New Delhi
22 May 2010
Canada is "reviewing the situation" arising from the denial of immigration visa
to an Indian national, whose story was published by many newspapers here on
Saturday.
"Decisions on visa applications are made by public servants following an independent
process governed by the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act [and] I would like to
stress that Canada has the highest regard for India's democratic institutions and
processes. Canada has great respect for India's armed forces and related institutions.
We are reviewing the situation. Due to privacy reasons we cannot comment further,"
Catherine Loubier, spokeswoman for Canada's foreign minister Lawrence Cannon, said
in an e-mail statement sent to this newspaper.
Loubier was responding to queries a day after Fateh Singh Pandher, a retired head
constable of the Border Security Force (BSF), spoke to media in Ludhiana's Siar village
about how his application for immigrant visa was rejected late last year on the ground
that the BSF is a "notoriously violent paramilitary unit" which is "responsible for war
crimes in India". A communication from the Canadian High Commission sent to Pandher
accused him of not only working with "a unit engaged in systematic attacks on civilians"
but of not providing any evidence in his visa application "dissociating" himself from the
BSF. By Friday evening, the external affairs ministry had issued a statement saying that
the matter had been taken up "appropriately with the Canadian side".
In her response, Ms Loubier said India is a country with growing influence on the global
stage. "Our past has been marked by friendship and by strong ties that bind us closer
than ever. We are also democratic nations that are ethnically, spiritually and
linguistically diverse.
"Canada-India ties continue to strengthen following the very successful visit to India by a
strong delegation led by the Prime Minister last November. One of our greatest strengths
is the vibrant people-to-people connections between Canada and India."
She noted that the Indo-Canadian community is approximately one million strong and
makes significant contributions to the strength of Canada's economy as well as to
people-to-people links between our two countries.
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