Late political scientist Benedict Anderson, in his essay Long-Distance Nationalism: World Capitalism And The Rise of Identity Politics, narrated the story of a Canadian-Sikh settled in Toronto. He would unabashedly bankroll the purchase of arms by Khalistani activists. Yet, ironically, one reason he chose to settle down in “quiet Toronto” was to ensure his own teenaged sons were not sucked into the Khalistan movement.

Anderson wrote, “He does not participate substantially in Canadian political life: instead, he lives, through E-mail, the long-distance nationalism.” The political scientist explained that Canada’s “profound indifference to him and to his fellows encourages him to Sikhify himself, and to live out a suburban dream-politics of his own.”