Canada Calling: Hope floats for Indian students facing deportation, councillors watched the tableau on Indira Gandhi assassination

With the clock ticking, Lovepreet and a group of affected students in the Greater Toronto Area decided to take matters into their own hands. About two weeks ago, they launched round-the-clock protests in front of the CBSA office in Mississauga, aiming to draw attention to their plight.

Deputy Mayor Harkirat Singh and several councillors attended the recent Nagar Kirtan event in Brampton where a controversial float depicting the assassination of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi by her security guards was displayed.

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Lovepreet Singh, an Indian international graduate entangled in a fraudulent college admission letter case, faced the imminent threat of expulsion from Canada on June 13.However, just when all seemed lost, a sliver of hope appeared. Late on Friday evening, he received the news that his deportation had been postponed, offering a lifeline in his quest to secure his future in the country.

Lovepreet arrived in Canada as a student in 2017 and, after completing his studies, had applied to become a permanent resident. However, to his shock, he learnt from the Canadian Border Services Agency (CBSA) that his college acceptance letter, the very foundation of his study visa, was determined to be fake. It was soon revealed that Lovepreet was not the lone victim – a Jalandhar-based agent, whom he had hired before coming to Canada, was running an elaborate scam, manipulating admission letters for Canadian colleges. The number of his victims is said to be in the hundreds.

With the clock ticking, Lovepreet and a group of affected students in the Greater Toronto Area decided to take matters into their own hands. About two weeks ago, they launched round-the-clock protests in front of the CBSA office in Mississauga, aiming to draw attention to their plight. They found solidarity and support from fellow students and the Desi community.

Soon the protests caught the attention of politicians, who were compelled to address the issue in the House of Commons. Opposition leader Pierre Pilievre and New Democratic Party leader Jagmeet Singh came out in support of the protesting students, urging the government to halt the deportations. On Wednesday night, the federal committee on immigration passed a motion calling for pending deportations to be stayed. Then, on Friday night, the government eventually budged and postponed Lovepreet’s deportation.

While the students have welcomed the decision, they are vowing to continue the protests. “It is a temporary victory,” Naujawan Support Network, a GTA-based student support group, tweeted. “Immigration Minister @SeanFraserMP and PM @JustinTrudeau have the power to cancel the deportation orders permanently and give the students a pathway to PR (permanent residency). They have not committed to do either. WE NEED TO KEEP THE PRESSURE UP.”

Deputy Mayor, councillors attend Brampton event featuring Indira assassination tableau

The Nagar Kirtan, which also commemorated the 39th anniversary of Operation Bluestar, was held on June 4. The procession spanned 8 kilometers within the city and featured tableaux portraying events related to the storming of the Golden Temple by the Indian Army in 1984.

While Brampton’s Mayor Patrick Brown distanced himself from the event, his deputy and a few councillors were observed in attendance. City councillor Navjit Kaur Brar shared a photo on Twitter, showing herself alongside Deputy Mayor Singh, as well as fellow councillors Gurpratap Singh Toor and Rod Power.

The assassination float has generated strong reactions both in India and Canada. However, Peel Regional Police, who have jurisdiction over Brampton, stated that the tableau did not constitute a hate crime.

Indo-Canadian man receives life sentence for murdering ex-wife’s cousin

In Saskatchewan, an Indo-Canadian man has been handed a life sentence, with no possibility of parole for 15 years, for the brutal murder of his ex-wife’s cousin in July 2020. Ranbir Dhull, aged 45, was found guilty of strangling 23-year-old Samandeep Kaur Jhinger to death in the basement of a house located in Warman, near Saskatoon. Tragically, Samandeep had only arrived in Canada from Barnala, Punjab, a few months before her life was cut short.

In Saskatchewan, an Indo-Canadian man has been handed a life sentence, with no possibility of parole for 15 years, for the brutal murder of his ex-wife’s cousin in July 2020.

Dhull, who worked as a cab driver in Saskatoon, had a troubling history of domestic violence, which ultimately led to his separation from his wife, Amandeep Kaur, earlier that year. However, he was still allowed to maintain contact with her to discuss matters concerning their two children, and he would occasionally visit their house to assist with childcare while Amandeep worked night shifts at a convenience store. Soon after their divorce, Samandeep moved in with Amandeep. On July 2, Amandeep reported to the police that her cousin had gone missing. The following day, Samandeep’s lifeless body was discovered beneath a shelf in the basement of the house, with a scarf and pair of pants tightly knotted around her neck and tape covering her mouth.

At the sentencing hearing on Thursday, the judge highlighted Dhull’s troubling pattern of using intimidation, domination, and actual violence to resolve his domestic issues. “Mr. Dhull has a tendency to solve his domestic issues through intimidation, through domination and through actual violence,” the judge remarked.

In her victim impact statement, Amandeep revealed that her family had ostracized her for bringing Samandeep into their domestic life to assist in raising the children. The judge, in response, emphasized, “This was not your fault. None of it. There is only one person responsible.”

Dhull, who immigrated to Canada in 2011 and obtained permanent residency in 2015, could face deportation to India after serving his sentence.