Members of Canada’s Sikh community, some of whom have been warned by police about credible threats to their lives that they believe originate from the Indian government, are strongly criticizing the decision to invite Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the upcoming G7 summit in Alberta.
Prime Minister Mark Carney extended the invitation to Modi as a guest, despite India not being a member of the G7. This will mark Modi’s first visit to Canada in ten years and represents a diplomatic challenge for Carney, who is relatively new to politics.
Tensions between Canada and India have remained high since former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau publicly accused India of involvement in the June 2023 killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a Sikh separatist leader based in Canada. India has denied the allegation, instead accusing Canada of harboring Sikh separatists.
“The word I’ve heard most is ‘outrage,’” said Moninder Singh, a Sikh community organizer and friend of Nijjar, referring to Modi’s invitation. He and other Sikh leaders are organizing a protest in Ottawa ahead of the summit.
Carney is currently engaged in a trade dispute with the United States and is seeking to build new international partnerships. He explained that India’s role in global supply chains played a key role in the decision to invite Modi.
During a press briefing, India’s Foreign Ministry said the summit would provide a valuable chance for Modi and Carney to discuss both bilateral relations and global issues, and potentially reset their countries’ strained ties.
Concerns Over Safety and Accountability
Singh, based in British Columbia, says he’s received multiple alerts from law enforcement about threats to his life. One such alert led him to temporarily leave his home in 2023 for the safety of his children.
“It’s deeply offensive, both personally and for the community,” Singh said. “It sends a message that Sikh lives are worth less than economic interests.”
Carney’s office did not immediately comment on the concerns raised by the Sikh community.
In October, police disclosed that they had issued over a dozen warnings to individuals like Singh, who advocate for a sovereign Sikh state. Around the same time, the Canadian government expelled six Indian diplomats in connection with Nijjar’s murder, citing a broader effort by Indian authorities to intimidate and target dissidents abroad. India responded by expelling six Canadian diplomats and dismissed the allegations as baseless and politically driven. Canada has stated it has not found evidence directly linking Modi to the threats.
The ongoing tensions have brought renewed attention to Canada’s Sikh population, the largest outside of India’s Punjab region.
Singh believes Modi’s participation in the G7 should have come with specific conditions. “There should’ve been accountability measures. Meetings should have required India to acknowledge and address what’s come to light. But that didn’t happen,” he said.
Carney has stated that Modi agreed to continue discussions between law enforcement agencies. Indian officials confirmed that cooperation between Canadian and Indian security agencies is expected to continue in some form.
Some critics, including human rights advocates and members of Parliament, argue that Carney is prioritizing trade and geopolitical strategy over fundamental human rights. However, political analysts, such as Sanjay Ruparelia from Toronto Metropolitan University, say the prime minister’s approach is driven by pragmatism rather than ideology.
“Carney has consistently positioned himself as a realist. This move fits within that broader strategy,” Ruparelia explained.
