Small group of Khalistanis in Canada fund violence in India Ottawa
Canadian intelligence has said Sikh extremists use the country as a base to carry out anti-India activities
A small number of Khalistani separatists in Canada continue to use the country as a base to fund political violence in India, the Canadian Security and Intelligence Service (CSIS) has said in a report.
Khalistanis, or Sikh separatists, seek to carve out an ethno-religious country from the Indian state of Punjab. The movement for a nation of Khalistan reached its peak in India in the 1980s and has few backers in the country now. However, members of the Sikh diaspora have been trying to revive the movement in Canada.
India and Canada disagree on the degree of the threat posed by Khalistani activists. "Some Canadians participate in legitimate and peaceful campaigning to support the Khalistan movement," the CSIS said in its report. "Non-violent advocacy for an independent state of Khalistan is not considered extremism."
The Canadian intelligencereportadded: "Only a small group of individuals are considered Khalistani extremists because they continue to use Canada as a base for the promotion, fundraising or planning of violence primarily in India."
The report reaffirmed allegations of an Indian government connection in the killing of prominent Khalistan figure Hardeep Singh Nijjar. The agency claimed that India, along with Russia, China, Pakistan and Iran, are the "main perpetrators of foreign interference and espionage" against Canada.
The report, which was presented in the Canadian Parliament last week, nearly coincided with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's talks with his Canadian counterpart, Mark Carney, at the G7 Summit in Kananaskis, where they agreed to improve diplomatic ties. Canada-India relations began to deteriorate after the 2023 G20 summit in New Delhi, where then-Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Modi only held informal talks, exchanging concerns over "anti-India activities" in the North American nation.
Ties between the countries reached a low in October 2024 when Canadian officials accused Indian diplomats of targeting Sikh activists in Canada, leading to the mutual expulsion of diplomats. The CSIS report noted that in October 2024, Canadian investigators found evidence that linked agents of the Indian government and criminal networks to sow violent activity in South Asian communities in Canada.
"Further, links between the Indian government and the Nijjar murder signals a significant escalation in India's repression efforts against the Khalistan movement and a clear intent to target individuals in North America," the report added.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Global News
an hour ago
- Global News
‘So terrifying': Iranian student on fleeing back to safety in Canada amid conflict
Arash Ghaderi can't forget the moment his wife tearfully woke him up to tell him a war had just started. Ghaderi, a 35-year-old PhD student at the University of Alberta, and his wife travelled last month to Iran to visit their family members. The couple was still there when the conflict between Israel and Iran broke out on June 13. '(On) the very first day of the war, we heard some bombings and we heard the jets flying low to the ground. It was so terrifying,' he said in an interview. 2:13 'I was thinking… I'm going to die': Canadian citizens struggling to flee Iran 'My wife's family members, her nieces and nephews, were there and they were crying …The noise was so horrifying,' he said of their experience in Zanjan, a city located about 300 kilometres northwest of Tehran. Story continues below advertisement 'I just tried my best to control myself and try to calm my wife down, but in my heart I was so shocked and I was feeling so bad. I wanted to vomit actually.' Ghaderi is one of many Iranians living in Canada who have been affected by the war that broke out when Israel attacked Iranian nuclear facilities and senior military leaders, and Iran responded with its own strikes. A ceasefire was announced on Tuesday, after the United States launched strikes on key nuclear facilities in Iran. Earlier this week, Tehran said 606 people in Iran had been killed in the conflict, with 5,332 people wounded. At least 28 people were killed in Israel and more than 1,000 were wounded, according to officials in that country. 2:16 White House insists U.S. bombs destroyed Iran's nuclear capability Ottawa has urged Canadians in Iran to leave if they can do so safely, noting that its ability to provide consular services in the country is 'extremely limited.' Story continues below advertisement Ghaderi said he and his wife decided to leave Iran through a land border crossing after all flights were cancelled at the start of the conflict. They travelled seven hours in a van before crossing into Turkey. All domestic flights in Turkey were fully booked for days, so they had to take several buses between Turkish cities for about 28 hours to reach Istanbul. Get breaking National news For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen. Sign up for breaking National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy 'I couldn't feel my legs anymore,' he said of the long journey. Ghaderi and his wife eventually flew to Edmonton from Istanbul via Paris and Toronto, landing on June 23. 'I was happy on the way, on one hand, that at least my wife and I are safe now,' he said. 'On the other hand, I was feeling so bad because my little brother is still in Iran, and my parents are there.' Sara Shani, the president of the Iranian Students Association at the University of Alberta, said she is aware of about 15 students at the school who got stuck in Iran while visiting their home country. 1:53 Iranians in Canada 'polarized' over Israel-Iran war 'They are stuck back home and … since the ceasefire, the flights have technically resumed, but they're still very limited,' she said. Story continues below advertisement Shani said some of the roughly 500 Iranian students at the university are already facing financial difficulties as their families back home are unable to support them – either because they've lost income and assets during the conflict or because they're unable to transfer money to Canada. 'When the internet shutdown was sort of in place in Iran … it made it extremely difficult for the families to send money, and on top of that, many businesses were closed during the war,' she said. 'And some were even destroyed by Israeli airstrikes…the economy in Iran is now weaker than before.' Shani said she had difficulty contacting her own family in Iran during the war. 'Many of us didn't know whether our families were safe,' she said. Iran is a notable source of international students in Canada, with government data showing that more than 8,000 study permits were approved for students from that country in 2023. 'Most Iranian students in Canada have only recently left home to study here, so our ties to Iran are still very strong,' said Shani, who came to Canada in 2023 to pursue a master's degree in computer science. 'Our families are back there and I think emotionally we are still in Iran.' Story continues below advertisement The community also has mixed emotions about the strikes against Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps leadership, which 'continues to be a source of oppression for Iranians both within and outside Iran,' said Ali Nejati, president of the Iranian Student Association at Humber College in Toronto. 'Many of us feel a sense of relief at the weakening of such a violent arm of the regime. We had hoped to see justice served in a courtroom, to expose the full extent of their crimes and hold them accountable through international legal channels,' he wrote in a statement. 'We also recognize that war is never a desirable path. Many of our members feel anxious about the consequences of further escalation.'
Toronto Sun
an hour ago
- Toronto Sun
KINSELLA: Digital Services Tax a bad idea concocted by Trudeau gang
And PM Mark Carney pushing ahead with the tax has prompted U.S. President Donald trump to retaliate (L/R) US President Donald Trump looks on as Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney tells the press they are not taking questions, following their one on one meeting and before the expanded bilateral meeting during the Group of Seven (G7) Summit at the Pomeroy Kananaskis Mountain Lodge in Kananaskis, Alberta, Canada on June 16, 2025. (Photo by Brendan SMIALOWSKI / AFP) (Photo by BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP via Getty Images) Swing, batter! This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account Full disclosure and I confess: I campaigned for the Democrats. Now, not every Democrat lacks a soul. Many of them are decent. But quite a few of them, as recent events make clear, have become willing hostages of Jew-hating, democracy-destroying, Hamas-fetishizing crypto-Nazis. As a volunteer on Democratic presidential campaigns – for Hillary Clinton in 2016, Joe Biden in 2020 and Kamala Harris in 2024 – I was on the team that played against Donald Trump several times. In so doing, I learned three important things. One, Trump campaigned on killing free trade, and he's doing just that. He's got a mandate to kill free trade, in fact, from 77 million registered voters. Two, he may have written a book called The Art of the Deal, but he never, ever does a deal where he doesn't come out on top. Ever. Your noon-hour look at what's happening in Toronto and beyond. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Three, he loves making the elites look bad. Those are the guiding principles in Donald Trump's political career, and – along with my friends Hillary, Joe and Kamala – I've never forgotten them. Despite his penchant for fibbing, Trump is pretty transparent about the big picture stuff. He is who he is. (Unfortunately.) Read More Which brings us to Friday afternoon, and Prime Minister Mark Carney learning the above-noted Trump Truisms ™ the hard way. It's unclear, at this point, whether Carney's political popularity is going to take a hit. But there's no doubt that the Liberal Leader has just experienced his first major policy and political failure. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. On Friday afternoon, Trump posted this on his Truth Social platform: 'We have just been informed that Canada, a very difficult Country to TRADE with, including the fact that they have charged our Farmers as much as 400% Tariffs, for years, on Dairy Products, has just announced that they are putting a Digital Services Tax on our American Technology Companies, which is a direct and blatant attack on our Country. They are obviously copying the European Union, which has done the same thing, and is currently under discussion with us, also. Based on this egregious Tax, we are hereby terminating ALL discussions on Trade with Canada, effective immediately. We will let Canada know the Tariff that they will be paying to do business with the United States of America within the next seven day period. Thank you for your attention to this matter!' This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Here we go again. Next stop: yet more '21st state' talk and Mike Myers pep talks. A screenshot from video posted to social media of Mike Myers, left, and Mark Carney. Photo by @MarkJCarney / X What's the 'Digital Services Tax,' you ask? Well, it's an attempt to squeeze revenue out big online service providers like Meta or X or TikTok. It's a tax grab, yes, first concocted by the Trudeau gang about a year ago. It was always a bad idea, as my colleague Brian Lilley has detailed in a kajillion opinion columns, because (a) the online elf-lords were simply going to pass along the cost of the tax to Canadian consumers, (b) it was going to create lots of red tape and government bureaucracy, and (c) it was going to place Canadian exports at risk, because the Americans had repeatedly said they were going to retaliate. And now, Donald has. Tariffs, back. Trade deal, gone. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Carney wanted a shiny new trade pact with Trump, which was never going to happen. Carney somehow convinced himself it could and would, however. So he sent off secret teams to negotiate with the Trump administration, and side-stepped assorted Trump landlines – unlike his predecessor, who had a talent for landing on them. The American media was impressed – over on CNN , Christiane Amanpour gushed that Carney was 'the Trump whisperer.' RECOMMENDED VIDEO Well, actually, no. Not even The Donald's immediate family are 'Trump whisperers.' And so, now, we are back to square one, with Trump attacking us, lying about our trade practices, and threatening even more tariffs. Carney, meanwhile, has become the George Brett of politics – terrific at hitting the ball, but marooned for eternity on third base. Like the retired Kansas City Royal, Carney was so close but oh so far. Is it game over? With Trump, it's impossible to predict. One thing is for sure: next time Mark Carney steps up to bat, he'd be well-advised to remember the Trump Truisms ™ up above. And who knows? Next time he might even get to home base. NHL Sunshine Girls Toronto Raptors Sunshine Girls Canada
Global News
an hour ago
- Global News
Protest bubble zone laws coming for schools, places of worship: Fraser
Justice Minister Sean Fraser says the Liberal government will press ahead with plans for new criminal provisions against blocking access to places or worship, schools and community centres. The measures, promised during the recent federal election campaign, would also create a criminal offence of wilfully intimidating or threatening people attending events at these venues. The minister's statement comes as civil libertarians point to existing provisions intended to curb such behaviour and push back against the idea of new measures that could infringe on freedom of expression and assembly. 2:50 Divided Toronto city council on 'bubble zone' by-law proposal Tensions have risen in Canadian communities over public protests, many prompted by the ongoing hostilities in the Middle East. Story continues below advertisement Several Canadian municipalities have taken steps recently to mandate 'bubble zones' that restrict protest activity near such places as religious institutions, schools and child care centres. 'It's not lost on me that there will be different levels of government that try to address this challenge in different ways,' Fraser said, adding that the federal government has an opportunity — where behaviour crosses a criminal threshold — to legislate in that space. 'We clearly have seen challenges when it comes to certain religious communities in Canada who are facing extraordinary discrimination — antisemitism, Islamophobia, and other forms of hate,' Fraser said in a recent interview. Get breaking National news For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen. Sign up for breaking National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy 'People need to know that in Canada they are free to pray to the God of their choice and to, at the same time, freely express themselves, but not to the point where you threaten the protected Charter rights of a religious minority.' James Turk, director of the Centre for Free Expression at Toronto Metropolitan University, said he questions the need for new provisions and suggests politicians are proposing penalties simply to appear to be doing something. 1:09 Clarington to consider bubble zone bylaw He said existing laws against mischief, nuisance and interfering with religious celebrations can be used to deal with the kinds of behaviour the federal government wants to address. Story continues below advertisement 'I haven't heard a single thing that isn't already illegal, so it's a waste of time. It adds confusion to the Criminal Code and it suggests that they're only engaged in performative activity,' Turk said. 'They want to be seen to be doing something about this pressure they're under.' Anaïs Bussières McNicoll, director of the fundamental freedoms program at the Canadian Civil Liberties Association, also said she wonders about the scope of the proposed new federal provisions 'and if they are necessary or simply duplicative of existing criminal offences.' Bussières McNicoll said it's important to remember that a protest might be disruptive but also protected by the Charter of Rights and Freedoms' guarantee of peaceful assembly. 2:10 B.C. government introduces legislation to establish 'bubble zones' to prevent COVID-19 protests 'As a parent myself, I know that any protest can be sometimes scary for a child. We're talking about loud voices, huge crowds, emotions are running high,' she said. Story continues below advertisement 'So I believe it's part of my role as a parent to teach my child about what living in a democracy means, why we need protests, why we need space in our society for strong language — including language that we disagree with — and to teach my child about what we can do if we personally disagree with speech that we hear.' Richard Robertson, director of research and advocacy at B'nai Brith Canada, said that while the organization welcomes the planned new federal provisions, additional federal measures are needed. B'nai Brith wants national 'vulnerable infrastructure legislation' that would prohibit protests within a certain distance of a place of worship or school, or perhaps during specific time periods, if they interfere with someone's ability to attend the institutions, Robertson said. 'That would remove the need for municipalities and provinces to adopt legislation, and it would send a clear message that across Canada, individuals do not have the right to prevent others from accessing their houses of worship and their community centres and cultural institutions.' — With files from Anja Karadeglija
