Has India killed a Sikh activist in Canada? | Inside Story

Summary

The killing of a Sikh activist in Canada has sparked a diplomatic crisis between India and Canada. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has accused Indian agents of a potential link to the murder, a claim India vehemently denies. This has led to the expulsion of diplomats and raised concerns over the impact on trade and defense cooperation. The situation also highlights issues of religious minority treatment in India and the influence of the Sikh diaspora in Canadian politics, complicating Canada's relations with India and its stance within the international community.

Takeaways

• 😐 The killing of a Sikh activist in Canada has led to a diplomatic rift between India and Canada, with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau suggesting India's potential involvement.
• 😳 India has vehemently denied the allegations, calling them absurd, and has retaliated by expelling a Canadian diplomat.
• 🔍 Canadian security agencies are investigating credible allegations of a link between the Indian government and the killing, which has heightened tensions.
• 🤔 The incident has raised questions about the treatment of religious minorities in India and the global implications of such actions.
• 😕 Relations between India and Canada were already strained, with Prime Minister Modi accusing Canada of harboring Sikh separatists at the G20 Summit.
• 🏛️ The controversy could affect cooperation on trade and defense between the two countries, potentially derailing ongoing partnerships.
• 🌐 The situation highlights the geopolitical challenges faced by countries with significant diaspora populations and the influence they can have on international relations.
• 🗣️ The debate underscores the complexities of balancing domestic political considerations with international diplomacy and security.
• 🔗 The incident brings to light the historical tensions between India and Sikh separatist movements, with a history of violence and extremism.
• ⚖️ The discussion points to the need for careful diplomacy and potentially increased transparency in the handling of such sensitive international issues.

Q & A

What is the main issue that has caused a diplomatic rift between India and Canada?

The main issue is the killing of a Sikh activist in British Columbia, Canada, with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau suggesting India's possible involvement, which India has vehemently denied.

How has India responded to the allegations made by Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau?

India has reacted with fury, calling the allegations absurd and has expelled a Canadian diplomat in retaliation.

What is the significance of the Sikh community in Canada?

Canada has one of the largest Sikh diaspora communities in the world, and they play a significant role in Canadian politics and society.

What is the 'Khalistan' movement mentioned in the script?

The 'Khalistan' movement is a Sikh separatist movement that seeks to create an independent Sikh state called Khalistan, primarily advocated by some Sikhs in the diaspora.

How has the relationship between India and Canada been affected by this incident?

The relationship has been severely strained, with both countries expelling each other's diplomats and cooperation on trade and defense potentially being jeopardized.

What is the stance of the Indian government regarding the 'Khalistan' movement and Sikh militancy?

The Indian government views the 'Khalistan' movement and Sikh militancy as serious threats and has been vocal about its concerns, especially regarding the activities of Sikh extremists abroad.

What is the role of the Canadian intelligence agencies in this situation?

Canadian intelligence agencies are investigating credible allegations of a potential link between the Indian government and the killing of the Sikh activist.

How have other countries reacted to the escalating tensions between India and Canada?

Other countries, particularly those in the 'Five Eyes' intelligence alliance, have been cautious and have urged further investigation into the matter, while also focusing on strengthening ties with India as a counterweight to China.

What are the geopolitical implications of the India-Canada confrontation?

The confrontation could affect global strategies, especially those related to the Indo-Pacific region and efforts to counterbalance China's influence.

What is the historical context of Sikh activism and extremism in Canada as mentioned in the script?

Sikh activism and extremism in Canada have a long history, with incidents such as the bombing of Air India Flight 182 in 1985, which killed 329 people, being a significant event.

How does the script suggest the Canadian government should handle the situation with India?

The script implies that the Canadian government should be more transparent about the evidence it has, handle the situation with caution, and avoid escalating the matter publicly.

Outlines

00:00

🔍 Diplomatic Tensions Rise Between India and Canada

The killing of a Sikh activist in Canada has led to a diplomatic rift between India and Canada. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has accused Indian agents of a potential link to the murder, a claim India vehemently denies. This has resulted in the expulsion of diplomats from both sides, and there are concerns that it could affect trade and defense cooperation. The incident has also brought to light the issue of religious minorities in India and the treatment of Sikh separatists, with Trudeau defending freedom of expression against Modi's accusations of Canada harboring Sikh separatists.

05:03

📢 Trudeau's Public Allegation Sparks Indian Fury

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's public statement in the House of Commons about credible allegations of Indian government involvement in the killing of a Sikh activist has been met with outrage from India. India has called the allegations absurd and has retaliated by expelling a Canadian diplomat. The situation has escalated diplomatic tensions, with India advising its citizens to exercise caution when visiting Canada due to perceived anti-India activities. The incident underscores the complexities of the relationship between the two countries and the challenges in managing such disputes.

10:05

🌐 Geopolitical Implications of the India-Canada Confrontation

The growing rift between India and Canada has broader geopolitical implications, especially considering the involvement of the Sikh diaspora and the history of Sikh extremism. Canada is home to a significant Sikh population, and the political dynamics within the country, including the influence of Sikh politicians, play a role in shaping the relationship. The incident could potentially affect Canada's strategy in the Indo-Pacific region, which aims to counterbalance China's influence, as India is a key partner in this strategy. The confrontation also raises questions about how Canada and its allies will navigate relations with India moving forward.

15:07

🛑 The Impact of Sikh Militancy on International Relations

The assassination of Indian diplomats and the rise of Sikh militancy abroad have been a long-standing concern for India. The recent attacks on Indian diplomatic missions and the historical context of Sikh extremism are highlighted, emphasizing India's struggle with managing this international threat. The conversation points to the potential for Sikh militants based in Canada to carry out acts of terrorism in other Western countries, thus making it an issue of international security rather than just a bilateral concern between India and Canada.

20:09

🏛️ India's Domestic Challenges and International Image

The discussion addresses the accusations of rising conservative Hindu nationalism in India under Prime Minister Modi's leadership and its impact on religious minorities. It contrasts the polarized political environment in India with the robustness of its democracy, suggesting that while there are concerns, the situation is not as dire as critics claim. The focus is also on India's historical concerns about Sikh terrorism and its efforts to manage this threat without resorting to authoritarian measures, such as assassinating dissidents abroad.

Keywords

💡Sikh activist

A Sikh activist is an individual who advocates for the rights, interests, or causes of the Sikh community. In the context of the video, a Sikh activist was killed in Canada, which has led to diplomatic tensions between India and Canada. The Sikh community has a history of activism, particularly around issues of religious freedom and self-determination, as seen in the script's mention of the Khalistan movement.

💡Diplomatic Rift

A diplomatic rift refers to a disagreement or conflict between two or more nations that can strain or damage their diplomatic relations. The video discusses how the killing of a Sikh activist in Canada has opened a diplomatic rift between India and Canada, with both countries expelling each other's diplomats and accusing one another of involvement in the incident.

💡Justin Trudeau

Justin Trudeau is the Prime Minister of Canada. In the video, he is mentioned as having accused the Indian government of being involved in the killing of a Sikh activist, which has escalated tensions between the two countries. Trudeau's comments and actions are central to the diplomatic rift discussed in the video.

💡New Delhi

New Delhi is the capital city of India and often used as a metonym for the Indian government. The video script mentions New Delhi in the context of India's denial of involvement in the killing of the Sikh activist and its retaliatory expulsion of a Canadian diplomat, highlighting the city's role as the center of India's political response.

💡Trade and Defense Cooperation

Trade and defense cooperation refers to the economic and military partnerships between nations. The video suggests that the diplomatic rift between India and Canada could jeopardize existing cooperation in trade and defense, indicating the potential broader impacts of the current tensions on bilateral relations.

💡Religious Minorities

Religious minorities are groups whose religious beliefs differ from the majority in a given region or country. The plight of religious minorities in India is mentioned in the video, particularly in relation to the treatment of Sikhs and the broader implications for freedom of religion and potential human rights issues.

💡Khalistan

Khalistan is a proposed sovereign country to be carved out of Indian territory by Sikh separatists. The video discusses the Khalistan movement in the context of Sikh activism and the tensions between India and countries with significant Sikh populations, such as Canada.

💡Hindu Nationalism

Hindu nationalism is a political ideology that advocates for a nation based on Hindu culture and values. The video mentions the rise of conservative Hindu nationalism under Prime Minister Modi and its potential implications for religious minorities in India, suggesting a complex political and social landscape.

💡G20 Summit

The G20 Summit is an international forum for economic cooperation among 19 countries and the European Union. The video script references the G20 Summit as a recent event where tensions between India and Canada were evident, with Prime Minister Modi accusing Canada of harboring Sikh separatists.

💡Freedom of Expression

Freedom of expression is a fundamental human right that allows individuals to express their thoughts and ideas without fear of censorship or punishment. The video highlights Trudeau's commitment to defending freedom of expression in Canada, even as it becomes a point of contention in the country's relationship with India.

Highlights

Sikh activist killed in Canada leads to diplomatic rift with India.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau accuses Indian government of involvement in the killing.

India denies allegations, calling them absurd, and expels a Canadian diplomat.

Canadian security agencies investigate potential links between Indian government and the killing.

Trudeau's statement suggests a potential link without definitive evidence, leaving room for interpretation.

India's reaction indicates fury and a sense of provocation from Trudeau's allegations.

The incident may affect cooperation on trade and defense between India and Canada.

Canadian Sikh community calls for justice and accuses Indian government of involvement.

Strained relations between India and Canada discussed at the G20 Summit.

Criticism of Modi's government for treatment of religious minorities and rise of Hindu nationalism.

Concerns about discrimination and targeted attacks on Sikhs in India and abroad.

Diplomatic fallout threatens to derail strategic partnerships and shared interests.

Sikh diaspora in Canada plays a significant role in Canadian politics.

Geopolitical consequences of the India-Canada confrontation analyzed.

The impact of domestic politics on international relations, particularly Trudeau's minority government.

The history of Sikh militancy and its influence on India's foreign relations.

The plight of religious minorities in India and the global attention it has garnered.

The potential for the situation to escalate into international security concerns.

Transcripts

Sikh activists have been operating for

years outside India now one has been

killed in Canada prime minister Justin

Trudeau accuses New Delhi of triggering

tension between the two countries so can

it be contained and what does this tell

us about the plight of religious

minorities in India this is Inside Story

[Music]

hello and welcome to the program I'm

Muhammad the killing of a Sikh activist

in British Columbia has opened up a

diplomatic Rift between India and Canada

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau

says India may have been involved a

charge New Delhi is calling absurd both

sides have expelled each other's

diplomats and cooperation on trade and

defense could be in Jeopardy we'll go to

our panel in just a few moments but

first Fenton Monahan has this report

Sikhs in Canada are calling for justice

that's after one of their Community

leaders was killed by gunmen in June

they accused the Indian government of

being involved now Canadian Prime

Minister Justin Trudeau appears to have

confirmed some of their suspicions

over the past number of weeks Canadian

security agencies have been actively

pursuing credible allegations of a

potential link

between agents of the government of

India and the killing of a Canadian

citizen Hardeep Singh nijar Canada has

already expelled an Indian Diplomat a

sign that believes the allegations are

credible

but in India protesters have denounced

Trudeau the government has denied any

involvement and expelled a Canadian

Diplomat in retaliation

relations were already strained at the

G20 Summit in New Delhi over a week ago

prime minister Narendra Modi accused

Canada of harboring and encouraging Sikh

separatists

Trudeau said Canada would always defend

freedom of expression

modi's Hindu nationalist government has

frequently been criticized for its

treatment of religious minorities

the U.S state Department recently called

on Canada to address growing incidents

of discrimination and targeted attacks

the killing of Hardeep Singh nijar has

caused a diplomatic Rift that may prove

difficult to bridge

and threatens to derail cooperation

between the countries on trade and

defense

Vincent Mullen for Inside Story

joining me now are our guests in Ottawa

is Gary Keller vice president at

strategy Corps a government relations

and geopolitical advisory he is also

former Chief of Staff to the Canadian

foreign minister

in Birmingham is Steve Hewitt associate

professor at University of Birmingham

he's working on a book detailing the

history of terrorism and

counter-terrorism in Canada

and a New Delhi is Brahma Cellini

professor of strategic studies at the

center for policy research he's former

advisor to India's National Security

Council a warm welcome to you all now we

should point out we had a spokesperson

from India's ruling BJP party schedule

to be on the program with us but they

pulled out before recording Gary let me

start with you today

um how extraordinary was it that this

allegation was made publicly by prime

minister Trudeau well very extraordinary

uh the news that was broken in the House

of Commons on Monday afternoon the House

of Commons has been on a summer break

for a number of months now and you know

Canadians thought that a large focus of

the Fall sitting of parliament is going

to be focused on the economy and within

about two hours of the House of Commons

returning prime minister Trudeau had

Trudeau had certainly blown that out of

the water with this this uh this quite

explosive news uh and providing almost

no uh heads up to the opposition parties

uh and it was uh certainly dominating

the headlines and it has dominated the

headlines in Canada for the past 48

hours and we'll continue to do so as

prime minister Trudeau is that the

United Nations General Assembly uh later

this week uh I am sure he's going to be

trying to court more support and I'm

sure we'll talk a little bit more about

that among the Allied countries uh

around this investigation but obviously

uh the murder of this uh uh the Sikh

activist and Canadian citizen made news

back a number of months ago when it

happened uh and now this is just even

blown Edge even further into the

Stratosphere in terms of what Canadians

are hearing and watching Gary let me

also ask you about the fact that when

you listen to the language used by prime

minister Trudeau in his statement he's

not really definitive he says that

Canadian intelligence are investigating

credible allegations uh he talks about

there being a potential link I want to

ask you um is he giving himself a little

bit of wiggle room on this

yeah you know any any political leader

will try to give themselves wiggle room

uh on something like this uh you know is

again very explosive uh allegation uh

and you know the it was interesting to

see the reaction of the opposition

parties especially the conservative

leader uh the leader of the official

opposition who immediately his first

reaction was you know yes we all have to

stand together against interference

encounters activities and foreign

interference has been a major Topic in

Canada Chinese interference in our

political uh elections uh that has been

a major topic and so this just adds fuel

to the fire but 24 hours later the

opposition leader was asking some more

appointed questions we need to see the

full we need to see the full evidence

out there why are these allegations

about Indian interference and Indian

activities made public when we've had

months and years of allegations of

Chinese interference not become public

uh and so I like to say this is a

dangerous inflection point for both the

government and the opposition Mr Trudeau

has to basically back up what he has

said uh and if there's any wiggle room

in that that is going to be very

dangerous for the government in terms of

its credibility on the same time the

opposition has to be very careful that

it doesn't overplay its hand it has the

right and a duty to ask difficult

questions in the House of Commons each

and every day but it can't be seen to be

trying to make political hay uh over a a

very serious situation like this Brahma

the Indian government has said that any

suggestion that it played a role in The

Killing of Hardeep Singh Najar is absurd

now aside from the initial statement by

the Canadian Prime Minister we also

heard from Justin Trudeau that he has

said that he's not trying to provoke

India after he made that accusation

um what is the reaction to those remarks

does India see this as a provocation

India's reacted with Fury

because

as you pointed out in the earlier

question

that what Trudeau was sitting in the

House of Commons on Monday was not about

Canadian security agencies finding

evidence of India's involvement in the

killing of this Sikh militant rather his

statement was about

allegations that he called credible

allegations about a potential India link

to the murder

but why would the prime minister of a

country

stand up and Parliament

and they will allegations against

another friendly country

when not a single suspect has been

arrested in the murder

so with no arrests let alone any

evidence

he stands up in Parliament and basically

Echoes the allegations of radical six in

Canada

who from the very first day

of The Killing

have helped India responsible

for the murder

Trudeau would have known that when he

made that statement in the House of

Commons

that this would

rapidly worsen relations with India

relations with India have been worsening

on Trudeau's watch

in recent years because Pluto's

government has turned a blind eye to the

increasing activities of radical Sikhs

in Canada the fact is that Trudeau has

political ties to Canadians sick

radicals he leads a minority government

that depends for its Survival on the

support of the new Democratic party

leader Jack meat Singh chatmeet Singh is

a Sikh by ethnicity by religion

but he's also in the past defended Sikh

militants that have been fighting for

creating a separate Sikh Homeland out of

carved out of India to be known as

kalistan as a lawyer has defended them

he's also participated in the events in

support of the kalistan movement so

given the domestic politics in Canada I

know that kudos

popularity ratings have sunk he's

trailing the leader of the opposition

maybe domestic political considerations

have played a part in Pluto's allegation

but he don't you don't

do what he has done knowing that this

word

let me ask you this you talk about the

fact that India is is furious by these

allegations

um from your perspective can this

growing Rift can it actually be

contained and and if so what has to

happen

what we're seeing now is a Don good

spiral in relations

each country has kicked out its top spy

and now they have been tit for attacked

travel advisories India for example

today advised Indians visiting Canada to

exercise caution because of

growing anti-india activity in Canada

and and and also politically condoned

violence in Canada

I think it's very important for Canada

and India

to stem this downward spiral in

relations because

Canada and India are not adversaries

these are friends

and I think that

it's easy to damage an important

relationship but rebuilding it would be

far more difficult so it's very

important both for Ottawa in New Delhi

not to escalate matters

they need to take things uh in a more

cautious in a more pragmatic way and

use pack Channel diplomacy rather than

carrying Grievances and suspicions and

allegations in public unfortunately the

ball is in Pluto's Court you know he he

has aired suspicions these allegations

is intelligence inputs we know and and

not a single suspect has been arrested

and this is a remarkable because the

murder happened

more than three months ago and if you

don't have a single suspect in custody

you obviously don't have any evidence

and so before you open your mouth in

public you should you should first think

of the Diplomatic consequences of what

you are saying

Steve let me ask you uh Canada has a

very sizable population of Sikhs how

does that change the Dynamics of this

growing Rift

yeah yeah I mean Canada has the largest

uh seat diasporic Community

um in the world

and there's a long history of seek

activism seek extremism uh seek

Canadians involved in in violence in

fact I was listening to discussion

thinking 40 years ago this similar

discussion was taking place including

with the Trudeau government not of

Justin Trudeau but of Pierre Trudeau so

you've got Sikhs who are as the previous

guest mentioned uh who are active in in

the liberal party uh the leader of the

new Democratic party as our previous

guest mentioned is to seek but the

deputy leader of the conservative party

is also the sake so you have Sikhs in

all three major parties and they play a

full role in the Canadian political

scene uh our upstanding citizens our in

large communities in British Columbia

and Ontario so I mean Canada is a very

obviously a very diverse very

Multicultural country and there are

diaspora communities from a number of

places in the world uh as there are in

the United States as there are in the

United Kingdom where I am right now

Steve let me also ask you how much

concern is there about the geopolitical

consequences of a growing India Canada

confrontation I mean in both the short

term and the long term

but this I think is really interesting

uh that Canada's main allies seem to be

very quiet on this issue because of

course this has come at a point where uh

the United States the United Kingdom are

trying to sort of pivot away from China

and build relations with India so in

some ways the Trudeau government is not

um sort of singing from the same song

sheet as its Ally so it will be

interesting to see how this plays out

over the next few weeks because India is

in a rather strong position given the

concerns about China uh including in

Canada as as the first guests mentioned

the issue of foreign interference has

been this big issue focused on China uh

and now it's obviously emerged in

relation to India Gary I saw you

reacting to some of what Steve was

saying there looked like you wanted to

jump in so please go ahead

yeah uh to Steve's point you know and

actually to the other a guest Point

Canada has long been seen by India to

have a problem on how it deals uh with

seek extreme extremism uh the

calisthenny question and in recent

months it is actually it Ebbs and flows

and and the issue around Palestine has

heated up as seeking extremists have

held what they call a referendum in

certain communities across Canada

calling for Independence for uh for uh a

Palestinian State

um and we know for a fact too that the

Modi government has tried to quietly

back channel uh with some of those

community members trying to Tamp down uh

those who might have been on the fence

and so I think the Modi government in

some ways thought that it was trying to

get a handle on the kalisani problem in

Canada like I say for for 40 50 years

the Indian government has has made uh

complaints about that and you know uh

the other issue that has been a huge

issue in India and India Canada

relations

those same extremists gurdwaras and

protests have seen uh posters uh calling

for the assassination of Indian

diplomats in Canada and we've seen that

security has been increased on the

Indian High Commission in Ottawa and

consulate generals across Canada so it

is it's a very serious uh issue that has

bubbled up over the last number of

months and this uh this killing back in

the spring summer uh again focused

attention even back then without this

without this other uh noise coming into

and into question so uh it is a it's a

Live question

um and it's also to Steve's point is a

political issue because in parts of

Canada uh you know the Surrey region of

Vancouver where there's four or five

seats for which go back and forth

between liberals new Democrats and

conservatives there's probably you know

eight to Fifteen seats in the greater

Toronto area that again flip around and

Mr Trudeau has a minority government uh

he he has the support of the new

Democrats on this

for his his minority government and as a

result these are very politically

important seats because if there's you

know 15 to 20 seats that are uh have a

sizable uh South Asian or Sikh

population that can make the difference

between a majority and minority

government in a lot of cases so very

very live issues in Canadian politics as

well I think not the politicians are

thinking about the news first but that

that discussion is going to come later

um and uh and India does have a point

that Canada has been seen to be weak on

calisthenny activity and calisthenia

extremism in Canada Brahma to Gary's

Point uh let me ask you India has been

raising concerns about the Coliseum

Independence Movement not just with

Canada but with other countries as well

with our our sizable Sikh populations

like the UK and and Australia right

well exactly and and this year has been

particularly about in terms of sick

militancy abroad because the first

Indian High commission the embassy in

London was stoned by Sikh radicals they

entered the compound they pulled down

the Indian flag they know they hoisted

the Sikh kalistan flag and then a few

hours later in a copycat attack in San

Francisco on the Indian Consulate

Burton's storm that consulate and then

they followed it up a few days later

with an awesome attack they said they

set the front area of the consulate on

fire and then we have had a series of of

other attacks on Indian diplomatic

missions or Indian diplomats in uh in in

the atmosphere countries so these five

anglosphere countries are are the Hub of

Sikh militancy today because what's

interesting uh for your viewers is that

back in India among six in India there's

little or no support for the kalistan

demand

this command is only

only being only being exposed by a small

minority of six

living in Canada

in the U.S principally California

in the UK and Australia this is where

the kalistan demand is being advocated

it's an irony because even there even

even among the Sikh diaspora

those who are advocating for a separate

Sikh Homeland are only a tiny minority

of the Sikhs

but the problem is that you know when as

your previous speaker was talking about

the domestic political compulsions of

prime minister Trudeau when you have

those compulsions and you give a long

rope to seek militants in in your

country you encourage not only

anti-india activities you you you

actually

unintentionally encourage

terrorism and this is where you know

today it's about

India Canada relations at a time might

come

when Sikh militants based in Canada

carry out International acts of

terrorism in other Western countries we

don't want that to happen

that's a reason why it's not just about

India and Canada this is about

International Security

uh Steve I saw you uh reacting to a lot

of what Brahma was saying there it looks

like you wanted to jump in so go ahead

yeah yeah yeah I mean the worst act of

terrorism in Canadian history was the

bombing of Air India flight 182 in 1985.

uh 329 people killed 278 of them

Canadian citizens on a per capita basis

that's the equivalent of a 911 for

Canada carried out by seek extremists

operating in Canada but I feel like in

some ways your guest in India is making

the case as to why India might be

tempted to do exactly what they've been

accused of I mean there was long concern

that if Canada didn't do more in a sense

to crack down on

um Sikh activities and this again goes

back decades that India might be tempted

to and there's all kinds of evidence of

Indian intelligence agents operating in

Canada monitoring uh C communities but I

think this is going obviously one step

further uh if these allegations are true

and and escalating things uh Beyond

which something beyond the point that

the Canadian government and I think most

Canadians would find acceptable

Gary I saw you reacting as well so I'm

going to let you jump in but but I also

want to ask you um when we're talking

about these allegations and the

seriousness of it all I mean is there a

point with which the Canadian government

is going to start making any of the

evidence they say they have public

well that's a great question and uh when

we've been dealing with accusations of

Chinese interference in our political

elections the government's response to

date has been too sensitive

parliamentarians can't have access to

that we have to have a independent

inquiry and even they were fighting an

independent inquiry and only let a

former governor general take a look at

that information uh and so uh the onus

and the call even through that and now

into this is that okay you have to be

more transparent with Canadians about

these very serious allegations and even

Canada's national security advisor

testified before House of Commons

committee saying our default position is

secrecy our default position is not to

tell things and if you you want to see

things we have to be pushed into it and

and I think this is only going to lead

to that I just want to also touch on the

fact that and we started out on this is

this really you know if you thought that

Canadian Indian relations were cold

before uh they're in the cryogenic Deep

Freeze uh for the very short and

probably medium term as well uh you know

like I say the relationship has gone hot

and cold over the last 40 or 50 years it

really kind of went cold after 2015 when

Justin Trudeau focused a lot of his

foreign policy attention on China at the

expense of India obviously that

calculation changed in the wake of the

two Michaels and the menguan Joe case uh

and and this increasing Chinese

interference Trudeau was pushing a free

trade deal with China that's off the

table Canada 10 months ago launched its

so-called indo-pacific strategy which

was to act as a counterweight against

China in both foreign policy trade and

development issues but what do you do

now uh with an indo-pacific strategy

when the Indo part of that strategy is

basically gone and in the Deep Freeze

the next uh you know little while here

uh and probably for the length of this

Trudeau government you know you need if

you need to counterweight to China uh

it's not gonna that relationship's not

gonna work in Canada and and then we've

seen this reaction from both the United

States the UK some of our five eyes

Partners who are going well Canada you

should really investigate these these

this information and yes you know any

killing of a Canadian citizen is

horrible investigate that further

they're not coming out and just jumping

on the bandwagon because they understand

and and Joe Biden has made this a key

part of this foreign policy strategy a

political strategy to bring India closer

to the fold they had a very successful

G20 and Justin Trudeau was actually the

outlier at the G20 in terms of being

there and participating now we know why

because they had some very difficult

discussions over the course of that

conference uh Brahma I want to ask you

about the fact that since his election

in 2014 Prime Minister Modi has been

accused by many groups of overseeing a

rising tide of conservative Hindu

nationalism in India there are minority

groups in the countries that have raised

concerns about threats to their human

rights this issue has been see been

receiving wider Global attention after

three Pro kalistan activists died in

quick succession in different countries

earlier this year

um what does this say about the plight

of religious minorities in India

but first I think you have to keep in

mind that India has a very polarized

democracy

in fact it's in some respects more

polarized in the United States

but if you go back to the time when

Donald Trump was in the White House

you remember how Americans were accusing

Trump of undermining American democracy

of being a threat to American democracy

of of acting as a strong man

these are the kind of accusations that

critics of Modi heard like Modi so you

have to keep in mind that that

in a highly partisan political

environment

like in India where either you are pro

Modi or Auntie Modi you can't be neutral

if you're neutral then you are you know

you you are an outcast for both sides

so one of his accusations that are being

heard about what Modi is doing I like

what Trump was accused of

but just the way American democracy

survived from the trumps Trump's

presidency they knew democracy is robust

enough

to survive Modi there's nothing he has

done nothing in terms of changes in law

that affect the minorities

so one has to keep that in mind but but

coming back to the larger issue that you

know that you're discussing

the fact is that much before Modi even

entered politics

India has had deep concerns about the

operations of Indian region terrorists

from analosphere countries and those

Indian concerns go back to the 1980s

when an Indian Diplomat was murdered in

Birmingham in Britain and as the

previous guest mentioned a bomb

explosion downed an Air India flight

from Toronto killing all 329 people on

board

now assassinating dissidents abroad is

what authoritarian regimes do India has

never been accused of taking down

anyone on Western soil for example there

are more than 100 human designated

terrorists based in Pakistan that are

wanted in India

and yet India has put up with those

terrorists even though some of them are

wanted in India for for horrific attacks

such as the 2008 Mumbai Massacre Now by

by comparison

this chick radical who was gunned down

in Canada

is it an unknown figure in India he's

certainly not on India's list of most

Wanted terrorists so you have to ask

yourself that why would why would India

take down some obscure figure in Canada

even though he's a fugitive from Indian

law he he carried out some acts of

terrorism in India and he entered Canada

illegally illegally and he cried for

years to to become a citizen twice as

applications for Refugee status were

were rejected go ahead I'm so I'm sorry

to interrupt you but we have run out of

time so we're going to have to leave the

conversation there thanks so much to all

of our guests Gary Keller Steve Hewitt

and Brahma chalani

and thank you two for watching you can

see the program again anytime by

visiting our website Al jazeera.com and

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handle is at AJ Inside Story for me

Mohammad the whole team here bye for now

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