By Sangeeta Saxena
New Delhi. 27 September 2023. This seems to be a time to sit back and take stock. India can no longer brush a pertinent question under the carpet – why the western powers which proclaim friendly ties with India have given shelter to anti India terrorists and separatists?
It is no rocket science that Khalistani terrorists are openly working against India and issuing statements about carving out a separate nation. Several Khalistani organisations banned in India are operative in Western countries including United Kingdom, United States of America, Australia, Canada, Germany and other European countries. These Khalistanis are supported by Inter Services Intelligence (ISI) of Pakistan. There are reports that few Khalistani activists work for intelligence organisation of these host countries also. The current row between India and Canada has opened a pandora’s box.
The main organisations active in the western countries include Babar Khalsa International (BKI), Khalistan Tiger Force (KTF), Khalistan Commando Force (KCF), World Sikh Organisation (WSO), Khalistan Zindabad Force (KZF), Sikhs For Justice (SFJ), International Sikh Youth Federation (ISYF), International Sikh Youth Federation (ISYF), World Sikh Organisation (WSO) and Khalistan Liberation Force (KLF). These Khalistani outfits are involved in anti-India activities including false and malicious propaganda denouncing India, planting of fake stories of human right violations and are also involved in spreading terrorism, murder, financing of other terror organisations just to name few. The Khalistani activists are also involved in drug smuggling as well as in human-trafficking. Canadian and other western countries ignore their anti-India and other criminal activities in the name of human rights and freedom of expression.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau alleged in Canadian parliament that Indian agents assassinated Hardeep Singh Nijjar in June this year. Nijjar is a known Khalistani terrorist and separatist. In a game of tit for tat Ottawa expelled an Indian diplomat and so did Delhi in reaction. India issued a hard-hitting statement. An advisory issued by Indian Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) mentioned that “In view of growing anti-India activities and politically condoned hate crimes and criminal violence in Canada, all Indian nationals there and those contemplating travel are urged to exercise utmost caution”.
Seemingly the scenario is becoming bad to worse, and chances of early reconciliation seem remote. Although the present cause of diplomatic row is the murder of a terrorist and a known separatist Nijjar, but the real problem is that the ruling political party in Canada is surviving on the support of Khalistanis, hence it is not taking any action against Sikh separatists.
The Five Eyes (FVEY) which includes Canada, United States, United Kingdom, Australia, and New Zealand is an intelligence alliance and part of UK-USA Agreement. This multilateral treaty is for joint cooperation in signal intelligence. The reports suggest that Canada got intelligence about killing of Nijjar from the FVEY countries.
Khalistan issue has been a bone of contention between India and Canada always, as Indian authorities always complained about the increasing Khalistani activities in Canada. However, Trudeau is heading a minority government, and it is surviving because of support from New Democratic Party (NDP) headed by Jagmeet Singh ‘Jimmy’ Dhaliwal, and it is the prime reason that Trudeau cannot antagonise Khalistani supporters. Nonetheless because of his Khalistan connection his minority government is surviving but his popularity among the masses is going down sharply. The latest Ipsos poll shows that Trudeau’s support has nosedived and majority of Canadians want a change in prime minister. The survey mentions that 31 percent Canadians voted for Trudeau while 40 percent preferred conservative leader Pierre Poilievre. Jagmeet Singh with 22 percent votes came third.
Canadian government supported Khalistani elements from several years and ignored the complaints of Government of India at the time of bilateral talks as well as protests raised through diplomatic channels. Although Sikh population is about 2.1 percent of Canada’s population, but it has much more clout because of its organisational skill, unity as a community, ability to raise fund and large number of gurdwaras which assist the Sikhs who are in trouble. The Sikh community in Canada also helps Sikhs in India to migrate. It is the reason that although Government of India lodges protests regularly to Canada, Australia, United States, United Kingdom and other European countries but these countries have not taken any legal action in the name of freedom of speech. However many analysts claim that these countries are sheltering Khalistani terrorists with ulterior motive of criticising and blaming India for human right violations.
On September 19 Justin Trudeau without giving any proof alleged there was evidence which suggest Indian hand in the killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar. Government of India immediately rejected the claim and asked to provide the evidence. Trudeau without providing any evidence asked India to cooperate. Canadian media report mentioned that Canadian government gathered “human and signals intelligence” through a month-long investigation and after that Canadian government accused Indian hand in the assassination of Nijjar. Some reports also mentioned that the Canadian government got this information through Five Eyes (FVEY) countries. Nonetheless, they refrained from sharing this information with India.
Here it is important that India is a peaceful country never involved in extrajudicial killings in India or abroad. Secondly Nijjar was a known terrorist who was involved in numerous crimes in India and was initially an illegal immigrant in Canada. When United States killed terrorists like Osma bin Laden, Al Zawahiri and many other terrorists in Pakistan, Afghanistan and several other countries USA as well as other Western countries depicted it as a great service rendered to mankind as they eliminated designated terrorists. Here in this case India is denying that it has hand in the assassination of a designated terrorist but under the garb of human right, Canada and many other western countries are pointing finger towards India without giving any credible evidence. It appears that Canada and other Western countries feel that India has challenged their supremacy. Not only this in past Indian policy towards the western countries was reactive but this time it is pro-active. India not only expelled Canadian diplomat but also stopped visa services to Canadian nationals while Canada has not taken decision on this issue so far. According to data released by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) in 2022 about 2,26,450 Indian students went to Canada and according to press reports 3.19 lakh Indian students were studying in Canada on or about 31 December 2022.
In 2015 Trudeau appointed four Sikhs in his 30-member cabinet and bragged that his cabinet has more Sikhs than Indian cabinet. This indicated his closeness with Khalistanis. Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson has rightly stated that, “Yes, I do think there is a degree of prejudice here. They have made allegations and taken action on them. To us, it seems that these allegations by government of Canada are primarily politically driven”.
In Canada gang war is going on and gangster Sukhdool Singh was murdered after Nijjar and two rival Punjabi gangsters claimed the responsibility of the killing. Hence blaming Indian diplomatic corps for the killing of Nijjar without credible evidence is unreasonable as well as undiplomatic. Instead of issuing a statement in parliament Trudeau should have tried to solve the issue with India diplomatically but Trudeau not only wanted to gain support of Khalistanis but also wanted to denounce India as Delhi was riding high after the grand success of G20.
Nonetheless Trudeau underestimated India’s reaction. Today’s India does not survive internationally on a defensive foreign policy and Delhi has not taken the false allegation lying down. India’s External Minister S Jaishankar as well as MEA’s spokesperson have issued stern, to the point statements denying this allegation.
As western countries have realised India’s tough position and rising India’s importance in view of increasing threat from expansionist China, United States is trying to mediate between Delhi and Ottawa. After the standoff began between India and Canada five US important officials/diplomats have issued statements so that the matter can be resolved. Indian authorities are insisting that Canadian authorities should take stern actions against Khalistani supporters as well the perpetrators of terrorism in India. Although India rejected Canadian allegation as “absurd” and asked Canada that if any factual information existed it should share with India. National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and Foreign Minister Jaishankar are negotiating with their U.S. counterparts.
