Monday Morning Meeting on Khalistan Movement Overseas: A Case Study of Canada

Mr. Abhishek Verma, Research Analyst at the Manohar Parrikar Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses, made a presentation on “Khalistan Movement Overseas: A Case Study of Canada” at the Monday Morning Meeting held on 1 April, 2024. The session was chaired by Mr. Shantanu Sinha, Research Fellow, MP-IDSA. Ambassador Sujan R. Chinoy, Director General, MP-IDSA, Gp. Capt. (Dr) Ajey Lele (Retd.), Deputy Director General, MP-IDSA and the scholars of the Institute were in attendance.

Executive Summary

India’s relationship with Canada has been impacted by the recent surge in pro-Khalistan-related activities in Canada. The Government of India needs to follow a dual approach, keeping diplomatic engagement intact while putting pressure on the Canadian Government to address India’s security concerns.

Detailed Report

Mr. Shantanu Sinha began the meeting by mentioning the surge in pro-Khalistan activities in recent years. He further alluded to the recent developments in North America that have impacted India’s relations with the United States and Canada. Subsequently, he invited the Speaker to make his presentation.

Mr. Abhishek Verma began his presentation by noting India’s response to recent allegations made by Canada, which have been widely covered in the media and which led to diplomatic tension between the two sides. Subsequently, he classified pro-Khalistan and anti-India activities into three categories- protests, referendums and vandalism. Further, he explored the demographic dimension of the Sikh diaspora in Canada and traced the community’s migration from India. The migration of the Sikh community has taken place in four distinct phases.

The first phase started in 1897 when Sikhs in the British Indian Army migrated to Canada for the coronation ceremony of Queen Victoria. The migration of Sikh soldiers (especially those stationed overseas) became more prominent after the end of First World-War. This phase of migration was driven by aspirations for a better quality of life in Canada, in addition to the adverse fiscal and economic conditions prevailing in India.

The second phase of Sikh migration began during the 1950s and 1960s. In this phase, educated and trained professionals started migrating to western countries in pursuit of employment opportunities. Subsequently, the third phase commenced in the 1970s as a result of the agrarian transition brought about by the Green Revolution. The Green Revolution led to an increase in the number of large landowners, alongside a steep decline in the small and medium landholders. The semi-skilled, unemployed and educated youth from the distressed farming community started migrating overseas in search of opportunities. The fourth and the largest phase of migration took place during the phase of Punjab militancy. During this phase, Sikhs charged with terrorism, predominantly the youths, started migrating to Canada.  

Subsequently, Mr. Verma traced the genesis of the Khalistan movement overseas to religious mobilization in the 1950s. At the time, Sikh industrial workers in the United Kingdom started facing restrictions to profess their religion and to display their religious identity. To put forth their grievances, the Sikh community started organising themselves under Sikh Home Rule Movement led by Sardar Charan Singh Panchi. Following this, Mr. Verma elaborated on the evolution of Khalistan movement overseas from 1970s to late 1980s, including the bombing of Air India Flight 182 in 1985 that killed 329 passengers on board. With the end of militancy in Punjab in the mid-1990s, support for the Khalistan project also dwindled among the Sikh community overseas. Following the attacks on 11 September, 2001 in the United States and subsequent War on Terror, the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom banned terrorist groups like Babbar Khalsa International and International Sikh Youth Federation.

In the light of a major crackdown on their functioning, the pro-Khalistan elements in Western countries shifted their strategies and continued their secessionist activities through the politics of grievances and human rights. One of the prominent organisations that emerged as an international advocacy and human rights group was ‘Sikhs for Justice’. Since its inception, "Sikhs for Justice" has been engaged in frivolous anti-India activities, including filing cases against Indian leaders and celebrities in US courts as well as issuing security threats related to flight travel.

Further, Mr. Verma explained the Canadian Government’s approach towards pro-Khalistan and anti-India activities in Canada. At the outset, he asserted that Canada's approach toward pro-Khalistan activities was largely influenced by three overarching factors: Cold War politics, political freedom of expression, and vote bank politics. During the Cold War, successive Canadian Governments, irrespective of parties, provided least priority to India’s sensitivities. While tolerating anti-India activities on Canadian soil, they adopted a lenient approach towards pro-Khalistan elements. However, the political dynamics changed since the end of Cold War. Although India’s relationship with the west improved, in general, the Canadian Government maintained that the right to freedom of expression was important and advocating Khalistan's homeland in Punjab was not illegal. By providing a synoptic overview of the current political dynamics in Canada, Mr. Verma concluded that vote bank politics largely influences the current Justin Trudeau Government’s attitude towards the Khalistani movement.

The Government of India has responded proactively to such anti-India activities. In addition to consistently and explicitly taking up the issue of Khalistan with the Canadian Government, successive Indian Governments have also pursued extradition of Khalistani and anti-India elements. However, extradition of Khalistani terrorists has remained negligible even after the signing of an extradition treaty in 1987. Domestically, the Government of India has taken measures such as banning pro-Khalistani websites and social media platforms. Furthermore, amendments to the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act of 1967 have been implemented to designate individuals as terrorists and to streamline the process of investigation and asset seizure.

Questions and Comments

While appreciating the Speaker’s presentation, Mr Sinha invited the Director General and Deputy Director General to make their comments.

Ambassador Sujan R. Chinoy, DG, MP-IDSA, complimented Mr. Verma for making an informative presentation while emphasising the fact that it is not unusual for foreign communities to influence domestic policies. Further, he made observations concerning the adverse implications of migration during the Punjab militancy phase, as well as the non-secular tradition of western countries.

Additionally, scholars raised pertinent points concerning the ineffectiveness of the Extradition Treaty of 1987, the nexus between Pakistan and Canada, and the role of the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) in the Khalistan movement. Inquiries regarding recent events in Canada and the United States were also made.

During the Session, both the Speaker and Moderator addressed the questions raised by the scholars. Mr. Sinha provided insights into the legal and investigation-related complexities inherent in the extradition process. He underscored that the success of an extradition treaty hinges not only on legal intricacies but also on bilateral relations between the involved countries and political will. Regarding the role of the ISI, Mr. Sinha mentioned that the territorial boundaries of the fictitious state of “Khalistan” do not include Pakistani territories which have Sikh history, for example, Nankana Sahib, the birthplace of the first Sikh Guru, Guru Nanak Dev. This absence within the purported territorial extent of "Khalistan" was highlighted by Mr. Sinha as indicative of the ISI's involvement.

Report prepared by Ms. Julia Jose Thachil, Intern, Counter Terrorism Centre, MP-IDSA.