Ties between India and Canada ebbed to a new low ever since 18 September, when Canadian PM Justin Trudeau accused the Indian government of being involved in pro-Khalistan leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar’s assassination on Canadian soil.
As the two countries continue to remain embroiled in a diplomatic skirmish, let’s take a look at how tensions unfolded between the two countries by tracing the events’ timeline.
How it Began: The Killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar
The chief of Khalistan Tiger Force (KTF), 45-year-old Nijjar, was gunned down by two unidentified assailants in the parking lot of the Guru Nanak Sikh Gurdwara in Surrey, Vancouver, on 18 June — exactly three months before Trudeau went public with his accusations.
Nijjar was the head of the Surrey Gurdwara managing committee and presented himself as a vocal supporter of Khalistan, a separate homeland for Sikhs.
From @WSJopinion: Trudeau accused the Indian government of killing a Canadian citizen on Canadian soil. The only way for India to save face is for Canada to lose some, writes @tunkuv. https://t.co/QqjohhdUTh
— The Wall Street Journal (@WSJ) September 22, 2023
Declared a terrorist by the Indian Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) under its Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) in July 2020, Nijjar was also associated with banned pro-Khalistan group “Sikhs for Justice” (SFJ).
Nijjar, who became a Canadian citizen in 2007, had a Red Notice issued against him in 2016.
In four cases, he was wanted by the Indian National Investigation Agency (NIA) and accused of creating disharmony among India’s communities by the MHA.
Trudeau Alleges Indian Involvement
On 18 September, the Canadian PM addressed the House of Commons in Ottawa on the killing of Nijjar and made a serious allegation against India.
He said, “Over the past number of weeks, Canadian security agencies have been actively pursuing credible allegations of a potential link between agents of the government of India and the killing of a Canadian citizen, Hardeep Singh Nijjar.”
The following day, Trudeau doubled down on the allegations and said that Canada did not intend to provoke India but wanted the Indian government to take the matter with utmost seriousness.
Additionally, he suggested that the incident, if true, had “far-reaching consequences in international law and otherwise.”
Canada Expels Indian Diplomat
Following this, Canadian Foreign Minister Melanie Joly supported Trudeau’s explosive remarks about the killing on Canadian soil.
Resounding the stark allegations in a similar vein, Joly announced that, as a consequence, Canada had expelled a top Indian diplomat from the country.
The diplomat, Pavan Kumar Rai, was described as the head of India’s Research & Analysis Wing (RAW) in the country.
India Responds, Calls Allegations “Absurd” and “Motivated”
As news of the accusations came to the fore, the Indian government was quick to retort.
Rejecting Trudeau’s remarks, India said allegations of the Indian government’s involvement in any act of violence in Canada were “absurd and motivated.”
“Such unsubstantiated allegations seek to shift focus from Khalistani terrorists and extremists, who have been provided shelter in Canada,” the Indian Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) added in its statement.
Accusing the Canadian government of inaction in the matter, India said that the sheltering of such elements threatens the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the country.
India Asks Canadian Diplomat to Leave
Acting swiftly, India summoned the Canadian High Commissioner to India, Cameron Mackay and announced the expulsion of a senior diplomat based in India.
Giving the diplomat, Olivier Sylvestre, five days to leave India, the government called him a Canadian intelligence operative functioning from the Canadian High Commission in Delhi.
The MEA remarked, “The decision reflects the Government of India’s growing concern at the interference of Canadian diplomats in our internal matters and their involvement in anti-India activities.”
Additionally, India said there would be a reduction in Canada’s diplomatic presence in India as New Delhi sought “parity in rank and diplomatic strength in the diplomatic missions of the two countries” owing to interference in India’s internal affairs.
Advisory Issued for Indian Nationals in Canada
As tensions heightened with risks to New Delhi’s reputation, India issued an advisory for Indian nationals and students in Canada on Wednesday.
The MEA warned Indian nationals in Canada to exercise caution while travelling “in view of growing anti-India activities and politically-condoned hate crimes and criminal violence in Canada.”
Asserting that threats have recently particularly targeted Indian diplomats and sections of the Indian community who oppose the anti-India agenda, India warned its students in the country of the deteriorating security environment in Canada.
A similar advisory was issued by the MEA earlier in September 2022.
India Suspends Visas to Canadians
Amid the furore, India also suspended the issuance of all categories of visas to Canadians.
BLS International, which runs visa application centres in Canada, posted, “Important notice from the Indian Mission: Due to operational reasons, with effect from 21 September 2023 [Thursday], Indian visa services have been suspended till further notice.”
Big Breaking: Indian Visa services in Canada suspended till further notice , says BLS India Visa Application Centre quoting "Indian mission notice". BLS provides Indian visa services in Canada. pic.twitter.com/XDmJcDvvgz
— Sidhant Sibal (@sidhant) September 21, 2023
In a media briefing, which saw a plethora of questions concerning the issue, the MEA informed that the Indian High Commission and Consulates could not provide visa applications temporarily owing to “security threats” that have disrupted their normal operations.
Saying that Canadian citizens in third countries will also be subject to temporary visa suspensions, India blamed the non-issuance of visas on incitement of violence and the inaction by the Canadian authorities.
However, the move has raised concerns regarding the status of visas for several Indian nationals who apply for Canadian visas in significantly larger numbers.
Souring of Ties
As the relations between the two nations seem to deteriorate, it must be understood that the present strained situation did not materialise overnight.
Notably, the accusations of Nijjar’s killing were also brought up by Trudeau during his meeting with the Indian PM Narendra Modi on the sidelines of the G20 Summit.
At the Summit, Modi, in turn, highlighted concerns about “anti-India” activities of extremist elements in Canada, accusing them of “promoting secessionism and inciting violence against Indian diplomats.”
Days after the meeting, Canadian Trade Minister Mary Ng postponed an upcoming trade mission to India without citing a reason.
In June, India criticised a float seeking to glorify the assassination of former Indian PM Indira Gandhi by her Sikh bodyguards in 1984.
Further, following calls for protests in the wake of Nijjar’s death earlier, Canada saw multiple posters inciting violence against Indian diplomats in Canada, accusing them of being involved in the killing.
India has repeatedly lodged complaints with Canada against such activities, including several calls for referendums by pro-Khalistan parties calling for a separate Sikh homeland.
In March, Khalistani supporters protested outside the Indian Embassy in Canada. They raised anti-India slogans, breaching the security of India’s diplomatic mission in the country, a move that India vehemently condemned.
A desired destination for several Indian students, Canada has the highest population of Sikhs outside their home state of Punjab in India.
The two countries have had friction over the Khalistan movement, banned in India but garnering support in countries like Canada and the UK, which have a considerable Sikh diaspora. India has expressed repeated frustration with Canada’s lackadaisical approach on the issue.
The support extended by the Jagmeet Singh-led New Democratic Party (NDP) to Trudeau’s government, with his Liberal Party in the minority, adds another dimension to the issue.
This leads many to believe that Canada’s response to the Khalistan problem may be driven by “vote bank compulsions.”
Meanwhile, hasty public allegations on such a large scale, without evidence being provided thus far, have raised several questions, with the US, Australia and the UK expressing concern on the matter as well.