‘Climate of Violence…’: Jaishankar Says Govt Will Talk and See How Canada Takes Matter Forward – News18

The Indian and Canadian governments will talk to each other and see how they resolve their differences over the death of Khalistani extremist Hardeep Singh Nijjar, said External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar on Friday. The Minister, however, asserted that the larger issue of “permissiveness” must be flagged and addressed and said India was ready to look into the information related to Canada’s allegations of Indian agents’ “potential” involvement in the killing of Khalistani separatist Nijjar on June 18 in British Columbia.

He made the statement during his US visit while addressing Indian journalists in Washington.

‘India Open To Look Into Canada’s Allegations’

“The issue is as follows, which is that the Canadians have made some allegations. We have pointed out to them that this is not the government of India’s policy, but if they are prepared to share with us specifics and anything relevant, we are also open to looking at it. So in that sense, that’s where the matter stands,” Jaishankar said.

“But what we do not want to see is an incident treated in isolation because then that somewhere does not convey the right picture,” he added.

He further said India has had an ongoing problem with Canada and its government for some years now, and the problem really revolves around the “permissiveness in regard to terrorism, extremism, and ballots.

“This permissiveness is also reflected in the fact that some important extradition requests have not been responded to from their side in the fact that there are individuals and organisations who are clearly involved with violence and illegal activities in India who themselves declared it. I mean it is not a secret and that they continue to carry on with their activities in Canada,” he said.

Jaishankar said one of the problems is no incident is isolated and the totality as there is a context for everything.

Attack On

‘Canada Has Climate Of Violence’

Meanwhile, Jaishankar also claimed there was a “climate of violence” and an “atmosphere of intimidation” against Indian diplomats in Canada, where the presence of Sikh separatist groups has frustrated New Delhi.

“Because there is freedom of speech, to make threats and intimidate diplomats, I don’t think that’s acceptable,” Jaishankar said.

Relations between India and Canada have been tense of late, mostly due to the presence of Sikh separatists in Canada who have kept alive the movement for Khalistan, or the demand for an independent Sikh state to be carved out of India.

Trudeau’s Allegations

Earlier this month, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau alleged that Indian agents may have had a role in the June murder of Sikh separatist leader and Canadian citizen Hardeep Singh Nijjar, who was labeled a “terrorist” by India.

New Delhi dismissed the allegations as absurd. Washington has urged India to cooperate with Canada in the murder probe.

Sikh Extremism In Canada

In 2018, Trudeau assured India that Canada would not support anyone trying to revive a separatist movement in India, while repeatedly saying that he respects the right to free speech and assembly of protesters to demonstrate.

Canada is home to an influential Sikh community, and Indian leaders say some fringe groups there remain sympathetic to the cause of an independent Sikh state. The cause hardly has any support in India.

History Of Sikh Extremism In India

The demand for Khalistan has surfaced many times in India, most prominently during a violent insurgency in the 1980s and 1990s which paralyzed the state of Punjab for over a decade.

The insurgency killed tens of thousands of people and the Khalistan movement is considered a security threat by the Indian government. Sikh militants were blamed for the 1985 bombing of an Air India Boeing 747 flying from Canada to India in which all 329 people on board were killed.

Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi was assassinated in 1984 by two Sikh bodyguards after she allowed the storming of the holiest Sikh temple, aimed at flushing out Sikh separatists.

(With Inputs From PTI and Reuters)