Last week, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau alleged that agents of the Indian government were involved in the killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a Canadian citizen, in Surrey. India called the allegations “absurd” and “motivated”. India had declared Nijjar, the head of the Khalistani Tiger Force, a terrorist in 2020, and has accused Canada of providing a safe haven for people who support the Khalistani cause.
Soon after the accusation, the head of Indian intelligence in Canada was expelled. India retaliated by expelling a senior Canadian diplomat. Indo-Canadian relations have been turbulent over the past few years, in large part due to what India sees as Canada’s sympathetic approach towards supporters of the Khalistan movement. Canada has a large Sikh and Punjabi immigrant diaspora population.
On September 21, India suspended visa services in Canada. This has reportedly led to anxiety among students, their families, and other travellers who aspire to go to Canada, especially Punjabis. People who identified Punjabi as their ethnic or cultural origin during the 2021 Canadian census formed the largest share of Indians in Canada, followed by Tamilians, Gujaratis, and Bengalis. More importantly, 30% of Punjabis in Canada belong to the second or third generation (persons not born outside Canada). A higher share of Goans and Tamils are from the second or third generation; however, their overall numbers are relatively lower than Punjabis.
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