Canadian was an eyesore for the Khalistani terrorists. He was gunned down while riding a bicycle in his village in 1986. The terrorists who killed him left a note that read, “We are silencing this voice opposed to Khalistan. It is a lesson for others.” The brutal murder of Canadian was just a glimpse of how terrorists dealt with ideological resistance at that time.

Murder of Baldev Singh Mann

Baldev Singh Mann was the Amritsar district secretary of the CPI(ML) Chandra Pulla Reddy group and editor of the party magazine Hirawal Dasta. He was part of the communist camp that challenged Khalistani terrorism. Mann was born on 9th July 1952 and lived in the village of Bagga Kalan, Tehsil Ajnala, Amritsar, for most of his life. During his college days at Khalsa College, Amritsar, he came into contact with the CPI(ML) of Chandra Pulla Reddy-SN Singh.

He revived a left-wing association named Naujawan Bharat Sabha in his village, which had been popular during the Indian independence movement. During the insurgency, he led many public rallies and addressed several meetings calling for communal harmony in the state. On 26th September 1986, he was gunned down in his native village. Mann was survived by his wife and one-week-old daughter.

Communists’ resilience and the wider political context

When their leaders were being hacked to death in brutal fashion, CPI and CPI(M) leaders used these events to strengthen their determination to fight extremism in the state. Balbir Kaur, the widow of Canadian, encapsulated this spirit when she proclaimed at his funeral, “We are neither Hindus nor Sikhs but Indians. Down with terrorism. Long live India.”

Leaders like Canadian, Satya Pal Dang, and Gursharan Singh continued their public rallies despite receiving threats of violence from the terrorists. They lashed out against the terror tactics of Khalistani terrorists in their speeches. However, this “bravery” did not last long as they were systematically wiped out.

Given this historical context, CPI(M)’s current position in support of the Government of India against Khalistani elements in Canada is not an outlier. The Left has borne the brunt of Khalistani violence in the past as they opposed separatism and extremism, and they continue to maintain this stance even if it means siding with a government they often oppose on other issues.

One support does not wipe out past ‘crimes’

The support for the Government of India by CPI(M) seems deeply intertwined with the historical memories of Khalistani violence against communist leaders, something of which many in the current generation may be unaware. However, their current stance does not erase the ‘crimes’ communist parties have committed and continue to commit in India. Their support for the Naxal movement, siding with China, and repeated attacks on the Government of India on various issues cannot be overlooked.

One cannot forget how (CPI-M) shared a post on social media on the occasion of the 130th birth anniversary of China’s greatest mass murderer, Mao Zedong in his remembrance and indicated that he was the greatest revolutionary who helped people carry out a democratic revolution. Or, it should not be forgotten that late CPI(M) leader Sitaram Yetchury refused to acknowledge atrocities on Uyghur Muslims, defended lack of free speech in China, and had praised dictators Xi Jinping and Nicolae Ceausescu.

While CPI(M) has garnered support for the Indian government on this one issue, it is expected that, as an opposition party, they will stand on other matters that concern the national security and sovereignty of the country.



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