India-Canada Relations: Implications for the West

The deteriorating relations between India and Canada highlight India's more assertive foreign policy, which could have wider implications for the West. India's growing geopolitical influence, coupled with its desire to be recognized as a major global power, has led to a more sensitive approach to actions challenging its sovereignty. India's willingness to retaliate and employ economic coercion, as seen in the recent diplomatic expulsions with Canada, serves as a warning to other countries. If allegations of Indian involvement in the killing of a Sikh separatist leader in Canada are proven true, it would mark a significant shift in India's intelligence operations. This poses a dilemma for the US, which sees India as a strategic partner against China but cannot ignore extrajudicial killings. Additionally, India's large diaspora population, particularly the Sikh community, has become a source of friction between India and host countries. Overall, India's foreign policy is becoming more muscular and potentially aggressive.