At a Khalsa Day celebration in Toronto this past Sunday, pro-Khalistan slogans were chanted throughout the crowd as Prime Minister Justin Trudeau gave a speech in support of Canada’s Sikh populations. In response, officials in India reached out to the Canadian Deputy High Commissioner with concerns over Khalistani support in Canada and the possible ramifications of such actions on the stability of the Punjab region of India. Tensions between India and Canada have worsened following the killing of a popular Sikh leader in Canada and the alleged connection of the murder with Indian officials. Canada’s commitment to the protection of Sikh rights emphasizes a fault line in Indian-Canadian relations and serves as grounds for future diplomatic difficulty.
At the gathering in Toronto, Trudeau addressed the Sikh crowd, saying that the Canadian government “will always be there to protect your rights and your freedoms, and we will always defend your community against hatred and discrimination.” During the speech, the audience chanted “Khalistan Zindabad,” –meaning “long live Khalistan.” The Indian government subsequently expressed “deep concern and strong protest” at the chant “being allowed to continue unchecked at the event.” India’s displeasure follows a dramatic operation in India to arrest Sikh leader Amritpal Singh in March 2023 and the subsequent heavy backlash from domestic and diasporic Sikh communities–including those in Canada. Furthermore, Trudeau’s promise of “actively pursuing credible allegations” about India’s connection with the death of a Sikh leader in Canada has soured the Indian-Canadian relationship.
The prominence of Hindu nationalism in India has worsened tensions between Sikh and Hindu populations and has thus created a brewing ground for violence. India’s separatist concerns do not call for the current offensive, consisting of heavy-handed measures in the Punjab region. Instead, the tension reveals the need for systemic change within the current Indian state of affairs to ensure a sustainable and peaceful coexistence. Before being able to move forward with confidence building, the Indian government must begin by recognizing Sikhism as a distinct religion, separate from Hinduism, a measure that many Sikhs have called for since the creation of an independent India. Legitimate and thorough investigations into anti-Sikh violence and police involvement in such actions are necessary to start to resolve the bitterness and distrust that many Sikhs feel towards the Indian government. Efforts to improve Sikh representation in the government and to relieve economic stress on the rural farming communities in Punjab may be the next steps for ensuring a future of peace between the two groups.
Khalistan’s separatist groups in India seek to create an ethno-religious, independent state for Sikh populations in the Punjab region. In the 1970s and 1980s, violence wreaked in Punjab, and the dissident movement worsened the deep political tensions between India’s Sikh population and the government. Sikhs were the majority group in the northern Punjab region, and liberatory protests resulted in the deaths of thousands of protesters, including Sikh leadership, as the Indian government carried out a widespread crackdown on the insurgent movement. A 1984 government-led invasion of the Golden Temple, Sikhism’s holiest place of worship in Amritsar, Punjab, killed at least 400 Sikhs and their leader, Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale, in an attempt to flush out insurgents. The Hindu response to the assassination of Indira Gandhi by two of her Sikh bodyguards was tragic for the Sikh populations in Hindu-dominant regions. Strained relations and frustration between the two groups have continued since the events of the 80s and have tainted international relationships as diasporic Sikh populations oppose Indian oppression.
A healthier Sikh-Hindu relationship in India will likely reduce violent outcomes and separatist terrorism while also improving the diplomatic relationship between Canada and India. To foster an environment in which extremism does not occur, India must focus on improving the political, economic, and social conditions of Sikhs in the Punjab region. While the effort may take years to ensure an equitable outcome for both populations, India will serve to benefit from a reduction in domestic terrorism and healthier religious dialogue. In response, the diasporic Sikh populations in countries like Canada may view the Indian state more favorably and will thus reduce opportunities for protest and public discontent.
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