India-Canada relation has taken blows consistently in the diplomatic wrestling ring over the years, but Post-G-20 New Delhi 2023 Summit, the cycle of events took a route that hurt the very foundation of Indo-Canadian diplomatic ties.

When India was celebrating a successful G-20 summit in Sep 2023, bolstered with a unanimous New Delhi Declaration, A vicious accusation was launched straight from the House of Commons, Canada, during the speech of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. The accusation is connected to killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Canada (Hardeep Singh Nijjar was a Canadian Citizen of Indian Origin and a designated terrorist by India, a mastermind of Khalistani Tiger Force, a banned militant organization in India)

“There are credible reasons to believe that agents of the government of India were involved in the killing of a Canadian on Canadian soil,”- Prime Minister Justin Trudeau

Canadian Foreign Affairs Ministry further escalated the matter, by expelling an Indian Diplomat, Pavan Rai, R&AW desk, in Indian High Commission in Ottawa. Canada also cancelled the trade mission which was about to visit India in October 2023.

The accusation triggered a very incongruous response from the Government of India. India forcefully pushed away the Canadian allegations by labelling it as “Absurd” & “Motivated”. Indian line of defense was very specific. The allegation was absurd, because Canada offered no evidence according to Indian Government. The allegation was motivated, because historically, Justin Trudeau & his father Pierre Trudeau have been pro-khalistani.

India has had the bitter experience of Canadian authorities not taking Indian extradition requests and dossiers seriously, regarding terrorist activities planned on Canadian soil by khalistani activists. Be it Air India Kanishka bombing in 1985, when more than 300 passengers died or killing of Punjab Police in India, Canada, Canada consistently dis-regarded India’s communications.

After India’s peaceful nuclear explosion in 1974 at Pokhran, the senior Trudeau promptly took the Indo-Canadian relations into a free fall. India informed that it was a “peaceful nuclear explosion” and does not breach any terms of nuclear cooperation agreement with Canada. But Pierre Trudeau suspended all nuclear research cooperation between India and Canada.

Justin Trudeau continues the same tradition and Canada’s “soft-corner in heart” approach towards the Khalistani Activists.

Indian Government had no other way, but retaliation. The retaliation was very harsh & stood well in domestic politics, obviously. Majority of Indians are of the opinion that Canada supports Khalistani terror planners on their soil & protects them in the name of “Laws & Rules”. India issued a 7 days deadline for 41 Canadian diplomats to leave the country, suspended all VISA services in Canada, creating headlines internationally.

India re-iterated their accusation on Canada being a safe haven for terrorists and gangsters, with a reminder of extradition requests of Canadians on terrorism and criminal charges. Indian response showed its consistent stand that khalistani movement is not activism; it is terrorism and a national threat. Canada, being a rule & law based nation, must respect & comply to rules & laws of a fellow-democracy, in fact, the biggest democracy.

Notwithstanding the truth behind the assassination, neither Indian nor Canadian Government had necessary exit plan to get out of this diplomatic storm. It is obvious that Canadian PM, made the allegation publicly, instead of continuing with secret diplomatic negotiations, only to gain political endorsements. But, at the same time, given the new found authority & diplomatic power India enjoys internationally these days, India’s reaction to the whole fracas was equally a melee, lacking any wiser augmentation to resolve the crisis. The tie between two respected democracies is on a downcast route, having no hopes for now.

Some bright hopes were evident, when Canada’s High Commissioner to India, Cameron Mackay stated in a seminar at Gujarat, India, that strategic interests of India & Canada are absolutely aligned whereas Former India High Commissioner to Pakistan & Canada, Ajay Bisaria downplayed the diplomatic tensions as “temporary phase”.

The situation may be far from desired, but the ties must not be on a downcast route.