Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar expressed concerns about the treatment of Indian diplomats in Canada, citing a “climate of violence” and an “atmosphere of intimidation.” Jaishankar made these remarks during a press conference in Washington, where he condemned the use of freedom of speech to threaten and intimidate diplomats.
The strained relations between India and Canada are primarily attributed to the presence of Sikh separatists in Canada who advocate for Khalistan, an independent Sikh state separate from India. The movement has caused frustration in New Delhi.
The Canadian foreign ministry has yet to respond to the remarks made by Jaishankar.
Earlier this month, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau controversially suggested that Indian agents may have been involved in the murder of Sikh separatist leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar, who was a Canadian citizen. The Indian government dismissed Trudeau’s allegations, and the United States encouraged India to cooperate with Canada in the investigation.
In 2018, Trudeau assured India that Canada would not support any efforts to revive the separatist movement in India, emphasizing the importance of free speech and assembly for protesters. However, Indian leaders believe that some fringe groups within Canada’s influential Sikh community still sympathize with the cause of an independent Sikh state, although this cause lacks support within India.
The demand for Khalistan has emerged in India numerous times, particularly during the violent insurgency of the 1980s and 1990s, which severely impacted the state of Punjab for over a decade. The insurgency resulted in tens of thousands of deaths, and the Indian government considers the Khalistan movement a security threat. Sikh militants were held responsible for the 1985 bombing of an Air India Boeing 747 flying from Canada to India, which claimed the lives of all 329 people on board.
In 1984, Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi was assassinated by two Sikh bodyguards after she permitted the storming of the holiest Sikh temple, an operation aimed at removing Sikh separatists.
Reporting from Kanishka Singh in Washington; Editing by Leslie Adler
Credit: The Star : News Feed
