Canada, once celebrated for its maple syrup, longest coastline, and beautiful national parks and lakes, is now more widely acknowledged as a home ground of Khalistani terrorists. The nation, noted for its explicit and vocal support of separatist elements, drew global attention when Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced his resignation, marking the end of his nine-year leadership. The development transpired amidst deepening frustrations amongst voters, a surge of his opponents especially Pierre Poilievre and a split among his own party.
His tenure as Prime Minister was overshadowed by numerous scandals, which included breaches of federal conflict of interest regulations during a corruption investigation, strained relations with international leaders such as President-elect Donald Trump and sinking diplomatic ties with fellow democracies particularly India. His legacy, fraught with flaws, is defined by a split nation and a party in turmoil, as his supporters have distanced themselves from him including his Khalistani ally Jagmeet Singh Dhaliwal, leading to Trudeau’s isolation and a reputation as a divisive figure.
The Liberal Party of Canada has now come together to address the leadership vacuum and it is apparent that the Khalistanis will be given an important role in the decision-making process. The caucus meeting, initially convened by Liberal Members of Parliament that led to Trudeau’s removal from his position, will now shift its focus towards establishing a consensus on the rules for selecting his replacement. Some members are expected to advocate for stricter criteria regarding voter eligibility to prevent foreign interference.
Notably, last October, Trudeau directed a fresh wave of criticism towards the Indian government, accusing the country’s diplomats in Canada of being connected to ‘criminal activities,’ including the killing of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar. Meanwhile, the National Security and Intelligence Committee of Parliamentarians (NSICOP) disclosed extensive Chinese meddling in Canada’s electoral and legislative matters in its report, a few months prior in June.
The Canadian government evidently sought to divert attention towards India by alleging foreign interference, despite the fact that its own Members of Parliament were colluding with the Communist nation. Parm Bains, a Liberal MP who accused India of the same had been identified as a collaborator with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). India had already denied the outrageous charges as “baseless.”
According to alleged findings from a public inquiry into foreign interference, indicated that India, alongside China and Iran, was involved in influencing nomination races and leadership contests. It is important to highlight that India has been requesting evidence, however, the only responses it has received are rhetorical statements from government officials and further catering to Khalistani elements.
On the other hand, Canadian officials have asserted that India did not engage in interference during the elections held in 2019 and 2021, countering the claims made by Canadian intelligence agencies. Canadian authorities conducting an investigation into these charges country’s elections reported that there was no evidence to suggest that New Delhi attempted to influence the electoral process.
Trudeau even conceded that his administration possesses no evidence, yet his administration’s discourse regarding “credible allegations” remains unabated. Furthermore, despite the assertion from the Liberal government that Khalistanis in Canada do not represent the Sikh community, they have a closer association with separatists than with the latter. Unsurprisingly, their union is poised to become more intense in the near future, owing to the strong bond shared by the two groups and their fervent endorsement of one another.
Liberal Party and World Sikh Organization
According to Balpreet Singh, legal counsel for the World Sikh Organization (WSO), his group would advocate for the restriction of the Liberal leadership vote to Canadian citizens and permanent residents. The WSO has a documented history of promoting narratives and propaganda that are anti-Hindu and anti-India. Additionally, this organization, based in Canada, consistently interferes in the internal matters of India and has both provided support to and received backing from pro-Khalistani factions.
The WSO was established in July 1984 in the aftermath of Operation Bluestar. Presently, its X (previously Twitter) account is restricted in India. It has been vocal in its support for Khalistani movements and has actively participated in related activities. Didar Singh Bains, an important member of the WSO, has been a strong advocate for the independence of Punjab from India, calling for the creation of Khalistan. Notably, the group helped the Liberal Party campaign before the federal polls in 2014-15.
The Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) has been described as a contentious piece of legislation by the outfit that blamed Hindus for anti-Hindu riots that occurred in Delhi in 2020. Interestingly, it echoes the sentiments expressed by Trudeau on these matters. “India has consistently witnessed assaults on minorities, including Sikhs, Muslims, and Christians, which have either been endorsed by the state or overlooked,” it alleged.
Ironically, the law is not aimed at Indian minorities but rather those in Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Bangladesh, which are mercilessly oppressed and tortured by the Islamists with the tacit support of the respective governments. WSO’s objection, lacking in substance, seemed to serve only the interests of its separatist audience. Ironically, this radical group has been urging the Canadian government to establish laws that would provide refuge for minorities from Afghanistan.
An intervener status was conferred upon it by the Commission of Inquiry established to investigate the Air India 182 bombing. A user on X informed that the WSO publicly challenged the Canadian police in an effort to defend the individuals responsible for the attacks. It was during the founding convention of the outfit at Madison Square in New York on 28th July 1984, that the Babbar Khalsa terrorist Ajaib Singh Bagri openly urged for the extermination of Hindus, stating, “Until we kill 50,000 Hindus, we will not rest.”
WSO has also collaborated with the radical group referred to as the National Council of Canadian Muslims (NCCM). The two parties presented four requests to the Canadian government, which encompassed the expulsion of the Indian High Commissioner to Canada, the recall of the Canadian envoy, the cessation of trade with India and the prohibition of the Rashtriya Swayam Sevak Sangh (RSS).
The anti-India demands were presented in the House of Commons, indicating that the Trudeau administration not only harboured but also cultivated propagandist entities for vote-bank politics. WSO also communicated with Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale in 2019 to claim the influence of Indian interests in Canada and their impact on the Sikh community as well as to demonize RSS and attack Bharatiya Janata Party.
Now, Trudeau’s ouster has hastened the timeline, suggesting that the individual who assumes leadership of the Liberal Party will resume pandering to Khalistanis who are already hand in glove with the party. They will further be tasked with addressing the challenges posed by the incoming US administration led by Donald Trump, particularly regarding his warnings of imposing high tariffs on Canadian exports, amid the souring relationship between the two nations.
Who is Anita Anand, a frontrunner to replace Trudeau
Anita Anand has been emerging as a formidable candidate, positioned alongside prominent figures like Pierre Poilievre, Chrystia Freeland and Mark Carney. Her background in governance and public service, coupled with her growth in the country’s politics, has made the 57-year-old attorney a strong contender within the Liberal Party since her entry into politics in 2019, representing Oakville, a suburb of Toronto. She is the first Hindu woman to be elected as a member of Parliament and the first Hindu to become a cabinet minister in Canada.
She was born in Kentville, Nova Scotia. Her parents, Saroj D. Ram and S.V. (Andy) Anand, were both Indian physicians of Tamil and Punjabi descent. She has two siblings, Gita Anand and Sonia Anand. She is married to John Knowlton, a Canadian lawyer and business executive, and together they have four children.
Thank you, Prime Minister. Thank you for your leadership and for your dedication to our country. It has been an honour and privilege to serve Canadians with you. pic.twitter.com/4wqrM4Lx4T
— Anita Anand (@AnitaAnandMP) January 7, 2025
Anand has a Bachelor of Arts in Political Studies from Queen’s University, a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in Jurisprudence from Oxford University, a Bachelor of Laws from Dalhousie University, and a Master of Laws from the University of Toronto. Her academic career includes positions at renowned institutions including Yale, Queen’s University, and Western University, and she was a law professor at the University of Toronto before transitioning into politics.
She was called to the Bar of Ontario in 1994 and had the position of Professor of Law at the University of Toronto, where she occupied the JR Kimber Chair in Investor Protection and Corporate Governance. Additionally, she has served as Associate Dean at the University of Toronto, as a member of the Governing Board of Massey College and as the Director of Policy and Research at the Capital Markets Institute within the Rotman School of Management.
She is frequently recognized as one of the more driven members of the Liberal caucus. She held the position of Minister of Public Services and Procurement from 2019 to 2021, in addition to serving as President of the Treasury Board and Minister of National Defence. During the Covid pandemic, she led an initiative to secure vaccines and personal protective equipment. She also directed Canada’s efforts to provide assistance to Ukraine amid its conflict with Russia and managed a personnel crisis within the Canadian Armed Forces, which was plagued by sexual misconduct allegations.
When she was transferred from the Department of Defence to the Treasury Board, many interpreted this move as a demotion, while others speculated that it was a punitive measure due to her ambitions to lead the party in the future. However, she was once again reassigned during a cabinet shuffle, taking on the roles of Minister of Transport and Minister of Internal Trade, in last December. It is anticipated that she will assume the role of interim prime minister until the elections are conducted as she remains a favored individual within the cabinet.
India-Canada ties and endorsement of Khalistanis
The ties between India and Canada have suffered as a consequence of the latter’s conspicuous alignment with Khalistani terrorists. Trudeau and his political party have perpetuated the legacy of his father, the late Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau, by appealing to separatist sentiments. The latter had also refused to extradite Talwinder Singh Parmar, the terrorist responsible for the Kanishka bombing, to India, despite repeated appeals.
Trudeau’s approach has involved the troubling glorification of the murderers of Indira Gandhi through provocative tableaux and anti-India speeches, all framed as freedom of expression. Additionally, he has provided sanctuary to Khalistani extremists who aim to partition India and organize referendums for Punjab’s separation. This has culminated in his unfounded allegations of Indian interference in Canada, revealing a pattern of prioritizing the appeasement of terrorists over solidarity with a democratic partner.
India dismissed the allegations and retaliated, resulting in the expulsion of Canadian diplomats from New Delhi and even recalled its High Commissioner. Canada enacted similar measures against Indian diplomats, leading to a major rift between the two nations, primarily driven by the Khalistani community’s role as a voting block in the country. Trudeau even enacted a series of visa restrictions affecting Indian students after the dampening relationship which prompted significant dissent within his own party, resulting in more than 20 members of the Liberal Party publicly demanding his resignation.
Besides functioning as a safe haven for terrorists, separatists, and criminals as well as labelling Indian diplomats as “Persons of Interest” the Canadian government went so far as to mention Union Home Minister Amit Shah in their unsubstantiated allegations, which elicited sharp response from India. Ottawa unambiguously demonstrated a disregard for its relationship with the world’s largest democracy.
The backing provided by the ruling Liberal Party prompted attacks on Indian diplomatic mission, an escalation of Hinduphobia, frequent temple assaults, and the normalization of anti-Hindu narrative. Significantly, even the Canadian Parliament comprises individuals who identify as Khalistani separatists, promoting ideologies that pose a threat to the safety and lives of Hindus, their properties and religious places, in the Western country.
This issue is not exclusive to the Liberal Party, as politicians from various parties cater to Khalistani interests to secure electoral support. Additionally, numerous Khalistanis hold significant political influence in the country, promoting the separatist agenda. Consequently, under the new leadership of the liberals or any other party, this issue is unlikely to be resolved, which will further exacerbate relations with India. However, the Liberal Party appears to be the preferred choice among these separatist factions.
