On September 21, 2023, India announced that it would be suspending visa services for Canadian citizens. Why did this happen? Why are two close allies fighting with each other? Let’s find out.
It all started in 1948, when Sikh rebels fought the Indian government for the creation of a Sikh state called Khalistan. The government put down the rebellion, but some rebels moved to Canada. There the movement was kept up, and it continues till today.
One of the leaders of these present-day rebels, Hardeep Singh Najjar, received Canadian citizenship. He ran a plumbing business while organizing rallies for the independence of Khalistan. The Indian government asserted that Nijjar was a terrorist for even the idea of the Sikh state. Then on June 18, 2023, Nijjar was shot and killed in the parking lot of a Sikh temple in Surrey, British Columbia.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was outraged, and told public media in September 2023 that the Indian government was responsible for the killing. India responded by creating a tit-for-tat involving travel advisories and callbacks on diplomats between the two countries. Indian foreign ministry spokesperon Arindam Bagchi on September 21 called Canada a “safe haven for terrorists.”
What will happen next? Will Canada admit they need to do better? Will India admit that they killed Nijjar? Check back later to find out.
By Mihir Gupta
This is a developing story, and updates will come soon.
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