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Canada addressing rise in gang activity, says Alberta minister
Sawhney, whose family hails from a Malian village near Phagwara, said that the South Asian students in Canada are law-abiding, and the news originating about chaos and unlawful incidents is like a drop in the ocean
Punjab-origin Alberta’s minister for indigenous relations Rajan Sawhney, 54, on Wednesday said that the Canadian government are aware of the escalation of gangsters’ activities and the federal dispensation is working on the issue.
“In Alberta, we have asked sheriffs to deal with the eventualities caused by the gangsters for the protection of the people,” Sawhney said while talking to the media during her visit to Chandigarh University in Gharuan.
Sawhney, whose family hails from a Malian village near Phagwara, said that the South Asian students in Canada are law-abiding, and the news originating about chaos and unlawful incidents is like a drop in the ocean.
“All of those who have come to Canada are serious in their careers. Canada’s quota for international students has not been fully utilised, and Indian students can still apply. Canada is a second home for Punjabis, and they have earned a special place through hard work and resilience. If you look at the talent pool across sectors in Canada, Punjabis form one of the strongest and most visible communities,” she said, adding, “The students from India receive high-quality education in Canada, and they can bring back that knowledge, technology and learning to Punjab and India.”
Sawhney had also attended India Energy Week and did groundwork for the upcoming visit of Alberta Premier Danielle Smith to India.
Referring to India-Canada relationship that cratered after then Prime Minister Justin Trudeau stated in the House of Commons on September 18, 2023, that there are “credible allegations” of a potential link between Indian agents and the killing of pro-Khalistan figure Hardeep Singh Nijjar three months earlier in Surrey, British Columbia, Sawhney said it was a thing of past and now both governments are engaging to build a positive and productive relationship.
India has described those accusations as “absurd”.
“Canada wants India to know that we are a reliable, trusted partner and the path ahead for our relationship is positive and productive,” she said.
