Recently there has been a huge diplomatic dispute between Canada and India over the death of a Sikh separatist leader near Vancouver. In response the countries have expelled one of the other’s diplomats and India has suspended visa processing for Canadian citizens. Ties between the two countries are left strained after Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said publicly that investigators were looking into “credible allegations’ ‘ on the potential involvement of Indian government agents in the killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar. India’s Ministry of External Affairs quickly rejected Trudeau’s allegations, calling them “absurd” and accusing Canada of sheltering “terrorists and extremists” who “continue to threaten India’s sovereignty and territorial integrity,” Due to these events, Canada has announced its cancellation of a trade mission to India planned for the fall. But despite these harsh allegations Justin Trudeau still believes that India is a country of growing importance, and a country that we need to continue to work with – not just in the region but around the world.
The controversy between Canada and India began when a Canadian citizen and Khalistani terrorist, Singh Nijjar, was assassinated on Canadian soil. The accusations made by Justin Trudeau, Canada’s prime minister, that there was involvement of Indian government agents in the murder, sparked a huge conflict between the nations. In my opinion, because allegations originated from human and signal intelligence and inputs from an ally from Ottawa’s Five Eye intelligence network, then they are completely reasonable. Despite these justified allegations I believe it is beyond important for both the Canadian and Indian governments to work hand in hand to establish the facts of the case and obtain justice. It is also vital for Canada and India to mend relations due to mutual interests. For example, both countries are strong allies of the United States. India was also Canada’s 10th largest trading partner in 2022, with bilateral trade in goods at $11.9bn that year. In all, India and Canada have obtained diplomatic relationships since 1947, their relations are built on shared democratic values and the multicultural, multi-ethnic, and multi-religious nature of the two countries.
This controversy is beyond important internationally and has a direct correlation to our class. Both Canada and India are considered to have global power. Examples of this include both countries ranked top 10 in terms of GDP, and have both produced many global actors. and have influence over IGOs. India and Canada are also both a part of the UN. This controversy has also affected mutual allies of both countries including Great Britain and the United States. In class, we discussed how huge international disputes between countries can affect many other countries in regard to choosing a side or staying neutral. Such as Ukraine and Russia.