India-Canada Diplomatic Dilemma: How a Bilateral Issue Poses a Multilateral Problem
Harshita Prashar is a postgraduate student studying Comparative Economics and Policy at UCL. Her interests include international economic relations, international political economy and geopolitics. (harshita29prashar@gmail.com)
Tensions between Canada and India are at an all-time high. On October 14, diplomatic relations between the two countries received a new blow as Canada accused and expelled six Indian diplomats on the grounds of conducting ‘criminal activities’ including homicide, extortion and harassment on Canadian soil (Shamim, 2024). Now, with diplomats suspended from both ends, this row has further exacerbated the already deteriorated relations between the countries. Canada has made serious allegations and provided evidence about the Indian government's involvement in such actions. The latest blow comes from Canada’s Deputy Foreign Minister David Morrison as he confirmed to the Washington Post that the actions, which would compromise Canada’s national security and sovereignty, were carried out on the order of Amit Shah, India’s home minister and the right-hand man of Prime Minister Narendra Modi (Associated Press, 2024). India, on the other hand, is blatantly rejecting the accusations. However, the ongoing friction has not only soured relations between the two countries but also put major Western powers in a complex state of affairs.
India-Canada deteriorating relations, a culmination of decades
The issue of Sikh nationalism and separatism has always been a point of contention between the two countries. For India, the demand for a separate Sikh state of Khalistan from Sikh militants has been a matter of grave concern since the 1970s (BBC, 2023). Though supported by a minority of the Sikh population, tensions caused by such demands were at their highest point in the 1980s, marked by rampant bloodshed and political violence in the state of Punjab, the state with the highest number of Sikh residents. Jarnail Singh Bhindrawale, the movement's leader, and his followers rebelled against the Indira Gandhi-led government, resulting in Operation Blue Star (FP Explainers, 2024). While the brutal operation suppressed demands for a new state within India, it inadvertently bolstered it among the Sikh diaspora. Moreover, as a result, many of the militants fled Punjab and settled in the US, UK and Canada, thereby increasing their numbers and supporters on western land. Although the demand for Khalistan holds no interest in the Sikhs of Punjab today, it remains a crucial plan for a limited number of the Sikh diaspora.
Presently, Canada is home to the largest Sikh diaspora in the world, with their community comprising approximately two per cent of the Canadian population. It also reflects how prominent the community is in terms of political influence. A small section of it aims at reviving the movement. This has been heightened by the Trudeau government, which, since the start of its administration, has adopted a Sikh appeasement policy. However, this is not a recent development. In the 1980s, Pierre Trudeau refused to extradite a fugitive who was accused of killing two police personnel in Punjab. Hence, the history of Canadian and Indian relations souring due to Khalistani activities is rooted in historical actions (ET Online, 2023).
Similar situations, different responses
The latest nosedive in diplomatic relations began when Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau held the Indian government accountable for the murder of a Sikh separatist, Hardeep Singh Nijjar, in September 2023 (AFP, 2024). New Delhi refused to accept any links with the killings or attempts to killings of Khalistani activists on foreign grounds. Putting out a dismissive strategy, New Delhi instead raised Canada’s inefficiency in addressing the concerns regarding anti-India sentiment from some subsections of the Canadian Sikh community. Shortly after Trudeau’s accusations, the United States officials filed charges against an Indian government employee, who was involved in a failed assault attempt on an American citizen, the latter being actively involved in Khalistani activities (Al Jazeera, 2024). In sharp contrast to the reaction to Ottawa, New Delhi cooperated with Washington, announcing a high-level inquiry to investigate the matter. This was seen by many critics as a more nuanced and mature response by India. The investigation was conducted without any diplomatic fallout and with full cooperation.
While there was a stark contrast in the handling of the two issues by India, there is also a significant difference in how the US approached a somewhat similar problem. Unlike the Canadian government, which has been vocal in addressing the allegations at hand, the US has remained measured in its public stance. With regard to support for Canada, American officials have supported Ottawa’s interrogations but, at the same time, been careful not to jeopardise their strategic alliance with India. The US Secretary of State has opted for private diplomacy as opposed to Canada’s obvious public diplomacy. It is a testament to the fact that the US views India as a partner of higher importance than Canada does, despite having grounds of strong trade and cultural ties.
All ‘Five Eyes’ on India
With the recent developments, Canada has sought help from the other members of the Five Eyes Intelligence - the US, United Kingdom, Australia, and New Zealand (ET Online, 2024). It can be noted that all four countries have committed to support and assist their intelligence ally; however, they are dealing with the situation in a restrained and more-than-usually careful manner. The US has echoed Canada’s words and demanded India to cooperate. The UK has emphasised the importance of sovereignty and the rule of law, rooting for a transparent judicial process. Australia and New Zealand have a similar stance as the UK, underscoring the significance of the rule of law. While giving out statements, the nations have also ensured their strategic partnership with India does not get hampered. In light of India emerging as one of the fastest growing economies, their relationship with India allows them to have a regional influence in counterbalancing China’s position. The US and UK view India as a key market and a promising trading partner, as part of a broader economic strategy in Asia. It puts the Five-Eyes allies in a tightrope situation. If they fully align with Canada’s stance against India, they risk straining relationships with a critical partner in the Indo-Pacific (Saha, 2024). On the other hand, downplaying Canada’s concerns could challenge the integrity and unity of the Five Eyes alliance, which is built on trust and intelligence sharing. Balancing these priorities may lead to more measured diplomatic approaches and indirect pressure on India to preserve their strategic interests without disrupting alliances.
Thus, it can be seen that the diplomatic spat between India and Canada is much more than a bilateral issue. It concerns major Western powers and alliances which are in the midst of a geopolitical dilemma. This act of assassination of a Canadian citizen on Canadian soil has garnered a relatively muted response by major players of the international order, in return revealing the changing role of countries in global politics.
Works Cited
AFP (2024). Hardeep Singh Nijjar — The Sikh separatist whose murder sparked India-Canada row. [online] DAWN.COM. Available at: https://www.dawn.com/news/1865374 [Accessed 10 Nov. 2024].
Al Jazeera (2024). US charges Indian government employee in foiled Sikh separatist murder plot. [online] Al Jazeera. Available at: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/10/18/us-charges-indian-government-employee-in-foiled-sikh-separatist-murder-plot.
Associated Press (2024). Canada alleges Indian Home Minister Amit Shah ordered campaign targeting Sikh separatists. [online] Washington Post. Available at: https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2024/10/29/canada-india-amit-shah-sikh/364e1270-9644-11ef-939a-5dd38bf140e0_story.html [Accessed 10 Nov. 2024].
ET Online (2023). A tale of two Trudeaus and Canada’s mollycoddling of Khalistani terror. [online] The Economic Times. Available at: https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/india/a-tale-of-two-trudeaus-and-canadas-mollycoddling-of-khalistani-terror/articleshow/103583278.cms?from=mdr [Accessed 10 Nov. 2024].
ET Online (2024). Global eyes on India-Canada row: Here’s what ‘Five Eyes’ allies are saying. [online] The Economic Times. Available at: https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/international/world-news/global-eyes-on-india-canada-row-heres-what-five-eyes-allies-are-saying/articleshow/114291845.cms?from=mdr.
FP Explainers (2024). 40 years of Operation Blue Star: What happened and how it changed India’s politics. [online] Firstpost. Available at: https://www.firstpost.com/explainers/40-years-operation-blue-star-what-happened-what-led-to-it-and-how-it-changed-indias-politics-13776902.html [Accessed 10 Nov. 2024].
Khalistan: Why are some Sikhs calling for a separate homeland in India? (2023). BBC News. [online] 19 Sep. Available at: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-india-66852291.
Saha, R. (2024). Will the West Isolate New Delhi Amid the India-Canada Row? [online] Thediplomat.com. Available at: https://thediplomat.com/2024/10/will-the-west-isolate-new-delhi-amid-the-india-canada-row/ [Accessed 11 Nov. 2024].
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