The lurking hypothetical planet
On June 18, 2023, Hardeep Singh Nijjar was shot and killed in the parking lot of a Sikh temple in Surrey, British Columbia.
Nijjar, a Canada-based Sikh activist, was assassinated by two masked gunmen outside the Guru Nanak Gurdwara. His death sparked widespread protest within British Columbia's Sikh community, especially from those affiliated with the Khalistan movement, which calls for an independent Punjabi Sikh nation-state in India.
Nijjar, a Canadian citizen, spearheaded the group's Khalistan Referendum 2020 campaign. And while his supporters insist he advocated peaceful means for the creation of the nation-state, the Indian government accused him of being a criminal and terrorist in league with the militant Khalistan Tiger Force, and sought his arrest.
Thousands turned out for Hardeep Singh Nijjar's Antim Darshan, a day-long funeral service held at the temple in Surrey where he was murdered.
Many attending the service waved yellow Khalistan flags as relatives and associates of Nijjar spoke of his movement's aspirations—which India has branded extremist. They also expressed their belief that his death was as a result of foreign interference from India.
They mourned the passing of the Sikh community leader and temple president. The funeral was followed by a private family gathering at the Valley View Funeral Home, also in Surrey.
Canada's accusations prompted activists of the Dal Khalsa Sikh organization, a pro-Khalistan group, to stage a demonstration after offering prayers at the Akal Takht Sahib in the Golden Temple in Amritsar, demanding justice for Hardeep Singh Nijjar.
The next few weeks saw anti-India and pro-Khalistan rallies take place in Toronto. New Delhi voiced its disproval to Ottawa and was still doing so when on September 9, 2023, India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi met his Canadian counterpart Justin Trudeau ahead of the G20 Leaders' Summit in New Delhi.
The next day the pair met again, both paying their respects at the Mahatma Gandhi memorial at Raj Ghat on the sidelines of the G20 summit.
Trudeau responded at a press conference by saying that while Canada will always uphold the freedom of peaceful protest, expression, and conscience, it will also consistently prevent violence and counteract hatred.
Shortly afterwards, the Indian Prime Minister's Office issued a statement that read: "He [Modi] conveyed our strong concerns about continuing anti-India activities of extremist elements in Canada. They are promoting secessionism and inciting violence against Indian diplomats, damaging diplomatic premises, and threatening the Indian community in Canada and their places of worship."
On September 19, Canadian officials directly accused India's government in the assassination of Hardeep Singh Nijjar. Trudeau later remarked during a speech to the House of Commons that Canada's national security apparatus had reason to believe that "agents of the Indian government" carried out the killing of the Canadian citizen.
At the same time, India's Ministry of External Affairs issued a statement rejecting Trudeau's allegations, calling them "absurd."
Just two days after Trudeau's initial suggestion of a link to the Indian government, a fugitive Indian gangster named Sukhdool Singh Gill was killed in a hail of gunfire in a Winnipeg home. According to the BBC, Gill was wanted in India for murder but was also accused by New Delhi of being linked to the separatist Khalistan movement.
Bilateral relations between the two nations cooled considerably, the rift threatening the deep trade and immigration ties between both countries.
The fractious relationship simmered for another 11 months or so. Then on September 1, 2024, police on Vancouver Island were called to the house of AP Dhillon, a prominent singer who was born in Punjab but grew up in Canada, and whose music is said by some to contain pro-Khalistan messages. The property had been sprayed with gunfire, though Dhillon himself was unhurt. The attack on the singer and that of Sukhdool Singh Gill were claimed by members of a notorious gang run by India's most feared crime boss, Lawrence Bishnoi.
Matters came to a head on October 14, 2024, when Canada expelled six top Indian diplomats, including the country's ambassador. All were described as "persons of interest" following the murder of Hardeep Singh Nijjar. Canadian Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly said Canada had gathered "ample, clear and concrete evidence which identified six individuals as persons of interest in the Nijjar case."
In the aftermath of this latest shooting incident, Canadian police said the government of Narendra Modi had been using organized crime syndicates, such as the Bishnoi gang, as part of its strategy to pursue opponents and rivals. Delhi rejected the allegations as "preposterous."
India responded in kind by expelling Canada's acting high commissioner and five other diplomats. Pictured is the Minister of External Affairs, S. Jaishankar.
The tit-for-tat expulsions is just the latest episode in this prolonged diplomatic spat, which had enjoyed a brief thaw throughout the first half of 2024. But while past disagreements have strained ties, none have reached this level of open confrontation.
One of those occasions was back in 1974 when India shocked the world by detonating a nuclear device. Canada was especially outraged, given that India had allegedly extracted plutonium from a Canadian reactor, a gift intended solely for peaceful use.
There are 770,000 Sikhs living in Canada, according to 2021 census data. In fact, the country is home to the largest Sikh diaspora outside the Indian state of Punjab, and Sikhism is the fourth-largest religious group in the nation.
In early October, India asked Canada to withdraw 41 of its 62 diplomats from the country and threatened to revoke the diplomatic immunity of those remaining after a certain date. Ottawa responded by announcing that Canada would temporarily close three consulates in India and warned of delays in the processing of visas.
Canada itself is home to nearly 1.7 million people of Indian origin, according to Statista.
In 2023, bilateral trade between India and Canada was valued at US$9.36 billion, with Indian exports to Canada worth $5.56 billion and Canadian exports to India valued at $3.80 billion.
Major Indian exports in 2023 included pharmaceuticals, telephones, automobile parts, seafood, electrical components, and jewelry, while Canada's main exports included coal briquettes, wood pulp, iron ore, legumes, and paper. This is according to data published by the Observatory of Economic Complexity (OEC).
Neither country has so far imposed tariffs or other economic forms of retaliation, but with bilateral relations currently at rock bottom, trade analysts and economists fear further confrontation could hinder economic growth on both sides.
Meanwhile, pro-Khalistan supporters continue to gather in Toronto to demonstrate against the Modi administration.
Sources: (BBC) (ABC News) (CBC) (India Today) (The Washington Post) (Statista) (OEC) (The Hindu) (Associated Press)
See also: These are the most controversial events in history
In May 2024, Canadian police charged three members of an alleged hit team with first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit murder for their role in the assassination of Hardeep Singh Nijjar.
The assassination in June 2023 of a Sikh activist in British Columbia sparked a political row between Ottawa and New Delhi that shows little sign of being resolved. In fact, in October 2024, Canada and India engaged in a round of tit-for-tat expulsions of diplomatic staff that has further deepened the crisis and now threatens bilateral trade relations. Indeed, analysts fear this latest escalation could seriously disrupt commercial ties between the two nations.
How has it gotten to this point, where a previously productive and cordial relationship is now tarnished by accusations, disagreements, and mistrust? Click through this gallery and find out what's causing the escalating tensions between India and Canada.
What's causing the escalating tensions between India and Canada?
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi condemned a "deliberate attack" on a Hindu temple in Canada on Nov 3
LIFESTYLE Politics
The assassination in June 2023 of a Sikh activist in British Columbia sparked a political row between Ottawa and New Delhi that shows little sign of being resolved. In fact, in October 2024, Canada and India engaged in a round of tit-for-tat expulsions of diplomatic staff that has further deepened the crisis and now threatens bilateral trade relations. Indeed, analysts fear this latest escalation could seriously disrupt commercial ties between the two nations.
How has it gotten to this point, where a previously productive and cordial relationship is now tarnished by accusations, disagreements, and mistrust? Click through this gallery and find out what's causing the escalating tensions between India and Canada.