This article was written in early October 2023.
A recent current affairs topic that has made the headlines is undoubtedly the Canadian-Indian diplomatic dispute. This situation had first arisen when Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau accused the Indian government of assassinating Sikh separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar on Canadian soil. India responded by describing Canada as a “haven for terrorists” and sent Canadian diplomats home, with Canada then responding by sending Indian diplomats home. These events undoubtedly resulted in the relations between the two nations crumbling.
Nijjar is an Indian activist and Sikh separatist who has pushed for the independence of Punjab, a state currently under Indian rule. His stance displeased the Indian government, which accused Nijjar of being the mastermind behind the Khalistan Tiger Force, a militant group that is deemed a threat to India’s territorial sovereignty. Thus, being a wanted man in India, Nijjar fled to Canada in the 1990s with an inauthentic refugee passport.
Despite initially being rejected for Canadian citizenship, Nijjar ultimately became an official Canadian citizen in 2007. However, up until his death, Nijjar was still a wanted man in India. By 2020, the Indian government had identified Nijjar as a “terrorist”, and furthered their ambitions to have him dead. This aim was allegedly achieved through sending Indian spies onto Canadian soil to spy on him and assassinate him. Despite denying such allegations, there is evidence that points toward the Indian government being responsible for Nijjar’s death. Despite this being a case of “transnational repression”, which violates Canadian sovereignty, this does not make the Canadian government entirely innocent. When asked to present evidence to support the allegations, Trudeau refused to publicize such evidence and claimed to have shared it with the Indian government.
However, according to top Canadian officials, it was reported that the source of intelligence was from the Five Eyes alliance (FVEY), an intelligence-sharing group, consisting of the US, the UK, Australia, Canada, and New Zealand. It is respected and understood that each country should have some form of intelligence to keep their nation safe. However, the FVEY has faced criticism in the past for being more than just an “intelligence-sharing” group, with some suggesting that the alliance aims to increase its influence on the global stage.
In the end, it seems that both state actors involved in this dispute have had a history of violating the sovereignty of other countries. In an ideal world, sovereignty would be respected and governments would lead by the rules. Nonetheless, that does not seem to be the case. We will just have to wait for the day such diplomacy comes — if it ever does.
