Since independence, Canada and India have shared a strong friendship and alliance. The relationship between the two nations has often been described as sibling-like, with Canada playing a significant role in helping the newly independent India bridge connections with the Western world. Canadian foreign aid to India began in 1951 and expanded substantially under the Colombo Plan. Both countries are members of the Commonwealth of Nations and the G20, the latter being an organization of the world’s largest economies. In 2023, bilateral trade between Canada and India was valued at over $9 billion.

However, recent developments have strained this relationship. Canada expelled the Indian High Commissioner, and India responded by expelling top Canadian diplomats from New Delhi. This diplomatic rift traces back to the Sikh separatist movement, often referred to as the Khalistan movement.

The Khalistan movement originated in the 1930s as British rule in India was beginning to fade. Sikh activists initiated the movement to establish an independent Sikh state called Khalistan. The movement gained traction among the Sikh diaspora, particularly during the 1970s, when it found footing in London. Jagjit Singh Chohan, a prominent figure in the movement, moved to the UK in 1969 after a political loss in Punjab and began advocating for Khalistan, even proposing a state including parts of Haryana and Himachal Pradesh.

In 1970, Chohan allied with Davinder Singh Parmar, a London-based advocate for the Khalistan cause, and announced the movement's presence in the UK. Initially, the movement was largely dismissed as a fringe group. Following the 1971 India-Pakistan war, Chohan visited Pakistan, invited by leader Chaudhuri Zahoor Elahi, and used this opportunity to promote Khalistan, gaining extensive media coverage. During his visit, he claimed that Pakistan’s Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto had offered to name the Nankana Sahib in Pakistan’s Punjab province as the future capital of Khalistan.

Chohan then traveled to the United States, where he published a full-page ad in the New York Times promoting the idea of Khalistan. This publicity helped him gather significant funds from supporters but led to charges of sedition in India. In 1980, he founded the “Council of Khalistan” and appointed himself president, with Balbir Singh Sandhu as secretary-general.

The movement remained a minor footnote until the pivotal event of Operation Blue Star in 1984. This military operation aimed to remove Sikh militants, including Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale, from the Golden Temple, a revered Sikh shrine. The Indian military faced unexpectedly powerful weaponry from the militants, including Chinese-made grenade launchers and armor-piercing rounds. To avoid damaging the holy site, the army initially used light arms but later resorted to tanks and artillery. The operation incited global outrage within the Sikh community, who viewed it as an attack on their faith.

In October 1984, Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, who authorized the operation, was assassinated by her Sikh bodyguards, Satwant Singh and Beant Singh. Her party, the Indian National Congress, exploited public anger over her assassination, leading to the 1984 Sikh riots, which resulted in extensive violence against Sikh civilians.

While Operation Blue Star achieved its immediate objectives, it further strained relations between the Indian government and the Sikh community, intensifying calls for a separate state.

Fast-forward to the present day: Canada, with a substantial Sikh population, has seen the Khalistan movement gain significant traction. Tensions with India escalated after the 2023 murder of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a prominent advocate for Khalistan. Having moved to Canada in the 1990s, Nijjar became deeply involved in the movement and, in 2016, was placed on a no-fly list, with his accounts frozen on allegations of running a “terror training camp.” He rose to prominence in 2019 as head of the Guru Nanak Sikh Gurdwara in Surrey, British Columbia.

In June 2023, Nijjar was shot in a gurdwara parking lot in British Columbia. Later, in September, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau stated that Canadian intelligence had credible evidence of Indian government involvement in Nijjar’s assassination. In response, Canada expelled a top Indian diplomat, and India reciprocated.

By May 2024, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police had arrested three Indian nationals, charging them with Nijjar's murder. The investigation is ongoing, including efforts to connect the assassination to the Indian government.

The conflict intensified earlier this month when Canada declared six Indian diplomats, including High Commissioner Sanjay Verma, persona non grata, citing alleged evidence linking Indian agents to both Nijjar’s and Sukhdool Singh’s 2023 murders. Canadian authorities assert that the expelled diplomats were directly involved in intelligence operations targeting Sikh separatists.

Prime Minister Trudeau’s handling of the situation has been widely criticized, with 20 members of his own party calling for his resignation. His popularity, as well as that of the Liberal Party, has been in steady decline, while the Conservative Party, led by Pierre Poilievre, now holds a strong lead with 42.5% support. Trudeau’s decisive actions in this matter may mark the end of his tenure, with Canadian elections scheduled for October 2025 and indications pointing toward a probable transition of power to Poilievre.