“Last week, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau made an unsettling claim that “Indian government agents”[i] were responsible for the assassination of Khalistani terrorist Nijjar. In June 2023, Hardeep Singh Nijjar was shot dead outside a gurudwara in British Columbia, Canada[ii]. Nijjar was wanted under India’s Terrorist Act for his involvement in an array of cases, including a 2007 bombing in a movie theatre[iii] in Punjab and the 2009 murder of a Sikh Indian politician, Rulda Singh[iv]. The Indian Government has rejected the allegation as “absurd”[v], adding that allegations of India’s involvement in any act of violence in Canada are “politically motivated”[vi]. This comes after several demands by the Indian government to turn Nijjar over and the Canadian refusal to do so. It is important to note that Canada-India relations have always been fraught on the issue of Khalistan and Sikh Canadians’ support for the movement. Curiously, Prime Minister Trudeau has yet to release any specific evidence tying India to the killing, which if proven would constitute a violation of “Canadian sovereignty”[vii]. Top US diplomat David Cohen claimed that it was the “shared intelligence among ‘Five Eyes’ partners” that had prompted Justin Trudeau to go public with his big charge against India[viii].
Presently, Canada has amended its travel advisory for its citizens in India, cautioning them to “remain vigilant and exercise caution” considering recent developments[ix]. India issued an equivalent alert for its citizens in Canada and those travelling there to exercise “utmost caution” in view of growing anti-India activities in Canada[x]. Further, the Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister, Mélanie Joly, stated that Canada had expelled a “key Indian diplomat”[xi]. Moreover, the Indian High Commissioner to Canada, Sanjay Kumar Verma, noted protests outside the Indian diplomatic mission in Toronto, Ottawa, and Vancouver[xii]. After the Nijjar killing, Canada cancelled a trade delegation visit to Delhi and put FTA talks on pause[xiii]. India’s decision to suspend visas to Canadians, affecting hundreds of thousands awaiting their visas, and the cancellation of trade talks mean this is the lowest point in the relationship between the two nations in decades, as now even people-to-people ties have been called off.
India and Canada share deep cultural and strategic ties. On the economic front, Canada and India have pervasive partnerships in the fields of fertilisers and pharmaceuticals. Three companies from India signed an MoU with Canada’s Canpotex in September 2022[xiv] and India exported pharmaceutical products[xv] worth about $418 million to Canada in 2022. Moreover, since 2018, India has been the largest source country for international students in Canada[xvi]. Worsening ties could affect the economic interests of thousands of Sikh families in Punjab that rely on remittances from relations in Canada. Moreover, the nations also share strategic interests. [xvii] Prime Minister Trudeau recently introduced an eagerly anticipated Indo-Pacific strategy designed to establish relations with India as a cornerstone of Canadian foreign policy. Yet, many “Five Eyes” partners have voiced concerns about Nijjar’s death but have also kept a conspicuously cautious tone[xviii]. India’s strategic importance as a counterweight to China underscores why most nations, especially the United States, are maintaining a posture of non-involvement[xix], adding another dimension to the deep rift between India and Canada. Current diplomatic tensions, restrictions on visas, deteriorating trade relations, and unfounded allegations could lead to a complete breakdown of India-Canada relations. The diplomatic row has led India-Canada relations to the possible lowest level[xx]. It won’t be easy to return to the old normal anytime soon.
End Notes:
[i]“India Canada row live updates”, The Hindu, September 25 2023, Accessed On: https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/india-canada-row-live-updates-sikh-separatist-hardeep-singh-nijjar-killing/article67343591.ece
[ii] Ibid.
[iii] Manjari Chatterjee Miller, “Canada-India Tensions Over Killing of Sikh Separatist: What To Know”, Council on Foreign Relations, September 25 2023, Accessed On: https://www.cfr.org/in-brief/canada-india-tensions-over-killing-sikh-separatist-what-know
[iv] Ibid.
[v] “India-Canada row: Blinken Calls on Delhi to cooperate in push for ‘accountability’ over killing”, The Guardian, September 23 2023, Accessed On: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/sep/23/india-canada-row-blinken-calls-on-delhi-to-cooperate-in-push-for-accountability-over-killing
[vi] Ibid.
[vii] Suhasini Haidar, “Why have India, Canada tensions worsened?”, The Hindu, September 24 2023, Accessed On: https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/why-have-india-canada-tensions-worsened-explained/article67339026.ece
[viii]“India Canada row live updates”, The Hindu, September 25 2023, Accessed On: https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/india-canada-row-live-updates-sikh-separatist-hardeep-singh-nijjar-killing/article67343591.ece
[ix] Aniruddha Dhar, “Canada updates travel advisory for India as Hardeep Nijjar killing row escalates: ’Remain Vigilant’”, Hindustan Times, September 26 2023, Accessed On: https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/canada-updates-travel-advisory-for-india-as-hardeep-nijjar-killing-row-escalates-remain-vigilant-101695686870968.html
[x] Jillian Kestler-D’Amours, “Unpacking India-Canada Tensions amid Trudeau’s bombshell allegations”, Al Jazeera, September 25 2023, Accessed On: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/9/25/unpacking-india-canada-tensions-amid-trudeaus-bombshell-allegations
[xi] “India-Canada row: Blinken Calls on Delhi to cooperate in push for ‘accountability’ over killing”, The Guardian, September 23 2023, Accessed On: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/sep/23/india-canada-row-blinken-calls-on-delhi-to-cooperate-in-push-for-accountability-over-killing
[xii] “India Canada News Updates: Canadian Sikh protests outside Indian mission of to a muted start”, The Economic Times, September 26 2023, Accessed On: https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/newsblogs/india-canada-news-live-updates-khalistani-terrorist-hardeep-singh-nijjar-killing-row-justin-trudeau-canada-visa-latest-updates/liveblog/103916899.cms
[xiii] Ibid.
[xiv] Manoj Kumar, “India-Canada relations: How could trade be affected as tensions rise?”, Reuters, September 19 2023, Accessed On: India-Canada relations: how could trade be affected as tensions rise? | Reuters
[xv] Ibid.
[xvi] Ibid.
[xvii] Michael Bociurkiw, “Opinion: Trudeau’s fumble on India”, CNN, September 24 2023, Accessed On: https://edition.cnn.com/2023/09/24/opinions/trudeau-modi-india-canada-tensions-sikh-bociurkiw/index.html
[xviii] Kiran Sharma, James Hand-Cukierman, ”India’s Canada spat clouds ties with West as Delhi hosts army chiefs”, Nikkei Asia, September 25 2023, Accessed On:https://asia.nikkei.com/Politics/International-relations/India-s-Canada-spat-clouds-ties-with-West-as-Delhi-hosts-army-chiefs
[xix] Michael Bociurkiw, “Opinion: Trudeau’s fumble on India”, CNN, September 24 2023, Accessed On: https://edition.cnn.com/2023/09/24/opinions/trudeau-modi-india-canada-tensions-sikh-bociurkiw/index.html
[xx] Aths Rajvanshi, “How Canada-India Relations Crumbled”, Time, September 19 2023, Accessed On: How Canada-India Relations Crumbled | Time
Author: Tavishi Sharma, Research Intern, CS3-USI