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    Why India's warnings about Sikh separatism don't get much traction in the West

    The current India-Canada crisis has exposed a sharp disconnect between India and the West on the issue of Sikh separatism. Michael Kugelman of the Wilson Center's South Asia Institute explains why.
    by Michael Kugelman Sep 28, 2023 4 minutes
    People hold flags during a Sikh rally outside the Indian Consulate in Toronto to raise awareness in the wake of the Canadian prime minister's comments alleging Indian government agents were potentially involved in the June killing of Sikh separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in British Columbia, on Monday.

    Michael Kugelman is director of the South Asia Institute at the Wilson Center in Washington, D.C.

    The current India-Canada crisis has exposed a sharp disconnect between India and the West on the issue of Sikh separatism.

    Ever since Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau alleged possible Indian involvement in the June assassination of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a Sikh separatist leader in British Columbia, New Delhi has doubled down on a long-standing grievance: Canada is home to dangerous anti-India extremists that Ottawa refuses to curb. It is a controversial contention, and one that Ottawa has never endorsed.

    In New Delhi's view, these anti-India elements are exemplified by Nijjar, a supporter of the Khalistan Nijjar of heading the Khalistan Tiger Force (KTF), a banned violent group. New Delhi formally him as a terrorist in 2020. Recently leaked Indian intelligence claim Nijjar funded terrorism in India and organized arms training camps in Canada.

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