'Trudeau Wants To Cultivate Pro-Khalistan Leaders'

'He is convinced that this will help him in the next election.'
'But as we know, the best laid plans of mice and men can go awry.'

"If anyone is preaching freedom and at the same time carrying out violence or threatening to carry out violence against Indian entities like the high commission, State Bank of India, then you have to take action."

"You cannot give the excuse that is freedom of expression. This is what Canada has to realise. I, myself, was attacked by the Khalistanis when I was posted there," says retired Ambassador K P Fabian.

In his over three decades in the Indian Foreign Service, the diplomat served in Canada, Iran, Austria, Finland, Qatar, Madagascar and Italy

As Joint Secretary (Gulf), Ambassador Fabian was in-charge of the evacuation of over 176,000 Indian nationals from Iraq and Kuwait in 1990-1991, made famous in the Hindi film, Airlift.

Ambassador Fabian was attacked by pro-Khalistan supporters in Winnipeg while he was posted in Ottawa in the 1980s.

"An egg was thrown at me and I was hit with a stick on my head... The Sikh taxi drivers got into their cars and started driving on either side. The RCMP driver said, 'Sir, you should duck if they try to shoot you'," Ambassador Fabian tells Rediff.com's Archana Masih in the concluding segment of the interview.

• Part 1 of the interview: 'As Long As Trudeau Is PM, There Won't Be De-escalating'

Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has made several allegations about India's role in the Hardeep Singh Nijjar killing and has maintained a very hostile stance. What is the reason for such hostility?

He seems to be fully convinced that he has to cultivate the pro-Khalistani political leadership in Canada which will help him in the next election. I personally think his judgment is wrong.

As we know, the best laid plans of mice and men can go awry.

India has had persistent concerns about Canada harbouring Khalistani separatists. What is the scope for redressal of this major worry that India has on Canadian soil?

If somebody preaches separatism and if it is permissible according to their law -- after all, there was a referendum legally held whether Quebec should remain a part of Canada. I respect that.

But if anyone is preaching freedom and at the same time carrying out violence or threatening to carry out violence against Indian entities, the high commission, State Bank of India, etc, then you have to take action.

You cannot give the excuse that is freedom of expression. This is what Canada has to realise. I, myself was attacked by the Khalistanis when I was posted there.

Where did this happen? Were you hurt?

In Winnipeg, Manitoba. At that time, I had the highest level of protection of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.

Khalistanis had burned an effigy of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, so I went to Winnipeg and took up the issue with the premier, that is the chief minister.

The RCMP had accompanied me and escorted me out of the plane and airport through a separate channel. Even before I got into the RCMP car, I saw some Khalistanis. Their message was that they had taken note of my presence and wanted me to leave the soil of Manitoba.

I didn't say anything harsh because diplomats should always be polite and calm.

I met the premier and the home minister. I had another engagement with the Shastri Indo Canadian Institute at the university, but the RCMP said I couldn't go there because it was surrounded by Sikh taxi drivers. They said that they would take care of it in 10 minutes.

10 minutes became three hours.

Meanwhile, television and print media started interviewing me. Finally, the RCMP said I could go, but I had to exit through a side door.

Then the RCMP did something that was not exactly right. There were eight of them to give me protection. Four walked in front and four behind. I walked to the car without a ring of protection [because the sides were exposed].

An egg was thrown at me and I was hit with a stick on my head.

IMAGE: Ambassador K P Fabian. Photograph: ANI

Were you hurt?

Just a little on my head. There is a mark. I showed a sign that I was okay and got into the car. The RCMP driver was sitting in front and I was in the back seat.

The Sikh taxi drivers got into their cars and started driving on either side. The RCMP driver said, 'Sir, you should duck if they try to shoot you.'

I was amused. If they really wanted to take care of me, they should have the gunman sitting with me. Or put two gunmen on either side.

The taxi drivers were coming very close to me, so at the red light, I told the driver to cross the light; the taxi drivers, naturally, could not.

That is how we escaped and I went to that lunch function at the university.

Just as the function began, the RCMP asked me stop and leave because the taxi drivers had surrounded the area again. We left and they did not allow me to go back to the hotel and took me to the RCMP headquarters instead.

The Khalistani supporters had met the previous evening and said that I had to leave Manitoba or else there would be bloodshed.

The next day when I got into the plane, the RCMP put me in the front row, all alone, and they went to the back row.

I thought anyone pretending to go to the bathroom could have targeted me. It was easy to recognise me because the newspaper had a photograph of me getting hit on the head the previous day.

The RCMP asked me if I wanted to see the passengers list and advise. I told them I am not an intelligence person, but I would advise you to look whether anyone booked a last minute ticket last night.

Anyway, I reached Ottawa and didn't protest to the Canadian government. In fact, our government summoned the high commissioner in India. We didn't escalate it, and about 10 days later, I got a personal letter of apology from the Canadian prime minister.

I replied most politely as a diplomat should.

Feature Presentation: Ashish Narsale/Rediff.com