Deteriorating India -Canada Relations

 

          Canada has not yet offered any definitive evidence of India complicity in the killing of a Sikh separatist leader, Hardeep Singh Nijjar, in British Columbia in June. Prime minister Justin Trudeau's recent parliamentary statement noted credible "allegations" of a "potential" Indian link to the assassination. But putting aside the veracity of Canada's claims, the downturn in Indo-Canadian relations points to signs of a more assertive Indian foreign policy.

   The Canadian government expelled a Senior Indian Diplomat shortly after Trudeau's comments; India swifty retaliated by issuing a statement that denied any involvement in Nijjar's death and expelled an unnamed Senior Canadian diplomat.

    "Today's allegations have dealt a major blow to the relationship; the damage to the relationship will be easily repaired", says Brahma Chellaney on 19 sept., a former adviser to India's National Security Council, based in New Delhi.

Who was Hardeep Singh Nijjar -

           Nijjar was an outspoken supporter of the creation of a Separate Sikh Homeland known as Khalistan, which would include parts of India's Punjab state. 

     The Khalistan movement is outlawed in India and considered a national security threat by the government. A number of groups associated with the movement are listed as "terrorist organizations" under India's Unlawful Activities(Prevention) Act (UAPA).

     Nijjar's name appears on the Home Ministry's list of UAPA terrorists and in 2020, the Indian National Investigation Agency accused him of "trying to radicalize the Sikh community across the world in favor of the creation of "Khalistan", adding that he had been "trying to incite Sikhs to vote for secession, agitate against the government of India and carry out violent activities." 

     Gurpatwant Singh Pannun told CNN that Nijjar was asked to be careful and avoid giving "big talks" or he would be targeted. CNN has reached out to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. Punnun, who faces multiple charges from the Indian government, runs a New York- based outfit called "Sikhs for Justice", which has held referendums for a separate Khalistan state. The Organization is considered Unlawful in India, where its website is not accessible.

   Canadian police have not arrested anyone in connection with Nijjar's murder. But in an August update, police said they were investigating three suspects and issued a description of a gateway vehicle. 

      Current PM Justin Trudeau has failed to take action against a newwave of Khalistani activism in Canada. This is all about "Vote Bank" Politics. Trudeau heads a minority government which is backed by the New Democratic Party(NDP), headed by Jagmeet Singh, an arch-Khalistani. After the 2019 elections, Singh and Trudeau signed what has been dubbed as the confidence-and-supply agreement. 

     Recently when attacked by the opposition which wanted a probe into China's suspected interference in Canada's elections, Singh's NDP backed Trudeau. Confident of his backing from Trudeau, Singh has gone more aggressively in support of the Khalistani cause. For instance when the heat turned on Khalistani separatist Amritpal Singh in Punjab, Jagmeet knocked on Trudeau's door for support.

     Today the Khalistan movement is not about popular support, it is about geo-politics. Countries like China and Pakistan can well tolerate, subsidize and assist in various ways the Khalistan movement. However, as a new generation of Sikhs grows up in foreign shores with little personal memory of India, the movement is likely to further.

     Canada and India have several common interests, particularly the G-20 summit provides them a sustainable platform. Although in the 18th G-20 summit held in India, Canada didn't have any bilateral relationship or talk with India. The strong, open, deep diplomatic relation between Canada and India is the need of hour in order to expand their cooperation & coordination in all spheres of matters, particularly the India-Pacific issue & free navigation in the South China Sea against China's influence.

— Team Yuva Aaveg

(Praveen Kumar Maurya)

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