Murder and mayhem: The crisis in India-Canada relations

Like in any spat, both sides made mistakes, letting domestic politics fuel diplomatic misunderstanding

- KC SINGH

India-Canada relations, strained since the June 18, 2023, killing of HS Nijjar, faced a meltdown after PM Justin Trudeau's deposition before the Foreign Interference Commission. Like in any spat, both sides made mistakes, letting domestic politics fuel diplomatic misunderstanding.

Trudeau's India visit in 2018 revealed core differences over the handling of the eight-lakh-strong Sikh diaspora. The Canadian high commissioner's dinner invite to a person with past criminal charges set the negative tone that persists till today. India lays the entire blame for pro-Khalistan activities in Canada on Ottawa. Canada sees peaceful political activism, however raucous, as freedom of speech. However, since the Nijjar killing, the threats of physical harm to Indian diplomats in Canada could hardly be justified as public steam-letting.

Since his 2021 re-election, Trudeau's Liberal Party has 153 members in a 338-member parliament. He required the support of the New Democratic Party (NDP) with 25 members, led by Jagmeet Singh with pro-Sikh orientation. Even though the NDP withdrew support to Trudeau when the opposition filed a no-confidence motion last month, it voted to save the government. Trudeau's term runs till October 2025.