Ties between India and Canada, following Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s accusation that Indian government agents were behind the killing of Canadian citizen and Sikh separatist leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar in June 2023, are extremely strained with India stopping visas to Canadian citizens. The withdrawal of 41 Canadian diplomats from India after New Delhi threatened to expel them has only exacerbated the situation. India has denied any involvement in Nijjar’s killing and termed the claim as ‘unsubstantiated’. It has cited parity to demand the reduction of Canadian personnel in India, saying there were concerns about ‘continuous interference’ in India’s internal affairs by the diplomats. Canada has accused India of violating the terms of the Vienna convention and also suspended visa services in its Bangalore, Chandigarh and Mumbai consulates. This has severely affected the prospects of many Indian students aiming to study in Canadian varsities. While the US and UK have backed Canada on the issue of the diplomats’ expulsion and also urged India to cooperate in the Nijjar investigation, it is clear that India is a more valuable ally in the West’s attempt to rein in China.
Half-hearted attempts to dial down the rhetoric by Trudeau, and Indian external affairs minister S Jaishankar’s statement that visas to Canadian citizens will be resumed soon after a review of the security situation for Indian diplomats, can be seen as positive developments. With less than two years left for elections, it is clear that the Canadian prime minister is playing to a domestic audience by upping the ante against India. He is facing stiff opposition on the issue of housing, unemployment, etc. His ally in government is the NDP led by Jagmeet Singh, a known Khalistani sympathiser. There is a large Sikh diaspora in Canada and the country is home to the second largest Sikh population in the world after India. While Khalistan hardly merits any conversation in Punjab, it is still a big talking point in Canada and the UK. Opposition leader Pierre Poilievre, who is leading opinion polls in Canada, however, feels Trudeau’s confrontation with India is misplaced. It has certainly been a blow to proposed trade ties. New Delhi has so far acted tough and refused to bow to western pressure on the Nijjar issue. Peaceful ties are, however, the way forward in the interest of the 1.4 million people of Indian origin residing in Canada.