India-Canada ties and the immigrant question

The recent pro-Khalistan separatist acts of violence and targeting of the Hindu Sabha Mandir in Brampton have resulted in a diplomatic fallout and disrupted the relationship between India and Canada.

- Kuldeepsingh Rajput

Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi condemned the attacks and asked the Canadian government to "ensure justice and uphold the rule of law". However, relations between the two countries have been disturbed since last year, when Canadian PM Justin Trudeau spoke about the alleged intelligence linking Indian agents with the killing of Canadian citizen and Sikh separatist leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar on Canadian soil. India dismissed Trudeau's assertion as absurd and motivated.

In a tit-for-tat move, both countries expelled diplomats and issued advisories to their citizens. This friction between the two countries has caused extreme restlessness and anxiety among Indian immigrants and the diaspora in Canada.

The number of Indian students in Canada is sizeable and growing. The Canadian Bureau for International Education (2022) stated that out of the total international students (807,750) in Canada, 40% were from India, contributing over $4.9 billion to the Canadian economy in 2021. Most international students applying for new study permits are Indians.