Amid Trudeau’s self-goal, India Emerges Unscathed with Methodical Diplomacy

India’s spectacular success in bringing about a rare consensus at the New Delhi G20 Summit amid geopolitical turbulence seems to have had an unintended consequence. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s outrageous accusations of India on the strength of “credible allegations” without producing even a trace of legitimate evidence hints at a larger gambit of maligning India. Guided by political motives, Trudeau has recklessly escalated the Khalistan issue which is hanging as a fire over two nations.

Over ten days into this terrible diplomatic fiasco, and as expected for a democratic nation of the First World to back the allegations with irrefutable evidence, Trudeau is floundering on many fronts to garner some support from at least Five of its alliance partners baring the US. Indulging in a word circus, days after making dramatic revelations, Trudeau swiftly changed the position from “credible allegations” to “credible reasons” post-UNGA address in New York. He also added, “I can assure you that the decision to share these allegations on the floor of the House of Commons… was not done lightly. It was done with utmost seriousness”.

Despite these tall proclamations, when the opposition grilled Trudeau over the needless diplomatic row with India he had only “open source” information to offer as stated by the British Columbia premier. With the credibility of Trudeau and by extension his accusations now hanging by a thread, Canada changed its strategy.

In lieu of evidence, the Canadian government claims through media leaks of possessing “human and signal intelligence”, which can implicate the Indian diplomats in Canada. Canada’s remarks on signal intelligence ostensibly implied the Five Eyes Intelligence Alliance. The US soon backed Canada and NSA Jake Sullivan apprised the media of being in touch with both India and Canada and said, “there’s not some special exemption you get for action like this. Regardless of the country, we will stand up and defend our basic principles. We will also consult closely allies like Canada as they pursue their law enforcement and diplomatic process”. Expressing deep concerns about the allegations, he stated that the US “would like to see this investigation carried forward and the perpetrators held to account”. Sullivan’s statement expecting India to cooperate with Canada reiterates Trudeau’s remarks. Ironically, Trudeau has announced that he wouldn’t release the evidence on Nijjar’s killing, “which he said may have involved Indian government agents”, noted NBC¹.

The Canadian media's boastful leaks of signal intelligence are an admission that the Indian diplomats are being snooped and this is against the Vienna Convention. As per WSJ, this “intercepted intelligence” was provided to Ottawa by the US. The journal states, “the specific US-produced intelligence was given to Ottawa after the alleged assassination occurred, the official said, and while considered helpful it was Canada’s interception of electronic communications among Indian diplomats that chiefly drove its conclusion and public accusation”. 

In response to Canada’s dillydallying and attempts to play mental games, India countered stating its reluctance to take action against Gurupatwant Singh, dual citizen and Sikhs for Justice (SFJ) chief is “because he is an agent of CIA and acting bad batting for Langley”.

Unfortunately, intelligence can’t stand the test of legal scrutiny to pass off as admissible evidence. In fact, appearing before the House Affairs Committee, RCMP Deputy Commissioner defended inaction on intelligence reports of “foreign interference” (read as Chinese interference) in 2019 and 2021 Canadian elections because “intelligence reports don’t always translate into evidence”. This was seconded by the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs who said, “intelligence is not truth”. By this yardstick, the signal intelligence doesn’t translate into evidence ². But still, Trudeau attempted to coerce India with HUMANIT and SIGINT which is characteristically information but not evidence is reprehensible.

On a related note, this revelation of the US spying on friendly countries has unwittingly, lent credence to China’s accusations of Washington’s widespread global surveillance missions. America’s habitual prying has caused widespread angst in the aftermath of Snowden’s Wikileaks that unravelled Washington’s darker side. Though this eavesdropping may not directly harm the relationship as such, the lingering trust deficit would persist as a dissonant note in the India-US Strategic Partnership.

Also, what has pointedly emerged out of the US backing of Canada is Washington’s acquiescence of Ottawa’s portrayal of Nijjar as a Canadian plumber and the deliberate effacement of his terrorist precedents.  The US defended its two-decade-long war in Afghanistan as “the global war of terrorism” to safeguard its country from future terror attacks. Then, how can it be so inconsiderate to the concerns of another country facing similar terror threats? Nijjar wasn’t an ordinary plumber. But a designated terrorist with a red corner notice against him and put on the US Terrorist Screening Centre (TSC) No Fly List in 2019.

Tellingly, US remarks came a day after India’s pointed message to Canada expressing deep regret over Canada’s inaction on terrorism and organised crime. Official Spokesperson of MEA said, “We obviously condemn any threat… but we should look at the larger issue, the larger issue of terrorism. Not only terrorism but also the fact that it is funded and supported and we know this for some time from our western neighbour Pakistan… but the issue of safe havens and places to operate have been provided abroad, including in Canada.. and that.. you know we would expect that is the main focus. The question is: do we have the political will to address terrorism or do we want to justify..”³.

Clearly, India’s limited point has been about terrorism. Till 9/11 incident, when the terror struck their land, the West impetuously dismissed India’s exhortations on cross-border terror. Nijjar’s incident once again brought to the fore the selectivity of the West. While the US would take down any terror mastermind in foreign lands and justify its “transborder assassinations”, India’s legitimate insecurities are callously disregarded.

India’s numerous dossiers and repeated extradition requests went unheeded. After the deadly Kanishka bombing that killed 329 people, India and Canada signed an extradition treaty in 1987. As per available records till 2020, only six fugitives have returned to India. The extradition process with Canada fraught with complicated legal processes compounded with the Justice System’s incredulous disdain for Indian institutions ensured that the agreement “remained a paper tiger”.  In June 2023 Parliament Standing Committee proposed reforming Canada’s extradition system with an explicit proposal to withdraw from extradition treaties with 10 countries including India for not meeting “international human rights standards”⁴.

This has eerie similarities to former PM Pierre Trudeau’s halting the extradition of Talwinder Singh Parmer the mastermind of the Kanishka midair bomb explosion on the quaint grounds of India being “insufficiently deferential to the Queen”. India considered the Queen as the Head of the Commonwealth and not as head of the state. The murderous tragedy included 268 Canadian citizens. Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) was aware of the plot and the bomb tests in Vancouver. For some reason, they considered the informants untrustworthy and failed to bestow the seriousness it warranted. Further critical evidence was either lost or deliberately destroyed due to which Parmar was acquitted. His accomplice Inderjit Singh Reyal who was convicted served two-thirds of his sentence and walked free from prison in 2016.

Nijjar designated as a terrorist under UAPA (Unlawful Activities Prevention Act) was initially associated with Babbar Khalsa International (BKI) started by Parmar before assuming the role of operations chief of Khalistan Tiger Force (KTF)⁵. Both BKI and KTF are funded by Pakistan’s Inter Service Agencies (ISI). India sought the extradition of Nijjar in 2022 which now stands cancelled after his murder. But Canada seems to have learnt no lessons from history.

What is more appalling is the nonchalance to address the issue of Canada providing safe havens to the extremist and terrorist elements. Post-operation Blue Star, PM Indira Gandhi has insisted that “certain foreign powers” supported the Sikh separatism and extremist movement to destabilise India. She hinted at “CIA helping Pakistani intelligence, ISI to set up the Khalistani project”⁶. Four decades, hence the separatist movement which no longer finds resonance in Punjab is kept alive by the Sikh extremists living in the Anglosphere.

Pakistan with the active support of the CIA ignited two separatist movements- Kashmiri separatism and Khalistani separatism. Abrogation of Article 370 inflicted a devastating blow to Kashmir separatist dreams and now Pakistan has turned its focus to the Khalistan project. The massive uptick in Khalistani separatist activities and targeted attacks on Hindu temples, Hindu communities abroad and Indian diplomats in US, UK, Canada and Australia is a consequence of the same. For reasons best known to them, the West facilitated Pakistan’s dubious strategies that unsettled India, perhaps, to leverage these issues to their advantage in the larger geopolitical game plan.

But India is no longer taking kindly to these attempts. Resolutely defending its strategic territorial and security India, New Delhi exhorted, “Canada needs to look at its growing reputation as a safe haven for terrorists”. To stop the Khalistan movement from becoming soft underbelly, impelled by Trudeau’s specious accusations, NIA has launched massive raids against the aides of terrorists operating from foreign lands. 

New revelations of the alleged plumber, Nijjar meeting the CSIS agents twice a week and Canadian Parliament giving a standing ovation to 98 years old Nazi war veteran is raising doubts about Canada’s credentials. The thriving ecosystem of terror-drug-narco trade-foreign nexus and mushrooming of gangs with smuggling, and extortion as the mainstay in Canada besides posing a serious threat to India might even jeopardise the security of Ottawa in the long term. Even Sri Lanka and Bangladesh have expressed similar frustrations with Canada after India openly contested Trudeau’s unfounded and specious accusations.

The systemic undermining of India’s concerns has brought to the fore the double standards of the West and Canada’s defiance and indirect insinuating allegations of “foreign interference” had an uncanny resemblance with Pakistan’s dubiety. Reiterating India's position Jaishankar responding to a question by Kenneth Juster said, “we told the Canadians that look, if you have something specific, if you have something relevant, let us know. We are open to looking at it”⁷. But till now, Canada hasn’t shared any evidence in Nijjar’s case.

Canada’s shoot and scoot policy has irretrievably damaged the ties. Remonstrating Trudeau’s ephemeral “intelligence”, in his UNGA address, Jaishankar said, “nor must we countenance that political convenience determines responses to terrorism, extremism and violence. Similarly, respect for territorial integrity and non-interference in internal affairs cannot be an exercise in cherry-picking. When reality departs from rhetoric, we must have the courage to call it out”. By calling out Western hypocrisy, India has in fact alerted the Five Eyes Alliance that it can no longer afford to turn a blind eye to the burgeoning terror ecosystem breeding under their nose.

The “rule-based order” that the West continues to vouch for must be upheld by them. By providing a global platform to the Global South through G20, India has emerged as a connecting bridge between the Global North and Global South and donned the role of a responsible power. The West shouldn’t allow Canada to burn these bridges with impunity. Trudeau’s attempts to besmirch India’s reputation backfired after India’s befitting retaliation to Ottawa’s diplomatic escalation.

Calling for a fair, equitable and democratic world order Jaishankar said, “in our deliberations, we often advocate the promotion of a rules-based order. From time to time, respect for the UN Charter is also involved. But for all the talk, it is still a few nations who shape the agenda and seek to define the norms. This can’t go on indefinitely nor will it go unchallenged”⁸. By calling the bluff of “rule-makers” India exposed how in the name of political expediency Canada gave a free pass to the criminal activities perpetrated on its territory.

By blaming the largest democracy, the fifth largest economy with 16% of humanity, Trudeau has attempted to belittle India. But given tremendous domestic political backlash and intense global confabulations, Trudeau is forced to retrace his approach. At a press meet in Montreal, Trudeau said, I think it is “extremely important” that Canada and its allies continue to “constructively and seriously” engage with India. He added, “India is a growing economic power and important geopolitical player. And as we presented with our Indo-Pacific strategy, just last year, we’re very serious about building close ties with India”.

In this whole affair, India emerged on the top with its reputation and image untarnished and unblemished while Canada turned out to be an aberration in G7. After messing up the ties, Trudeau is attempting to make up. His intent shall be now judged by his actions.

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