October 22, 2024

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📰 FEATURE STORY

Has Canada crossed a red line with India?

It’s safe to say that relations between India and Canada have plummeted over the past year. Ever since Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau alleged that the Indian government was linked to the assassination of Sikh separatist leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar in British Columbia, the two countries have traded diplomatic blows.

The rhetoric has ramped up recently. Western countries and officials are worried that India is resorting to transnational repression to target its critics abroad. Canada hasn’t let up in its investigation, citing intelligence and evidence. The accusations made are eye-opening. But has Trudeau crossed a line?

Context

Last year in the Canadian Parliament, Trudeau made the bombshell allegation that the Indian government was involved in the assassination of Hardeep Singh Nijjar. He cited “credible allegations” linking agents of the Indian government. Nijjar was murdered in his pickup truck in June 2023 by two masked gunmen outside Guru Nanak Sikh Gurdwara in Surrey, British Columbia. Four men were arrested and later charged for the killing.

Following the killing, Canadian officials confronted their Indian counterparts in private, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Canada has cited intercepted communications between diplomats and collected intelligence from the Five Eyes Alliance (USA, Canada, Britain, Australia, and New Zealand). The matter became public since India allegedly refused to cooperate, and Canadian media outlets were about to report on the allegations.

The intelligence put forward said India actively engages in foreign interference in Canada to influence elections by working with Indian officials leveraging the Indian diaspora. Nijjar’s killing, they said, was part of a larger campaign of violence directed by the Indian government, targeting mostly Sikhs.

But who in the Indian government? According to Canadian officials, the intelligence-gathering operations and attacks on Sikh separatists were green-lit by India’s Home Minister Amit Shah.

India, for its part, has outright refuted all the allegations. The official response is that the claims are politically motivated and absurd. The Modi government has repeatedly said Canada protects Sikh extremists for political gain. Canada is home to the largest Sikh population outside India. They’re a notable vote bank in the hotly contested suburbs outside Toronto and Vancouver.

Since the allegations were made public, both countries have dismissed the others’ diplomats. Most recently, India withdrew its high commissioner Sanjay Kumar Verma and other diplomats from Ottawa. The last straw was Canada naming Verma as among the ‘persons of interest’ in the criminal investigation over Nijjar’s killing.

Other countries, including the US, Britain, and Australia, have followed along. They want India to cooperate with Canada’s investigations. In 2022, Canada deemed India a “critical partner” in its Indo-Pacific strategy. With the current row, trade missions are on pause. There’s a real risk of diplomatic spillover.

Canada’s allegations are serious. They’ve described tactics usually deployed by countries like China and Iran. Have they bungled this and crossed a line?

VIEW: A line has been crossed

This wasn’t a fight that India picked. It was all Canada’s doing. According to the government’s allies, the allegations made by the Canadian government under Trudeau reeks of arrogance that Western nations have about the truth. It’s easy to see why relations between the two countries are at an all-time low. India has asked a simple question that Canada hasn’t answered yet – where’s the credible evidence?

Trudeau has to take the blame. He overstepped diplomatic boundaries and commented on the farmers’ protests – an internal matter. In another break of tradition and protocol, the Canadian government made the allegations public. Trudeau has relied on sound bites and verbal accusations that haven’t helped the situation. The fact India had to withdraw some of its high-ranking diplomats for fear of their safety speaks to the severity of the situation.

Trudeau’s government has been accused of being close to Khalistani separatists. His 2018 visit to India was marred by scandal when convicted Khalistani terrorist Jaspal Atwal was invited to a reception that was to be hosted by the Canadian High Commission. It wasn’t an isolated incident. Trudeau’s government has been lenient towards extremist elements and courting Khalistani votes.

Canada’s decision to court the public’s help and ask the Sikh community to speak out is unprecedented. It risks deepening divisions within the South Asian diaspora. Canada is playing a dangerous game where politics, international diplomacy, and local communities are intertwined. Rather than working to calm things down, it has done the opposite.

COUNTERVIEW: Legitimate questions being asked

While Canada’s decision to make the allegations public and have its officials give anonymous quotes to the media isn’t ideal, some have seen India’s response as unusual. The mainstream Indian media has painted Trudeau as the villain and amplified the Indian government establishment’s response. There was scarce mention of Amit Shah in their reporting, at least initially.

Canada has named the infamous Lawrence Bishnoi gang as part of their investigations. Any links between them and the Indian government should be taken seriously. The gang is accused of murders in Canada and Punjab. Most recently, the murder of Nationalist Congress leader Baba Siddique in Mumbai is also linked to the gang.

This isn’t the first time India has been at the centre of attention for foreign intimidation of critics. The Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) has been accused of surveillance and harassment of critics of the Modi government in the Indian diaspora. This includes a foiled assassination attempt against Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, an associate of Nijjar, on U.S. soil last year. Indian national Nikhil Gupta was charged by the US Justice Department for the failed plot.

Even in this investigation, US officials were unhappy with India’s investigation of the attempted assassination. They charged former Indian spy Vikash Yadav, whose whereabouts are unknown. Western officials have legitimate concerns about India’s intentions with foreign critics of its government. The row with Canada has escalated since India has been less than forthcoming about its role when officials have evidence. It’s not a good look.

Reference Links:

• The growing conflict between Canada and India, explained – The Washington Post
• Allegations suggest India is now part of the assassination club – The Guardian
• India-Canada faceoff | Touching a new nadir – India Today
• India-Canada relations fall prey to Trudeau’s quest for self-interest – The Sunday Guardian
• India Should Designate Canada as a State Sponsor of Terror – AEI
• India has a Trudeau problem, not a Canada one – The Print
• India-Canada Ties | Fallout of a transborder assassination – Deccan Herald

What is your opinion on this?
(Only subscribers can participate in polls)

a) Canada has crossed a red line with India.
b) Canada hasn’t crossed a red line with India.

Previous poll’s results:

• The Swachh Bharat Mission has been successful over the past decade: 43.8%
• The Swachh Bharat Mission hasn’t been successful over the past decade: 56.2% 🏆

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