Algoma Sikh Association says protests in support of India farmers will continue despite backlash, potential repercussions

The Algoma Sikh Association says it will continue to voice its concerns after staging a pair of rallies in Sault Ste. Marie in opposition to the introduction of agricultural legislation in India that it maintains will erode the farming industry in that country. 

But the group, which represents around 1,000 members of the region’s Sikh community, says its members are worried about the ramifications of the local rallies following a social media thread that appeared on the Sault College Students’ Union (SCSU) Facebook page prior to the first demonstration, which saw more than 100 people in roughly 50 vehicles hit the streets of Sault Ste. Marie Jan. 26.   

Gurwinder Singh, president of the Algoma Sikh Association, tells SooToday that the ‘pro-India’ comments on the student union’s social media post did not come from Sault College students, but from people all over the world, amid ongoing protests and violence in India since three new agriculture bills were introduced by the Indian government in September of last year. 

“It was full of comments calling the local Sikh community in Sault Ste. Marie terrorists, anti-nationals, separatists, and they’ve also gone as far to call Khalsa Aid – which is the same organization over last summer that helped out with food insecurity – a terrorist organization,” said Singh. “We’re really worried, because one of the steps towards genocide is dehumanizing a certain group and giving them labels. You can see all these steps unfolding.”

“It really does take an emotional toll, which is why we are trying to voice our concerns out there.”

Students encouraged to 'formulate their own opinion', student union says 

SCSU President Ahmad Alkosani tells SooToday the Jan. 26 social media post elicited comments from 10 or fewer people arguing their points of view, and that none of the comments were "threatening or insulting to the local Sikh community."

The comments were deleted, he says, due to violence shown in links that were contained within the thread. 

“SCSU was clear that we don’t support any form of gathering or non-essential getting out of home due to the current COVID-19 situation and due to the provincial lockdown and stay-at-home order that was taking place. However, we supported our students virtually by releasing a statement of support,” said Alkosani. “Unfortunately, the statement we released was based on articles and facts provided by students who support the farmers’ protest and it made us seem like we are taking the farmers’ side against the Indian government, which not all of our international students from India stand with.”

The students’ union released another statement on social media the following day, encouraging students to form their own opinions on the issue. 

“SCSU as the Sault College students’ main advocate don’t take any parties, and we encourage our students to formulate their own opinion on this matter. We stand against any type of violence, racism or discrimination,” said Alkosani. “And we are here to support our students no matter what side they take.” 

Attendance plunges for second demonstration 

Singh says the second Sault demonstration in support of Indian farmers that was held on Feb. 13 was sparsely attended due to a growing fear of backlash aimed toward the Sikh community and the potential for repercussions from the Indian government. Members of the Sikh community also didn't want photos of the local demonstrations published on SooToday for these reasons. 

“It really made the local community sit back and think, we just had one rally. It was planned within 24 hours, and we got attacked by people online calling us terrorists, which did have a detrimental impact because the first rally had over 100 people, and the second rally only had 15, because a lot of these students are worried that if they do go back to India, are they going to be facing any type of detrimental behaviour by the Indian government?” he said. 

One of the bills allows farmers to strike up deals with companies to produce a certain amount and to sell their crops directly to private buyers instead of to the Indian government at a regulated price, known formally as the minimum support price. 

The Indian government says the new laws will bring growth, but the Algoma Sikh Association doesn’t believe that to be the case.   

“These three bills, on the front of it, are claiming that the farmers will get more income and that it will be better, easier for farmers to deal with more players in the game. However, the farmers do see this as being a trap, whereas at the beginning they might benefit for a few years, but in the long term, their finances will be in jeopardy, their livelihood will be in jeopardy,” said Singh. “And then ultimately, if they incur enough debt, then the land that they’ve been tilling and working on for thousands of years through the family are going to be seized in return to pay off these debts or mitigate these debts.” 

“A lot of the Punjabi community, the whole culture is based off of farming. Our dancing is based off of farming, our languages are based off of farming. A great part of our culture is based off of farming,” he continued. “So a lot of us see this as an existential crisis for the Punjabi community.”

Singh says that tensions and ongoing protests in India are impacting the Sikh population locally.  

“Seeing their parents and their cousins and their brothers and sisters on the streets literally for the last two months really hits an emotional chord with them, especially being in a whole new country and not having any real way to have an impact,” he said. 

The Algoma Sikh Association says it will continue to exercise its "democratic right to peaceful protest" – with guidance from police and the region's health unit – until Sault MP Terry Sheehan and Sault MPP Ross Romano make the group’s voice heard in their respective legislatures.

“We will continue to voice our concerns, we will continue to hold rallies in Sault Ste. Marie, and we encourage Ross Romano and Terry Sheehan to put out a statement, or least have some dialogue, to hear out the concerns of their constituents,” Singh said. 

- with files from The Canadian Press