What is Khalistan, the independent homeland some Sikhs fought for?
Economist
23-09-19 18:27
The Khalistan movement, which seeks to establish an independent homeland for Sikhs, is still alive and supported by groups in the US, UK, Canada and Australia, according to The Economist. Although the movement has lost momentum in India due to crackdowns and economic growth, it remains a threat to the country's foreign policy and the killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a Canadian Sikh leader, by Indian government agents has strained relations between Canada and India.
Trudeau’s ‘credible allegations’ against India part of another sordid Canadian chapter in a decades-old conflict
The Toronto Star
23-09-19 23:12
The death of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a Sikh activist from Canada, has sparked tensions between India and Canada. Indian authorities considered Nijjar to be the head of a listed terrorist group and wanted him for involvement in various crimes, including the 2021 murder of a Hindu priest in India. However, in Canada, Nijjar was a free man until his untimely death on June 18. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has suggested that the Indian state may be behind Nijjar’s killing, leading to anger and surprise in India. The Indian Ministry of External Affairs has denied any involvement in Nijjar’s death. However, the Indian government’s alleged involvement in an extraterritorial killing would place India alongside countries such as Russia, Saudi Arabia, and the United States. The Indian intelligence officer expelled from Canada in response to the incident was identified as the Canadian station chief of the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), India’s foreign intelligence agency. The RAW was created in the late 1960s and has focused on Pakistan, as well as Sikh militants, over the years.
Justin Trudeau’s ‘credible allegations’ against India part of another sordid Canadian chapter in a decades-old conflict
The Toronto Star
23-09-19 23:12
The history of tensions between India and Sikhs advocating for a separate homeland is marked by political, religious and geographical divisions. Sikhs advocating for a separate homeland have found support in Canada, Britain, Australia and the United States. Indian authorities have tried to suppress this sentiment, but have been frustrated by a lack of cooperation from other countries, particularly Canada. The recent suggestion by Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau that the Indian state may have been behind the killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar on Canadian soil has been met with anger and surprise in India. Nijjar was considered a wanted fugitive from justice in India and the head of a listed terror group. Indian authorities have denied involvement in Nijjar's death. Trudeau's accusations place India in a group of countries that have carried out extraterritorial killings, such as Russia, Saudi Arabia, Iran, North Korea, Israel and the United States. Canada has not provided any evidence to support these allegations, but it is reported that they shared evidence with close allies before going public. The Indian official ordered to leave Canada was the Canadian station chief of the Research and Analysis Wing, India's foreign intelligence agency. India's Ministry of External Affairs has denied any involvement in Nijjar's death.
The killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar: A timeline of events
The Globe and Mail
23-09-19 22:02
The killing of Sikh separatist leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar in British Columbia has escalated tensions between Canada and India. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau claimed that Canadian authorities have credible intelligence linking Nijjar's killing to Indian government agents. In response, Canada expelled an Indian diplomat, and India retaliated by denying the accusation and expelling a Canadian diplomat. The issue of Sikh activism has long strained relations between the two countries, as Canada is home to a large Sikh population and is a major hub for the Khalistan movement, which seeks to create a Sikh homeland in India's Punjab state. India has outlawed the movement and views it as a threat to national security. The accusation made by Trudeau has further strained relations, with India describing the allegations as "absurd" and accusing Canada of supporting the Khalistan movement. The incident comes after months of escalating tensions between the two countries, including the cancellation of trade talks and a tense exchange between Trudeau and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the G20 summit.
Indian aviation watchdog suspends Air India's flight safety chief over lapses
Reuters
23-09-21 12:39
India's aviation regulator, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), has suspended the chief of flight safety at Tata Group-owned Air India for one month. The suspension comes after an internal audit found deficiencies in the airline's accident prevention work, including lapses in the availability of necessary technical manpower and failure to carry out checks as per regulatory requirements. Air India has accepted the DGCA's findings and stated that it is committed to improving safety standards. The suspension comes just a month after Tata Group unveiled a new logo, branding, and plane livery for Air India as part of a multi-million-dollar transformation of the airline. Since taking control of Air India in 2022, Tata Group has invested heavily in updating the airline's fleet.
India calls Canada a ‘safe haven for terrorists’ after suspending visas for Canadian nationals
CNN
23-09-22 06:49
India has accused Canada of being a "safe haven for terrorists" after Canada suspended visas for Indian citizens. The move comes after Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau suggested that India was behind the assassination of a Sikh activist in Canada. India has denied the allegations and has suspended visa applications from Canadians, citing "security threats" against its diplomats. Relations between the two countries have been strained over India's accusations of inaction by Canada in dealing with Sikh separatist extremism. India has long accused Canada of supporting the creation of Khalistan, a separate Sikh homeland that would include parts of Punjab state.
India-Canada row over Sikh killing causes diplomatic shock waves
Guardian
23-09-22 16:42
Canada and India are experiencing a diplomatic row after Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau accused the Indian government of involvement in the assassination of a Sikh separatist leader in Canada. Trudeau’s announcement led to the expulsion of a top Indian diplomat from the country. India subsequently expelled a Canadian diplomat, suspended visa applications for Canadians, and accused Canada of harbouring terrorists. India has also issued a travel advisory warning its citizens to exercise caution when in Canada. Trudeau has called on India to cooperate with Canadian authorities in their investigation into Hardeep Singh Nijjar’s murder. Sources in Canada have claimed that Indian officials did not deny their government’s involvement when presented with evidence. The allegations have raised issues of foreign killings by the Indian government and may have implications for Prime Minister Narendra Modi. It is believed that India has been increasing its actions on foreign soil, with the result that some individuals in Pakistan have been targeted and killed. The Canadian Sikh community, the largest in the world outside India, has been a source of tension between the two countries for many years.
Hardeep Singh Nijjar, the B.C. plumber whose murder became the catalyst in a geopolitical crisis
The Globe and Mail
23-09-23 12:00
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has announced that Canadian security agencies have credible allegations of a potential link between agents of India's government and the murder of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a Sikh separatist. Nijjar's family and supporters say India has not shown any evidence that he was violent. Nijjar was involved in a non-binding referendum in support of an independent Sikh homeland, which India considers unlawful because of its secessionist aims. In 2014, Indian authorities stated that Nijjar was wanted in connection with a bomb plot, and in 2016, an intelligence report stated that he was wanted in connection with a bomb blast in a cinema and that he headed a group called Khalistan Terror Force. Nijjar denied the claims and wrote a letter to Trudeau stating that he had never been involved in any violent activity. In July 2020, the Indian government formally designated Nijjar a terrorist.
Australia's close partnership with India has been complicated by Canada's accusation that India was involved in the murder of a Sikh separatist in British Columbia. The accusation has implications for Australia's foreign policy, as it seeks to balance its relations with India and its commitments to its Five Eyes partner, Canada. The issue also highlights the clash of perspectives between India and Western countries over Sikh separatism within the diaspora. Australia needs to be more aware of India's concerns over territorial integrity, while also protecting liberal democratic principles. The country's large Indian diaspora poses challenges due to emotional ties to Indian domestic politics.
The West’s love-in with India could be coming to an abrupt end
Telegraph
23-09-25 19:43
Canada and India are currently embroiled in a diplomatic dispute after Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau claimed that India was behind the killing of Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Vancouver in June. The Indian government has dismissed the allegations as “absurd and motivated” and accused Canada of harbouring Sikh extremists. The dispute has the potential to escalate and involve other countries. The US has reportedly shared intelligence with Canada that contributed to Trudeau’s allegations against India. Western countries have been courting India in recent months to access its growing economy and counterbalance China’s influence in the Indo-Pacific region. However, India’s refusal to condemn Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and its alleged anti-Muslim chauvinism have caused concern. The dispute with Canada is likely to bring further attention to these issues. The dispute also highlights the ongoing tension between India and the Sikh diaspora, which is concentrated in Canada, the US, the UK, and Australia. The pro-Khalistan movement, which seeks an independent Sikh homeland, has little support within India but retains support among the diaspora.
Air India 1985 bombing back in news after Canada row
BBC
23-09-27 00:23
The 1985 Air India bombing, in which a flight from Canada to India exploded mid-air, killing all 329 people on board, has caused relations between India and Canada to sour. The Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau described the Sikh extremist movement as “concerning,” angering the Indian government, who accused him of interference. The bombing was allegedly planned by Sikh separatists seeking revenge for the Indian army’s storming of the Sikh Golden Temple in Amritsar in 1984. Only one person has been convicted.
Sikh Separatism Is a Nonissue in India, Except as a Political Boogeyman
NY Times
23-09-28 04:15
The recent killing of a man on India's most-wanted list in Canada has sparked a diplomatic row between the two countries. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau accused Indian agents of orchestrating the assassination of Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Canada, a claim India has rejected. While the Indian government has claimed that Canada's lenient approach to Sikh extremism poses a national security threat, analysts say that the violence in Punjab is mostly gang-related, involving extortion, drug trafficking, and score-settling. The criminal masterminds largely operate from abroad, taking advantage of economic desperation in Punjab, where farmers are burdened by rising debt and many young people lack employment or direction. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has seized on the issue as a political narrative ahead of next year's national election, portraying himself as a strong leader who will protect the nation. However, there is little support for a separate Sikh nation in Punjab, and the portrayal of security risks in the Sikh community has reopened old wounds of prejudice against them.
India-Canada ties burned by Sikh separatist flame fed in diaspora
Nikkei Asia
23-09-30 01:10
The recent killing of a Sikh separatist leader in Canada has ramped up tensions between India and Canada, with both countries accusing each other of harbouring terrorists. In June, Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a Sikh separatist leader who wanted to establish an independent Sikh nation called Khalistan, was shot 34 times outside a Sikh temple in Surrey, British Columbia. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau later revealed that there were credible allegations that Indian agents were behind the attack. The Indian government denied the allegations, calling them "absurd". The situation has raised concerns of further violence and has strained relations between the two countries. There are fears that Nijjar has become a martyr to some within the Sikh community in Canada.
The Sikh independence movement has its roots in the northern Indian state of Punjab, where Sikhs account for 60% of the population. The separatist movement peaked in the 1980s, but Sikh separatists in Canada continued to support the cause. The 1985 bombing of Air India Flight 182, which was blamed on Sikh separatists in Canada, continues to be a point of contention between the two countries. The Indian government has long claimed that Canada should have done more to stop the attack. The separatist movement in Punjab faded out by the early to mid-1990s, but there are elements within the Sikh diaspora in Canada that continue to support an independent Sikh state, known as Khalistan.
The recent tensions between India and Canada have highlighted the long history of Sikh separatism in Canada and the complex relationship between the two countries. The situation is likely to have a negative impact on intelligence cooperation and could further strain relations between the two countries.
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