The relationship between India and Canada has been deteriorating for the past few years. Now the tension between the two countries has reached a peak. Khalistani supporters are given asylum in Canada, which is the main reason behind the deterioration of relations between the two countries. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau visited India for the recently concluded G20 summit. After reaching Canada, he has changed his role and has started lashing out against India. Justin Trudeau has made a big statement regarding the killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, the main terrorist of the terrorist organization Khalistani Tiger Force. Justin Trudeau said that,
the Indian government and Khalistani terrorist Nijjar’s connection is being investigated by the country’s security agencies. Addressing the House of Commons in Ottawa, Justin Trudeau said that Canada’s security agencies are rapidly investigating whether there is a connection between India and Nijjar’s murder case.
The Indian government says that Canada has failed to curb Khalistani operations from its soil. Not only this, but has also openly supported them. After the allegations made by Trudeau, Khalistan supporters have started plotting in different states of Canada and this has created a great threat to Indian citizens living there as well as diplomats and Indian embassies.
Following Prime Minister Trudeau’s statement, Khalistani supporters held a meeting at a Gurdwara in British Columbia on Monday and began preparing for a major conspiracy against India.According to information received, Sardar Moninder Singh, Spokesperson of Guru Nanak Sikh Gurdwara Council of Surrey, British Columbia led the meeting. At this time, Moninder Singh and some other Khalistani and militants have jointly prepared to hold a massive protest in front of all Canadian High Commissions and Consulates along with Indian supporters in Canada, diplomats here and their families on September 25. According to sources, it is also known that the entire protest is being carried forward by many former MPs of Canada, leaders as well as some militants and supporters of Khalistan.
A similar controversy arose 3 years ago over Justin Trudeau’s support to the Indian farmers’ movement. At this time Justin Trudeau had said that,
if there is a peaceful protest anywhere in the world, Canada will always stand with them for their rights. we will always be optimistic about the steps taken and dialogues towards a solution in these cases.
The Indian Ministry of External Affairs summoned the High Commissioner of Canada in Delhi and informed them about the interference of other countries in India’s internal affairs. India expressed displeasure over the statements of Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and other leaders on the issue of farmers’ agitation. India gave a strong response that ‘interference in India’s internal affairs is not tolerable’. However, Justin Trudeau stood by his opinion.
Action And Reaction between two nations :
A senior Indian ambassador was suspended hours after Trudeau’s claim. In response, India also ordered the Canadian diplomat to leave the country within five days. A Canadian diplomat has been accused of meddling in India’s internal politics. The diplomat is accused of being involved in anti-India activities. The High Commissioner of Canada has been informed of this decision. If the relationship between one country deteriorates, the other country also does the same by expelling the ambassador.
Who is Hardeep Singh Nijjar?
Hardeep was a wanted terrorist in India. Nijr, who is wanted in India, was shot dead in a parking lot in June this year in Surrey, British Columbia, Canada on June 18. He was born in Harsingpur village in Jalandhar, Punjab state. After that he migrated to Canada in 1995. He had acquired Canadian citizenship. Nijjar was the president of Guru Nanak Sikh Gurdwara in Surrey. Over the years he came in contact with banned separatist organizations. After that he came into the limelight due to violence, vandalism activities. Nijjar, based in Canada, was accused of involvement in terrorist activities in India. Nijjar was involved in several high-profile crimes, including the 2007 Shingar cinema blast in Ludhiana and the 2009 assassination of National Sikh Union president Rulda Singh in Patiala. So he was on the radar of the security agencies. The NIA had also filed a charge sheet against him for conspiring against India and carrying out terrorist activities. In 2022, India’s National Investigation Agency had put a reward of 1 million names on his name.
What is Khalistan movement?
Khalistan supporters are demanding a separate country called Khalistan. Sikh immigrants settled in Canada, Britain, America and Australia are running this campaign with foreign help. They intend to divide India. Khalistan is to be created by merging the state of Punjab and the neighboring states of Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand. It also includes Punjab in Pakistan. Khalistan musicians intend to make Lahore the capital of Khalistan. The term Khalistan is said to have been used for the first time in 1940. In 1955, the Sikh-dominated political party Akali Dal launched a movement for the reorganization of the state on the basis of language. The Akali Dal demanded the division of the state into Punjabi and non-Punjabi speaking areas. When this demand started increasing. Then in 1966, Indira Gandhi divided Punjab into three parts and made Punjab, Haryana State and Chandigarh Union Territory. The Akali Dal also demanded the central government to give autonomy to the Punjab government with all powers except defence, foreign affairs, communication and currency, which was rejected by Indiraji. In the 1980, the Khalistan movement gained momentum once again. It was headed by Jarnelsingh Bhindranwala, the head of the Damdami mint at that time. Under the leadership of Bhindranwale, Khalistan supporters collected weapons and took refuge in the Golden Temple. To flush out these militants, the Central Government launched Operation Blue Star on 1 June 1984. 83 army personnel and 492 civilians died in this. Bhindranwala was killed in this action and the Golden Temple was liberated from the militants. The incident shocked the Sikh community worldwide. Indira Gandhi was considered anti-Sikh due to Operation Blue Star. So Indira Gandhi’s bodyguards killed him.
The Khalistan movement was suppressed after Operation Blue Star in 1984 and before that Operation Black Thunder (1968 and 1988). Currently, the Khalistan movement in India is almost over. Its influence is nil in the urban or local population of Punjab. But more logistical and ideological support is being given to this movement by Sikhs living in Canada, Britain or America. Currently, the Khalistan movement in India is almost over. Its influence is nil in the urban or local population of Punjab. But more logistical and ideological support is being given to this movement by Sikhs living in Canada, Britain or America.
When did India-Canada relations get strained?
India conducted the Pokhran nuclear test in Rajasthan in May 1974. This angered the Canadian government. India was given reactors for nuclear power to establish peace. But India used Canada’s reactors for Pokhran nuclear. At that time Pierre Trudeau was the Prime Minister of Canada and he was upset with India. After that, relations with India and Canada began to deteriorate. At the same time, Khalistan movement started growing in India. Many Sikhs had taken refuge in Canada saying that they were being politically exploited. It also included Talwinder Singh Parmar, the Khalistani terrorist who blew up the Air India flight. Meanwhile, Indira Gandhi’s government demanded that Parmar be extradited to India. But Pierre Tudo refused. Since then, there has been a rift between India and Canada. NADA had stopped trade with India by the Justin Trudeau government without giving reasons. After that, because the Trudeau government was not doing anything about the growing Khalistani organization in Canada, India had spoken harshly to the government there.
Potential impact on Canada-India trade relationship :
Although relations are poor, trade between the two countries is good. The tension that has arisen at the diplomatic level will now have an impact on trade. Import-export is equal between India and Canada. In the financial year 2022-23, India exported only 4.10 billion dollars of goods to Canada. Canada exported only $4.05 billion worth of goods to India in 2022-23. Since the trade process between India and Canada is easy, India has also invested heavily. Canada’s pension fund has invested $55 billion in India. Canada has invested $4.07 billion in direct investment in India since 2000. There are currently 600 Canadian companies operating in India. 1000 companies are lining up to enter India. Indian IT companies have a large presence in Canada. Apart from that, Indian companies are active in software, natural resources and banking sectors.
Canada mainly buys jewellery, precious stones, pharma products, ready-made garments, organic chemicals, light engineering goods and iron and steel products from India. At the same time, Canada sells pulses, newsprint, wood pulp, asbestos, potash, iron scrap, minerals and industrial chemicals to India.