Authorities in the U.S. said an Indian government official directed a plot to assassinate Sikh separatist leader Gurpatwant Singh Pannun in New York City.
(AP Photo/Ted Shaffrey)
This announcement by U.S. authorities could have potential ramifications for Indian politics, both at home and abroad, and could spur separatist activities in the Sikh diaspora.
President Joe Biden speaks with India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the White House in Washington D.C. on June 23, 2023.
(AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
Reports of an alleged Indian plot to assassinate a Sikh separatist in the United States could undermine India-U.S. relations and both country’s efforts to counter China’s growing influence.
An Indian paramilitary soldier stands guard next to a police barricade outside the Canadian High Commission in New Delhi, India, in September 2023.
(AP Photo/Altaf Qadri)
India is far from posing a threat to American power the way China is now. But if the West elevates India at China’s expense, it will eventually have to contend with Indian challenges.
A person holds a sign during a protest outside the Indian consulate in Vancouver in September 2023.
THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck
Fahad Ahmad, Toronto Metropolitan University and Baljit Nagra, L’Université d’Ottawa/University of Ottawa
If it turns out India was involved in the death of a Sikh activist in Canada, it should be regarded not only as an extrajudicial killing but also as an act of state terror.
Mourners carry the casket of Sikh community leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar during day-long funeral services for him in Surrey, B.C., in June 2023.
THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck
Noor Mirza, Balsillie School of International Affairs
India’s secessionist movements represent an existential crisis threatening everything India has worked towards for the past 76 years.
People gathered outside of the Consulate General of India in Vancouver on June 24, 2023 to protest the recent shooting of Hardeep Singh Nijjar.
THE CANADIAN PRESS/Ethan Cairns
India has long accused Canada of giving safe haven to separatists seeking a Sikh homeland in Punjab state – an accusation the Trudeau government denies.
Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, left, walks past Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi as they take part in a wreath-laying ceremony at Raj Ghat, Mahatma Gandhi’s cremation site, during the G20 Summit in New Delhi on Sept. 10, 2023.
THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s allegations that India was involved in the murder of a Canadian citizen complicates efforts by Canada and its allies to woo India to counter-balance Chinese might.