Chandigarh January 9:
Sukh Dhaliwal, the Canadian member of parliament of Indian origin, who created a flutter by introducing a petition in Canadian Parliament for recognizing 1984 anti-Sikh riots as 'Sikh genocide', in June last year, is now carrying the same appeal back home. The Canadian government, though, has rejected the demand.
''I would love to see the Indian government acknowledge this. You have a very competent PM, who has a credible image on international scene. Even the leader of ruling party has a very positive image. Both of them should come forward and acknowledge this,'' Dhaliwal, the Liberal MP from Newton-North Delta told reporters.
''It is very difficult for Canadian parliament to say whether it was genocide or not, but for me, it was more of a matter of creating awareness,'' Dhaliwal said asserting that petition was filed out of the need to create awareness about human rights rather than simply a community issue.
Asserting that there was no harm in admitting to mistakes, Dhaliwal offered Canada's example, where ''strong human rights'', enshrined in the constitution led to the government offering apology and then commemorating dark spots in history like Kamagata Maru, taxing the Chinese or the Indians (the aboriginals). ''If something happened in 1984 where people were killed just because they were Sikhs, in a pogrom in Delhi, then I think, I am speaking not only as a Punjabi, but as an advocate for human rights.''
Sukh Dhaliwal, the Canadian member of parliament of Indian origin, who created a flutter by introducing a petition in Canadian Parliament for recognizing 1984 anti-Sikh riots as 'Sikh genocide', in June last year, is now carrying the same appeal back home. The Canadian government, though, has rejected the demand.
''I would love to see the Indian government acknowledge this. You have a very competent PM, who has a credible image on international scene. Even the leader of ruling party has a very positive image. Both of them should come forward and acknowledge this,'' Dhaliwal, the Liberal MP from Newton-North Delta told reporters.
''It is very difficult for Canadian parliament to say whether it was genocide or not, but for me, it was more of a matter of creating awareness,'' Dhaliwal said asserting that petition was filed out of the need to create awareness about human rights rather than simply a community issue.
Asserting that there was no harm in admitting to mistakes, Dhaliwal offered Canada's example, where ''strong human rights'', enshrined in the constitution led to the government offering apology and then commemorating dark spots in history like Kamagata Maru, taxing the Chinese or the Indians (the aboriginals). ''If something happened in 1984 where people were killed just because they were Sikhs, in a pogrom in Delhi, then I think, I am speaking not only as a Punjabi, but as an advocate for human rights.''
