From nuclear weapons to Nijjar massacre… Why does Canada become India’s enemy from friend under Trudeau’s rule?

New Delhi: Tension has increased once again between Canada and India. The Canadian government alleged the Indian High Commissioner’s involvement in the investigation into the murder of Hardeep Singh Nijjar. India has rejected these allegations outright and called it a political agenda of Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. With this, India decided to recall its High Commissioner from Canada. The Foreign Ministry said that they do not trust the Canadian government regarding security. India and Canada have a long history of poor relations.

What is the recent case?

Canada had accused India last year in the Khalistani fundamentalist Hardeep Singh Nijjar murder case. But Canada could not present any evidence in this case. After this tension arose between the two countries. Now once again Canada has made baseless allegations. Canada alleged that the Indian High Commissioner and other diplomats are ‘persons of interest’ in the case related to the Nijjar murder investigation. The Foreign Ministry described these Canadian allegations as baseless and politically motivated.

When did the tension between the two countries start?

The history of strained relations between India and Canada extends far beyond current events. In particular, Trudeau’s father, Pierre Elliot Trudeau, faced criticism for his/her handling of relations with India during his/her tenure as the fifteenth Prime Minister of Canada.

Canada was upset with India’s nuclear tests

This historical tension became evident during India’s nuclear tests in 1974 when Canadian foreign policy experts expressed their outrage. he/she suspected that a Canadian-designed CIRUS reactor was used for these tests, challenging Canada’s previous perception that India was opposed to nuclear weapons development with Canada.

Pokhran test further spoiled relations

After this, Pokhran nuclear tests further deteriorated the relations between the two countries. Prompted by a mix of domestic and external factors, including security threats from China, these tests soured India’s relations with Canada and most countries in the Western world. Canadian policy makers viewed the Pokhran incident as a betrayal, with concerns that India’s nuclear capability would prompt similar searches by non-nuclear states. Then-Secretary of State Michelle Sharp expressed her disappointment, saying that ‘trust between the two countries has been eroded.’

Many terrorists took oath in Canada

Furthermore, the inaction of Pierre Trudeau’s administration against Khalistani extremists significantly damaged India-Canada relations. In the 1980s, many terrorists from Punjab fled to Canada to seek refuge after the crackdown in India. Talwinder Singh Parmar, a member of the Khalistani group Babbar Khalsa, fled to Canada after killing two police personnel in Punjab in 1981. India requested Parmar’s extradition, but the Pierre Trudeau administration rejected the request. Even the warnings of Indian intelligence agencies were not heeded.

Tension had increased even after Kanishka plane crash

Relations deteriorated further after the explosion of Air India Flight 182 (Kanishka) on 23 June 1985. A bomb hidden in the luggage on this flight killed all 329 people on board, most of whom were Canadian. Parmar was said to be the mastermind behind this attack. Despite his/her involvement, he/she was not prosecuted and was the only person convicted in connection with the bombing. Reports indicate that posters honoring Parmar were seen around Canada in June 2023, further straining relations.

Then-Prime Minister Indira Gandhi had previously expressed concerns with Pierre Trudeau about the Canadian government’s lack of action against Khalistani forces, highlighting deep-rooted issues in the relationship.