Hardeep Singh Nijjar—a Khalistani supporter killed in June—has become the reason for tension between India and Canada.
In the last two episodes, we explored how Nijjar became an influential leader in the Khalistani separatist movement. In this episode, we will look back at the emergence of the Khalistan movement in Canada.
Among the first pro-Khalistan supporters who made their base in Canada was Talwinder Singh—the mastermind behind the 1982 Air India Flight terrorist bombing.
The strained relationship between India and Canada began almost 45 years ago. However, immigration of Sikhs in Canada began as early as the 1910s. Sikhs, who formed a significant part of the British army, settled in the country because of its fertile land. Decades later, Sikhs formed a major portion of the Canadian population.
The story really begins with India’s Nuclear Testing in Pokhran in 1974. The Canadian government had provided India with CANDU-type reactors meant for peaceful nuclear energy. However, India used it for military purposes. The incident angered the then Prime Minister of Canada, Pierre Trudeau, Justin’s father.
An article published on Hindustan Times mentions the following:
“Unfortunately, that came as the Khalistan movement in Punjab was gaining prominence. With generational ties to Canada, many Sikhs sought refugee status in Canada citing political persecution. Suddenly, there was an influx of Khalistanis into a country that did little to curb their separatism because of the poor relationship.”
Talwinder Singh Parmar was amongst those who made their base in Canada. The country also proved a safe haven for Khalistani leaders to travel freely to Pakistan. Several others like Parmar traveled to Pakistan and trained with the ISI.
The Hindustan Times Article mentions:
“The Khalistan movement may have died in India in the late 1990s, but it survived in Canada, particularly in some gurdwaras controlled by radicals. Even in 2010 when then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh met his counterpart Stephen Harper on the margins of the G20 summit in Toronto, he expressed New Delhi’s frustration over Ottawa allowing the Khalistan issue to simmer.”
Furthermore, groups like Sikhs for Justice use Human Rights as their leverage point to work against India. Among various activities the group performed against India was to sabotage Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Canada, at which they failed.
In the next episode, we will explore the steps taken by India to counter PM Justin Trudeau’s allegations.
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