Arrests in the Nijjar case and the need for a universal definition of terror

The recent arrest of three members of a hit squad in Canada was popular as they were charged with the murder of Khalistani separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar outside a gurdwara in Surrey, British Columbia, on June 18, 2023. Nijjar had a Canadian passport. Global interest focused on whether the trio had links to the Indian security establishment. The news came days after the Washington Post claimed to have exposed an R&AW operative as the facilitator of a failed attempt to stop another Khalistani radical in the US, Gurpatwant Singh Pannun.

However, Canadian police gave little away, only claiming that a larger ring was under the scanner and that they were investigating links between the Indian branches. They declined to share the nature of the evidence and motive. What is currently known is that the three arrested are Indian nationals who have lived in Edmonton for three to five years. There is speculation that they entered Canada on a student visa. The trio played various roles as shooters, drivers and spotters on the day Nijjar was killed. Canada has not yet shared any information with India, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar said.

Bilateral ties hit a low point after Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau raised the Nijjar case in his talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the sidelines of the G20 summit in New Delhi, without sharing a shred of evidence. Jaishankar accused Trudeau of doing vote bank politics by giving political legitimacy to Khalistani elements as his party is in minority. Rubbing it further, he added that Canada deserved a strong leader like Modi.

An interim report from an independent investigation released in Canada accused India of “failing to distinguish between legitimate pro-Khalistani political advocacy and relatively small, Canadian-based violent Khalistani extremism.” “It views anyone who joins Khalistani separatism as a seditious threat,” the report said.

Apparently, the 1985 bombing of an Air India flight carrying 329 passengers, mostly Canadian Sikhs, by Khalistani radicals is not even a blemish in the national memory. If Canada had taken action against the violent elements, such as the Nijjars, there is a good chance that the airborne terror attack could have been avoided. Moreover, as many as 25 Indian requests for extradition of Khalistanis are yet to be fulfilled. Canada’s intransigence once again highlights the need for a universal definition of terror that is binding on all nations.