Why India's warnings about Sikh separatism don't get much traction in the West

People hold flags during a Sikh rally outside the Indian Consulate in Toronto to raise awareness in the wake of the Canadian prime minister's comments alleging Indian government agents were potentially involved in the June killing of Sikh separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in British Columbia, on Monday. (Cole Burston /AFP via Getty Images)

Michael Kugelman is director of the South Asia Institute at the Wilson Center in Washington, D.C.

The current India-Canada crisis has exposed a sharp disconnect between India and the West on the issue of Sikh separatism.