The diplomatic crisis between India and Canada has been going on for more than a week, and the trigger was the accusations of an assassination by Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. Trudeau claimed that Indian government agents were involved in the June assassination of Sikh separatist Hadeep Singh Nijar near Vancouver. Nijar is a supporter of the Sikh homeland of Kalistan, which separatists want to separate from the Indian state of Punjab.
The accusation sparked a backlash in India, where the government and media outlets followed suit, where anti-Canadian rhetoric and personal attacks against Trudeau intensified. Canada's prime minister has been accused of parroting the views of Sikh separatism — Sikhs who make up about half of the country's 1.3 million Indians — in order to win over the community.
The diplomatic turmoil has not only damaged relations between the two countries, but also affected the expatriates and travelers of both countries. India suspended visas for Canadians at Indian embassies around the world, citing "security threats" to Indian diplomats. India is also reportedly cancelling Indian overseas citizenship cards for those allegedly engaged in "pro-Khalistan activities and anti-India propaganda." The OCI Card provides lifetime visa-free treatment for foreign nationals of Indian origin.
These measures have confused and feared many people of Indian descent who live, work or study in Canada. They do not know if they will be able to return to their home countries or if they will be threatened with discrimination and violence. They also fear Canada could retaliate with similar restrictions.
The diplomatic dispute has also heightened tensions between Hinduism and Sikhism in Canada. Over the past few years, we have witnessed a global rise in Hindu hate speech and violence. We saw this in Leicester, England, in 2022, with young Hindu men marching through the streets, chanting "Jai Sri Ram" – the war cry of Hinduism – and attacking Muslims.
But Sikhs have not been spared this violence. Anti-Sikh hate crimes have surged in the UK and Australia. In Canada, Sikh schools are often vandalized and spray-coated with racist graffiti. Ron Banerjee, a Canadian Hindu nationalist, publicly called for genocide against Muslims and Sikhs last year.
And now, thanks to Trudeau's allegations and India's reaction, that tension has worsened. Indian authorities, experts and media have insisted on portraying all Sikh activists and Sikh human rights advocates as radicals. India's Federal Counterterrorism Agency, the National Bureau of Investigation, has now begun seizing the property of Canadian Sikh activists whom Indian authorities believe are fugitive Khalistani terrorists.
Across Canada, Sikh activists led demonstrations outside Indian diplomatic missions in Toronto, Ottawa and Vancouver, where protesters burned Indian flags. Posters calling for the killing of Indian diplomats in retaliation reportedly appeared outside the Gurdwara where Nijar was killed. Canadian Sikh separatist leader Gulpatwant Singh Pannon
A provocative video was also released asking Indian-Canadian Hindus to "leave Canada and go to India."
These events show that religious politics in India has not only created deep divisions at home, but also sparked conflict and hatred across the globe. India has global ambitions. This can be seen in the pomp and circumstance of the recent G20 summit. But whether or not India is indeed responsible for Nijjar's assassination, its response to the allegations is not entirely a sign that the country is ready to become a global leader.
Instead, it punishes the diaspora and makes it harder for the international community to ignore the toxicity of Hindu brand politics as divisions rooted in India erupt across the globe. If India wants to play an active role on the world stage, it must abandon religious-based exclusivism and nationalism and instead respect diversity and inclusion. Otherwise, it will continue to clash with its neighbors and allies, and will also lose the trust and support of its own diaspora and travelers.