Strained Relations: India and Canada Engage in Diplomatic Spat Over Sikh Separatist Allegations, Threatening Global Partnerships and Security

India's top diplomat, Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, addressed world leaders at the U.N. General Assembly on Tuesday, where he championed India's growing global stature and leadership ambitions. In his speech, he made an indirect reference to countries' responses to terrorism, extremism, and violence, stating that political convenience should not determine these responses.

While India has often criticized Pakistan for sponsoring terrorism, this time the comment could also be seen as a swipe at Canada, which has accused India of being involved in the killing of a Sikh separatist leader on Canadian soil.

The strained relations between India and Canada have been escalating in recent years over claims of Canada fostering sympathy toward the Sikh separatist movement and accusations from India of Canadian officials interfering in its domestic politics.

India's accusation towards Canada stems from its claim that Canada has allowed Sikh separatists to thrive within its borders. While the active insurgency ended decades ago, the Indian government has expressed concerns over a Sikh separatist resurgence. India has urged countries like Canada, with a significant Sikh population, to do more to counter this separatist movement.

However, Canada has maintained that it upholds freedom of speech and has refrained from clamping down on Sikh activism. The relationship between India and Canada had been relatively positive in recent years, with both countries seeking to counter China's influence in the region.

Canada had viewed India as a critical partner under its Indo-Pacific strategy. However, tensions began to flare in early June when Indian Minister of External Affairs, S. Jaishankar, warned that Canada's engagement with Sikh separatists was detrimental to the relationship between the two countries.

Ten days after Jaishankar's warning, a Sikh Canadian leader was shot dead at a Sikh temple in Vancouver. The recent accusation from Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau that India played a role in the assassination of the Sikh Canadian leader has further strained the relationship. Both countries have retaliated by expelling senior diplomats.

The repercussions of this spat will have wider diplomatic implications for Canada, as it has previously faced strained relations with rising nations like China and Saudi Arabia. The Biden administration will also need to navigate this issue carefully, as it aims to maintain a strong partnership with India to counter China's influence in the Indo-Pacific region.

It is uncertain how the India-Canada relationship will progress from here. India may demand that the allegations be retracted and could potentially downgrade relations or reduce security at the Canadian embassy. It is clear that returning to the previous state of normalcy will not be easy, and the damage to the relationship may take time to repair.