Fractured Relations: What’s Next for India and Canada?
The death of a Sikh separatist on Canadian land has escalated tensions between India and Canada, leading to the expulsion of their top diplomats, a new low in their traditionally friendly relationship. Although there have been tense arguments in the past, none have escalated to this degree of direct conflict. Following PM Justin Trudeau's assertion that Canadian police were looking into claims of Indian agents' and the Indian government's direct participation in the June 2023 killing, the tit-for-tat expulsions took place. The greatest Sikh diaspora outside of the Indian state of Punjab is found in Canada, where there are about 770,000 Sikhs. Relations between the two nations are still strained by Sikh separatism, which has its roots in a violent rebellion that took place in India in the 1980s and early 1990s. Delhi has harshly criticized Canada for not doing more to stop the pro-Khalistan agitation inside its borders. Canada claims that India has been keeping an eye on...