{"id":82769,"date":"2023-10-06T15:00:13","date_gmt":"2023-10-06T04:00:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/?p=82769"},"modified":"2023-11-13T11:19:13","modified_gmt":"2023-11-13T00:19:13","slug":"the-roots-of-the-india-canada-stoush","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/the-roots-of-the-india-canada-stoush\/","title":{"rendered":"The roots of the India\u2013Canada stoush"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/figure>\n

Rarely have two major democracies descended into as ugly a diplomatic spat as the one now unfolding between Canada and India. With the traditionally friendly relationship already at its lowest point ever<\/a>, both sides are now engaging in quiet diplomacy to arrest the downward spiral, using the United States, a Canadian ally and Indian partner, as the intermediary. But even if the current diplomatic ruckus eases, Canada\u2019s tolerance of Sikh separatist activity on its territory will continue to bedevil<\/a> bilateral ties.<\/p>\n

The latest dispute began when Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau sensationally claimed<\/a> that there were \u2018credible allegations\u2019 about a \u2018potential link\u2019 between India\u2019s government and the fatal shooting in June of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a Sikh separatist and Canadian citizen, on Canadian soil. India\u2019s government fired back by demanding that Canada reduce its diplomatic staff in India, suspending<\/a> new visas for Canadians, and accusing Canada of making<\/a> \u2018absurd\u2019 accusations to divert attention<\/a> from its status as \u2018a safe haven for terrorists\u2019.<\/p>\n

Nijjar was hardly the only Sikh separatist living in Canada. In fact, the country has emerged as the global hub<\/a> of the militant movement for \u2018Khalistan\u2019, or an independent Sikh homeland. The separatists constitute a small minority of the Sikh diaspora, concentrated in the Anglosphere, especially Canada. Sikhs living in India\u2014who overwhelmingly report<\/a> that they are proud to be Indian\u2014do not support the separatist cause.<\/p>\n

With British Columbia as their operational base, the separatists are waging a strident campaign glorifying political violence. For example, they have erected billboards<\/a> advocating the killing of Indian diplomats (with photos), honoured jailed or killed terrorists as \u2018martyrs\u2019, built a parade float<\/a> on which the assassination of Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi was re-enacted, and staged attacks<\/a> on Indian diplomatic missions in Canada. They have also held referendums<\/a> on independence for Khalistan in Canada.<\/p>\n

But, much to India\u2019s frustration, Canada has been reluctant to take strong action to rein in Sikh separatism. Trudeau\u2019s first official visit to India in 2018 turned into a disaster after it was revealed that a convicted<\/a> Sikh terrorist who had spent years in a Canadian prison following the attempted assassination of a visiting Indian state cabinet minister had made it onto the Canadian guest list. At last month\u2019s G20 summit in New Delhi, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi gave Trudeau a dressing-down<\/a> for being soft on violent extremists.<\/p>\n

It was against this tense backdrop that Trudeau made his allegations about Nijjar\u2019s murder. When countries have linked foreign agents to a domestic death\u2014for example, in 2010, when the Dubai police chief accused Mossad, Israel\u2019s intelligence service, of killing a Hamas commander in a local luxury hotel\u2014they have typically presented video, audio or forensic evidence. And they have mostly avoided<\/a> blaming the government that the foreign agents represent.<\/p>\n

Trudeau, by contrast, cast blame directly on the Indian government without presenting a scintilla of evidence. He says the allegations are based on credible intelligence, apparently from a Five Eyes partner country<\/a> (Australia, New Zealand, the UK or the US), but refuses to declassify<\/a> the information or share<\/a> it with Indian authorities.<\/p>\n

Trudeau apparently hasn\u2019t provided<\/a> \u2018any facts\u2019 even to Canadian opposition leader Pierre Poilievre, a member of the Privy Council<\/a>. And, according to the premier of British Columbia, the province where the killing occurred, the intelligence briefing he received on the matter included<\/a> only information \u2018available to the public doing an internet search\u2019.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, Canadian investigators haven\u2019t made a single arrest in the case. This has left many wondering to what extent Canada\u2019s powerful but unaccountable intelligence establishment controls the country\u2019s foreign policy<\/a>.<\/p>\n

In any case, there\u2019s no doubt that Sikh radicals wield real political influence in Canada, including as funders. Trudeau keeps his minority government afloat with the help of Jagmeet Singh, the New Democratic Party\u2019s Sikh leader and a Khalistan sympathiser<\/a>. According to a former foreign policy adviser to Trudeau\u2019s government, action was not taken to choke off financing<\/a> for the Khalistani militants because \u2018Trudeau did not want to lose the Sikh vote\u2019 to Singh.<\/p>\n

Canada must wake up to the threat posed by its Sikh militants. Rising drug-trade profitability<\/a> and easy gun availability in British Columbia have contributed to internecine infighting<\/a> among Khalistan radicals in the province. The volatile combination of Sikh militancy, the drug trade and gangland killings has serious implications for Canadian security, but it is not only Canadians who are in danger.<\/p>\n

Under the premiership of Trudeau\u2019s father, Pierre Trudeau, Canada\u2019s reluctance to rein in or extradite Sikh extremists wanted in India for terrorism led to the 1985 twin bombings targeting Air India flights. One attack<\/a> killed all 329 passengers, most of whom were of Indian origin, on a flight from Toronto; the other misfired, killing two baggage handlers at Tokyo\u2019s Narita Airport. With Khalistani militants continuing to idolise Talwinder Singh Parmar\u2014the terrorist that two<\/a> separate<\/a> Canadian inquiries identified as the mastermind<\/a> behind the bombings\u2014history is in danger of repeating itself.<\/p>\n

By reopening old wounds, not least those created by the Air India attacks, Trudeau\u2019s accusations have created a rare national consensus<\/a> in fractious and highly polarised India. Many are calling for New Delhi to put sustained pressure on Ottawa to start cleaning up its act. But more bitterness and recriminations won\u2019t restore the bilateral relationship. For that, both sides must use effective, cooperative diplomacy to address each other\u2019s concerns.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Rarely have two major democracies descended into as ugly a diplomatic spat as the one now unfolding between Canada and India. With the traditionally friendly relationship already at its lowest point ever, both sides are …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":482,"featured_media":82771,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mi_skip_tracking":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[272,294,69,1810,127],"class_list":["post-82769","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-general","tag-canada","tag-diplomacy","tag-india","tag-justin-trudeau","tag-terrorism"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nThe roots of the India\u2013Canada stoush | The Strategist<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/the-roots-of-the-india-canada-stoush\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"The roots of the India\u2013Canada stoush | The Strategist\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Rarely have two major democracies descended into as ugly a diplomatic spat as the one now unfolding between Canada and India. 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