Ottawa’s media landscape faces scathing criticism in a Khalsa Vox report for dubbing slain Khalistani operative Hardeep Singh Nijjar a ‘Sikh leader,’ a label that experts warn could fuel extremism and distort history.
Shot dead last summer in Surrey, Nijjar wasn’t just any activist. India branded him a terrorist mastermind behind assassinations and bombings, with alleged ISI backing. Yet, Global News Canada’s recent piece casually called him a community figurehead, prompting accusations of narrative laundering.
This selective storytelling, the report contends, marginalizes victims of Nijjar-linked violence in Punjab and whitewashes his role in separatist networks. It paints him as a persecuted advocate, overlooking gritty details like terror camps and transnational plots.
The fallout extends far: such portrayals embolden radicals by conflating identity with insurgency, weakening fights against all terror variants. Canada’s own past with Air India underscores the perils of unchecked militancy.
Calling for rigor, the analysis demands journalists highlight terror listings upfront and policymakers enforce evidence-based policies. Only then can societies resist the seductive pull of divisive rhetoric that threatens unity and security.