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India Suspends Canadian Visas Amid Hardeep Singh Nijjar Killing Row
The Indian visa processing center in Canada has suspended its services on temporary basis while citing some "operational reasons."
The suspension of the visa operations comes amid a growing controversy and tensions over allegations by the Canadian government that India may have been involved in the killing of a Canadian citizen Hardeep Singh Nijjar.
The Prime Minister of Canada, Justin Trudeau has alleged that Indian spy agents could potentially be linked to the murder of Sikh separatist leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar, which occurred in June.
In the same manner, another Sikh man, who was wanted by Indian authorities, has been killed during an alleged intergang violence incident in Canada's Winnipeg province.
Muted International Support for Canada's Allegations Against India
Despite the explosive allegations by Canadian authorities that India may have been involved in the killing of a Canadian citizen on the soil of Canada while its closest allies have reacted with caution.
Furthermore, most of these allies are calling for a full investigation, but none, including the United States, Britain, Australia, or New Zealand, has echoed Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's allegations.
Experts are pointing out that India too is strategically important to alienate in today's geopolitical stalemate.
The Biden administration in United States and other such allied governments are maintaining strong ties with India due to its economic significance and as a counterweight to China's increasing assertiveness in the region.
The statement issued by the White House expressed deep concern about the allegations and encouraged India to cooperate in any investigation.
Sikh Community in Canada Reacts to Diplomatic Tensions
Members of the Sikh community in Surrey, a city in Canada's British Columbia that was home to the slain separatist leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar, have accused the Indian government for intervening in their internal affairs.
As the Canadian authorities continue to investigate killing of Nijjar, India vehemently denied accusations that its state agents were involved in the murder of the said leader.
Understanding the Khalistan Movement
The killing of Sikh separatist leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Canada has drawn serious attention to the decades-old campaign that aimed at creation of an independent Sikh homeland known as "Khalistan Movement."
The movement was openly supported by Nijjar, advocating for an independent Sikh state to be carved out of India.
This idea of creating Khalistan state dates back to the period of India and Pakistan's independence in 1947 when discussions preceding the partition of the Punjab region gave rise to this concept.
The reason of the movement was supported by the idea that Sikhs make up the majority of Punjab's population, they are a minority in India, constituting only 2 percent of the country's 1.4 billion population.
Sikh separatists demand the creation of Khalistan, meaning "the land of the pure," out of Punjab.
This demand has resurfaced at several ocassions, most notably during a violent insurgency in the years of 1970s and 1980s that paralyzed Punjab for over a decade.
The Indian government always considered the Khalistan movement as a security threat like Kashmir, ignoring the right of self determination granted by international community.
The bloodiest episode in the conflict between the government and Sikh separatists occurred in 1984, with the assassination of then-Prime Minister Indira Gandhi by her Sikh guards triggering a massive government crackdown on Sikh militants.
Who Was Hardeep Singh Nijjar, and What Triggered India-Canada Tensions?
The recent killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, who was Sikh separatist leader based in Canada, earlier this year has sparked a heated exchange of words between India and Canada.
The tensions escalated after Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau referred that the government agents from India may have played a role in Nijjar's murder.
Nijjar, who was 45, fatally shot dead outside a Sikh temple on June 18 in Surrey, a Vancouver suburb with a significant Sikh population.
He was designated as a "terrorist" by India three years ago.
Hardeep Singh Nijjar was actively participating in the Khalistan Movement and was an advocate for a Sikh homeland in India's northern state of Punjab, the birthplace of the Sikh religion and bordering Pakistan.
According to the reports, he was organizing an unofficial referendum in India for an independent Sikh homeland at the time of his death.
Did India Have a Hand in the Killing of Sikh Activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Canada?
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau accused New Delhi for exacerbating tensions between the two nations following the killing of Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar.
This situation has led so far to a significant diplomatic row between these longstanding allies.
No the question that arise here, can this escalating tension be contained? What does this episode reveal about the challenges faced by religious minorities in India?
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