On the day the Indian government stopped the visa service for Canadian citizens, Tajinder Singh’s father, who lives in Canada, died in Delhi.
Tajinder has not been able to come to his home in India despite all efforts for the past several days.
A clear example of how the tension between the two countries has affected the common people due to the murder case of Hardeep Singh Nagar is the case of Tajinder Singh.
It may be recalled that on September 21, India suspended the process of issuing visas to Canadian citizens for an indefinite period. India took this decision after Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau accused India of involvement in the killing of Hardeep Singh Nagar in Parliament.
Hardeep Singh Nagar was a supporter of the Khalistan movement and a Canadian citizen and was assassinated on June 18 in British Columbia, Canada.
After Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s accusations against India, the two countries also expelled each other’s senior diplomats from their respective countries.
The Indian government said it was concerned about the safety of its personnel. Due to which Indian visas for Canadian citizens are suspended till further orders.
It has come to light that this has not only affected people who are of Indian origin and hold Canadian citizenship, but also those who are actually Canadian citizens and want to come to India for work or tourism.
36-year-old Tajinder Singh, who lives in Brampton, Canada, said that he got the news of his father’s death last Thursday, September 21. On the same day, the Indian government banned the issuance of visas.
“I still went to the visa service office where you have to write the reason why you want to go to India, I explained my reason in it but my application was rejected saying that I cannot go to India.’
He added that I contacted the visa office again on phone, they gave me the email ID. I have also sent a mail but no response has been received yet.
When asked what he was doing about it now, he said, “I am waiting for a reply to the email.”
“I have also sent an email to the High Commission, but there is no response yet.”
He says that ‘these are decisions made at the highest level, on which no institution can do anything and no one else, only governments can do something about it.’
Talking about his family, he said that his father was a senior police officer.
He said that ‘My father and family lived in Delhi. My mother’s grandparents are in Ludhiana, Punjab, but they stayed here because my father was employed by the Delhi Police. He retired from the post of Deputy Commissioner of Police i.e. DCP.
“My mother and two brothers are in Delhi,” he said. I am in constant contact with mother. He was unwell for two or three days. Even though she is fine now, she keeps asking the same questions about the visa process and when I will come home.
About his father, he said that he had spoken to him on the phone a day before his death and he was perfectly fine at that time, but on that day he suddenly suffered a heart attack at the age of 76, from which he died. done
How did you get to Canada?
Talking about himself, Tajinder Singh said that I came to Canada in 2018. I got permanent residence and I am working here in a bank. If I had PR I would have had an Indian passport too and would have had no problem as India has closed visas only for Canadian citizens.
He said that later he took Canadian citizenship and got a passport from there.
“My PR was due to expire in 2020 and I applied for citizenship here after canceling it a few months ago.
I got my Canadian passport in September last year. Now I could not even get Overseas Citizenship of India. I thought I would take it when I had to go to India.
“This is an occasion when it is very important to be with the family,” Tajinder said in an emotional tone. By the way, we want both my wife and I to go to India, but it is very important for me to go.
The last time he went to India was in April last year and since then he has been in touch with the family only on phone.
‘Canadian citizenship only on paper’
“We can understand that these are political decisions, and no one can do anything about it,” he said.
“But I think that when these decisions are made, care must be taken to ensure that the general public is not disturbed by it. “Whether you take a decision like stopping trade between countries or changing any other policy that affects countries, the lives of common people should not be affected.”
“We are Indians in origin, although on paper today we have become citizens of Canada,” he added. Our values, our culture, our language are all Indian and always will be.
When asked what is the reason for becoming a Canadian citizen, he said you have to renew your PR again. We thought that now we have to stay here and take the citizenship of this place. Little did we know that we would have to see such a time because of it.
Indian community living in Canada
There are 18.6 million Canadian citizens of Indian origin residing in Canada. Many believed that this decision of the Indian government would not have any significant impact on these people, although there were some who were worried about the decision from the beginning.
According to tourism data, more than 80 thousand Canadians came to India for tourism in 2021.
India’s Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson Arndam Bagchi has said that the issue is not about traveling to India. Those who have legal visas and other types of documents like OCI are eligible to come to India even after this ban.
“But the real problem is the creation of an environment that incites violence and hinders the work of our commission and consulate.”
Arandam Bagchi while talking to reporters said that due to the threats received by Indian diplomats in Canada, there has to be a temporary ban on visa applications there.
He said that we will continue to review it. We have temporarily banned visa applications.