Has India-Canada relations Crumbled? Will Trudeau apologize to India?

Should India worry about the fact that Canada is approaching towards other countries with a report card and trying to bring India into question?

Is there any reason to worry for India’s 1.5 million diaspora in Canada? Let’s try to solve this dilemma that has been created in the last few days.

On 9^th September, the leaders had gathered in Delhi for the G20 Summit. The U.S President, UK Prime Minister, UAE President, and other leaders had attended the summit.

Even Canada’s PM Justin Trudeau had flown in for the summit and had bilateral talks with PM Modi. Considering the fact that there are many Indians living in Canada, PM Modi said that many Sikhs over there are taking part in the Khalistan protests demanding the separation of Punjab from the state of India. PM Modi condemned this act and asked Canada to manage the situation.

After the talks, Justin Trudeau said at the press conference in Delhi, “There are many Sikhs in British Columbia and across Canada. Canada will always defend their freedom of expression, freedom of conscience and peaceful protest.” After this, the India-Canada relations has become distinctly sour.

In British Columbia, Hardeep Singh Nijjar, 45, was a separatist leader and Khalistani activist. The Canadian Sikh diaspora hailed Nijjar as a strong leader. Hardeep Singh Nijjar was gunned down on 18^th June in British Columbia. This was a huge shock! He was the third Khalistani activist to be allegedly killed within 45 days.

Canadian PM Justin Trudeau alleged the Indian government’s role in the killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar – “There is a possible link between the killing of Nijjar and the Indian government.” What is that link? What are its details? This was not told by the Canadian PM. Previously, the Indian government designated Nijjar a terrorist. It had also announced a Rs. 10 lakh reward for his arrest. Canadians were furious on this action by the Indian government.

Has India-Canada relations Crumbled? Will Trudeau apologize to India? — Canadian PM Justin Trudeau & PM of India Narendra Modi

Even the foreign ministers of Canada said, “If these allegations [by the Canadian PM] are proven true, this would be a great violation of our sovereignty and of the most basic rule how countries deal with each other.” Obviously, I too agree that if an attack is made on your country, your citizens and a foreign government attacks your people, then you should be angry. But where is the evidence? What are the facts?

Trudeau also said that Pavan Kumar Rai was a senior Indian diplomat and was head of the Research & Analysis Wing in Canada (R&AW). The Canadian PM alleged that Rai is involved in Nijjar’s murder, and has been expelled from his post, and has promised to strictly investigate the matter. The Ministry of External Affairs has condemned the action calling it ‘absurd’ and ‘motivated’.

When the statement of allegation by the Canadian PM was passed in Parliament, the Indian government responded in a very aggressive manner – “Such unsubstantiated allegations seek to shift the focus from Khalistani terrorists and extremists, who have been provided shelter in Canada and continue to threaten India’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.

The inaction of the Canadian Government on this matter has been a long-standing and continuing concern.” And in anger, India also removed a Canadian diplomat from the country.

On 19^th September 2023, the Ministry of External Affairs summoned the High Commissioner of Canada. It informed about the decision to expel the Canadian diplomat based in India. The diplomat has been asked to leave Indian within five days. Since Pavan Kumar Rai was expelled, this was India’s tit for tat move. Sources say that the person could be Olivier Sylvestere.

India reacted strongly to these allegations, saying Canada was trying to “shift the focus from Khalistani terrorists and extremists” who had been given shelter there.

Further, on 20^th Sept, Wednesday, after Nijjar, now another pro-Khalistani activist Sukhdool Singh alias Sukha Duneke has been killed in inter-gang rivalry in Canada, intelligence input suggests. Allegedly Duneke bumped off by an unidentified gunman in Canada on Wednesday, where he was reported to be killed. Reports suggest Duneke was shot dead by his rivals in Winnipeg area. An official confirmation from the local law enforcement is awaited on the murder.

Duneke, who belonged to the Dabinder Bambiha gang from Moga district in Punjab, was a close associate of designated Canada-based terrorist Arshdeep Singh alias Arsh Dala of the Khalistan Tiger Force. The duo had been trying to resurrect the outfit after the killing of terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar by rivals in June this year. According to information, Sukha Duneke fled to Canada from India. He forged documents in India in 2017. Duneke had seven criminal cases registered against him.

Besides, India, on Wednesday, issued a travel advisory urged its nationals in Canada, especially students, to exercise “utmost caution” as India-Canada ties deteriorate. “In view of growing anti-India activities and politically condoned hate crimes and criminal violence in Canada, all Indian national there, and those contemplating travel, are urged to exercise utmost caution,” India’s foreign ministry said.

Just hours after India’s travel advisory, Canada’s public safety minister Dominic LeBlanc told reporter that Canada is a safe country.

Also, India has stopped issuing Visas to Canadian citizens, said the temporary move was due to “security threats” disrupting work at its missions in Canada. Canada’s visa services remain open in India.

“There have been threats made to our high commission [embassy] and consulates in Canada. This has disrupted their normal functioning. Accordingly, [they] are temporarily unable to process visa applications,” a foreign affairs ministry spokesperson in Delhi said.

But, who has the more valid reason for anger – India or Canada? The Indian government is highlighting one more thing by making this an opportunity, which Canada has not solved for a long time, has not addressed, and that is the growing separatist tendencies in Canada. The Indian government has often reacted sharply to demands by separatists in Western countries for Khalistan, or a separate Sikh homeland.

The Khalistan movement peaked in India in the 1980s with a violent insurgency centred in Sikh-majority Punjab state. It was quelled by force and has little resonance in India now, but it is still popular among some in the Sikh diaspora in countries such Canada, Australia and the UK.

Recently, a tableau celebrating Indira Gandhi’s killings, celebrating her assassination by Sikh terrorists was released, and if Canadian government does not act upon this, then of course Indian government won’t be pleased by it, as it is the matter of a country’s integrity, and you can’t celebrate terrorism in such a manner.

The Indian government is of the opinion that Canada has given shelter to terror on its land, and when someone is killed on that land, you are blaming us? Basically, it is words being exchanged at the moment between both the countries.

Now, will Justin Trudeau have to sing I am sorry like Justin Beiber? Seems like it, because there is politics in it. But while playing domestic politics, he is now also getting involved in international politics.

First of all, amidst the standoff with India, the leader of opposition in Canada, Pierre Poilievre took a jibe at Trudeau – “The prime minster hasn’t provided any facts. He provided a statement. And I will just emphasize that he didn’t tell me any more in private than he told Canadians in public. So we want to see more information.” So, the opposition is asking for evidence in Canada.

Besides, Canada’s closest allies, the so-called Five Eyes, including New Zealand, Australia, UK, the US – Justin Trudeau sought the support of the allies, to generate reaction, persuade allies to condemn India. However, no one has come forward in support of Canada. However, if it worked, if the Five Eyes had agreed, then India would have had reasons to worry, since it would have been an international condemnation – but it didn’t happen.

In an article published in the Washington Post, it is explained in great detail how the Biden administration clearly stated that they cannot antagonize India now, and that Canada doesn’t have strong evidence to support the allegations.

On the other hand, Australia has said that this report is “concerning”. Australia has said that the allegations are concerning and that they have raised it with their Indian counterpart. But Canada has not received any international support more than this from any country yet. If they do, then India needs to worry.

However, in the last few hours, there has been a slight climb down. Justin Trudeau told the media, “We don’t have any agenda to provoke India. We don’t have any agenda to anger anyone or escalate the situation. We want to find the truth and the Indian government to support us.” So, if the Canadian PM wants to find the truth, then he must bring forth more solid evidence, in front of the world, in front of us, then we can talk further.

But as of now, the situation is clear that the allegations that were made in the last two-three days and the protests that had erupted in the few hours, Canada’s side seems weak and Trudeau may also apologise for the same.

Who is Hardeep Singh Nijjar, the person because of whom Justin Trudeau agreed to endanger Canadian relationships with India?

In 1997, Nijjar fled to Canada on a fake passport in the name of Ravi Sharma. He, aftering entering Canada immediately sought asylum saying he was tortured by Punjab police. Asylum was rejected, then he married the one who sponsored his immigration – but his application was rejected again.

Yet somehow, in a very secretive manner, he became a citizen of Canada. Rejected multiple times, but still, he finally managed to become a Canadian citizen – by whose pull we don’t know. But he was on radar of Canadian authorities.

In 2007 Shringar movie theatre bomb blast, Nijjar’s name came up. Indian agencies revealed his name to Canada, investigation went on.

In 2021, NIA reached Ottawa and case is filed against him, as a Hindu priest was killed in Jalandhar. But, Nijjar was out of reach in Canada, no prosecution took place.

Ripudaman Singh Malik, who was accused in Kanishka mid-air bombing, was acquitted because of lack of evidence. He was accused in the history’s deadliest bombing in Canada. Malik was shot dead in Canada on July 14. And, interestingly, Nijjar was found to be involved in his murder.

So, are these people killing each other or supporting each other? Is there gang war going on? Was Nijjar killed by someone in their circle, by any other gang? Is it possible that he was killed due to internal conflict? It is not impossible.

Conclusion

Before Canada comes and says that India has killed, the Indian government is responsible for the murder of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, we must understand, if we swear by the history, it is very difficult to prove any act of killing in a foreign soil – see how Mossad operates and has been operating for decades, and how difficult it has been to prove their involvement in terrorism.

So, Canada must provide solid evidence. If you are making such serious allegations, then you will have to bring conclusive evidence to the table. Merely alleging ‘possible linkage’ and then expelling the Indian diplomat, somewhere or the other, will backfire on you internationally, question the Canadian government’s credibility, and tarnish the country’s image even more.

Images from different sources [ Headline Image: Hardeep Singh Nijjar]

Kakali Das is the Assistant Editor of Mahabahu and Editor of the MAHABAHU Fortnightly ( English)

Mahabahu.com is an Online Magazine with collection of premium Assamese and English articles and posts with cultural base and modern thinking. You can send your articles to editor@mahabahu.com / editor@mahabahoo.com (For Assamese article, Unicode font is necessary)