Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has urged his Canada to crack down on Sikh separatists in the country.
In an interview to Toronto Star, Dr Singh said: 'Sikh extremism, separatism and militancy were a problem in India more than two decades ago. Today, Punjab is at peace and there is growth and prosperity. There are, however, some elements outside India, including in Canada, who try to keep this issue alive for their own purposes. In many cases, such extremists have links to or are themselves wedded to terrorism.'
Dr Singh further said he had brought the issue to Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper's notice during bilateral meetings.
'We have been pointing out that Sikh extremism in Canada, which has no support in India, is not good for Canada. We feel that vigilance and close cooperation between both governments on the issue is necessary,' the Canadian daily quoted him as saying.
Besides Sikh extremism, Dr Singh also delved upon issues like ties with Pakistan, India's role in Afghanistan and the G-20 summit (which the Indian prime minister will attend on Sunday in Toronto).
Giving his perspective on the G-20 summit, Dr Singh said: 'I think purpose of G20 should be to reach a broad-based agreement about coordinating macro-economic policy in a manner in which the momentum of recovery can be sustained and enhanced in the years to come, as the same time not giving scope to an inflationary bout which nobody wants.'Image: Dr Manmohan Singh with his Canadian counterpart in Toronto.
