India, Nov. 2 -- A township in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) has announced that it lowered flags beginning on Sunday to mark the start of what it called "Sikh Genocide Awareness Week".

"We remember those who lost their lives in the 1984 Sikh Genocide, honour survivors and recognise the lasting impact on Sikh communities," the City of Brampton said in a post on social media.

That alluded to the anti-Sikh riots that took place in Delhi and other parts of India in 1984 after the assassination of then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi by her bodyguards on October 31 that year.

That announcement from Brampton raised the temperature as India's Consulate in Toronto started its annual consular camps to provide life certificates to seniors in their...