Collaboration
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has urged India to cooperate with Canada in the investigation of the murder of a Sikh separatist leader, intensifying tensions between the two strategic partners. The matter was discussed during a meeting between Blinken and India’s External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar in New Delhi on Friday.
The strained relations between Canada and India originated when Prime Minister Justin Trudeau accused New Delhi of orchestrating the assassination of a Sikh separatist leader on Canadian soil in June.
India promptly dismissed the allegations as “absurd,” leading to a breakdown in trade talks and India demanding a reduction in the number of Canadian diplomats in the country.
Blinken, addressing reporters, emphasized the importance of India and Canada collaboration on the investigation to effectively resolve the dispute. He expressed the US’s viewpoint as a friend to both nations, advocating for a cooperative resolution.
India, concerned about the Khalistan movement seeking a separate Sikh homeland, reiterated its position to friends and partners.
Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra, after the New Delhi meeting, confirmed India’s clear stance on the Khalistan movement. While discussions about the issue during talks were not denied, Kwatra did not confirm India’s commitment to the renewed US request to join Canada’s investigations.
The situation places the US in a delicate diplomatic position as it has sought a strategic alliance with Prime Minister Narendra Modi to counter China’s influence in the Indo-Pacific. Canada, a key US ally and part of the Group of Seven and the Five Eyes intelligence-sharing alliance, adds complexity to the scenario amid the India-Canada dispute.
