Check Out: Did Justin Trudeau’s Khalistan Gamble Boomerang?
Diplomatic ties between India and Canada remain tense as Justin Trudeau recently accused the Indian government of assassinating a Canadian sikh, Hardeep Singh Nijjar.
India has strongly rejected the accusations. While Ottawa expelled a senior member of India’s foreign intelligence agency, New Delhi also expelled one of Canada’s top diplomats in response.
The Khalistan Movement has been gaining increasing prominence across the globe, with the term referring to a demand for a distinct homeland for the Sikhs in its most simplistic form.
Khalistan Movement And Its Tumultuous History
The movement was most active in the 1980s, driven by multiple factors contributing to the Sikh’s sense of injustice, including the 1947 partition of the Indian state of Punjab.
In the 1970s, Sikh preacher Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale gave such resentment a voice. He swiftly became a political leader and took up residence in the Golden Temple complex.
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In 1984, the Indian Army launched Operation Bluestar to dispel Bhindranwale and the militants from the holy site. But the move further enraged the community worldwide.
The fury exacerbated when a number of Sikhs got killed by rampaging mobs following the assassination of then-Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi by her Sikh bodyguards in 1984.
Nonetheless, the Canadian PM’s recent attempts to implicate India in the unresolved murder of a Canadian Sikh separatist leader involved with the Khalistan Movement seem to have backfired.
Circumstances Raising Doubts Over Trudeau’s Motives
The move has triggered heightened scrutiny regarding Canada’s sheltering of individuals associated with extremists fleeing from India, according to the Economic Times.
The alliance between Trudeau’s Liberal government and the New Democratic Party, whose leader is perceived to be a Khalistan supporter, has also raised doubt over the PM’s motives.
Additionally, concerns have been raised over the actions of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, as videos on social media reveal his involvement in militant activities and celebration of violent acts.
