On the floor of parliament, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has accused India of violating Canada’s sovereignty. “Canadian security agencies have been actively pursuing credible allegations of a potential link between agents of the government of India and the killing of a Canadian citizen, Hardeep Singh Nijjar,” he said. Nijjar, who was shot dead by two unknown assailants near Vancouver on June 18, was wanted by Indian security agencies. He was active in the Khalistan Tiger Force, an organisation proscribed under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act for aiming to “revive terrorism in Punjab”. Ottawa has also reportedly expelled a diplomat serving for India in Canada. New Delhi has denied these allegations and described them as “unsubstantiated” and “absurd”. It has also pointed to the safe haven in Canada for separatist groups and individuals from India. The shadow of Khalistan, which has long cast a pall over the bilateral relationship, now looms larger.
PM Trudeau appears to be engaging in toxic domestic politics by playing to the extremist fringe of the Sikh diaspora. Trudeau and other members of his cabinet have rushed in to comment on protests in India, including on those against the three repealed farm laws. The current Canadian government has repeatedly ignored New Delhi’s concerns about the rise of anti-India extremist groups in Canada. Earlier this year, pro-Khalistan groups put out posters threatening Indian diplomats and a float celebrating the assassination of Indira Gandhi was part of a public event. The 2018 ‘Public Report on the Terrorist Threat to Canada’ listed Sikh extremism and violence as a matter of concern but under pressure from Sikh leaders and ministers, a revised report was published in 2019. Now, when his popularity appears to be ebbing, Trudeau seems to be painting India as a foe to reverse that trend.
Canada remains a lone exception to India’s growing ties with the Anglosphere — Australia, New Zealand, the UK and the US. Delhi and Ottawa, as two of the world’s leading economies, members of the Commonwealth and with deep people-to-people ties, must not let the posturing and pandering to a small fringe poison their partnership. This is in Canada’s interest as much, if not more, as India’s. The first step towards detente is to pause the current escalation and get the National Security Advisors from both sides to have a frank conversation. Both countries must begin the effort to resolve the issues at hand.
