The Khalistan Movement: India's Fear and Canada's Diplomatic Spat

India and Canada are engaged in a diplomatic spat over the killing of a Sikh separatist leader in Canada. The Khalistan movement seeks to establish an independent Sikh homeland in Punjab, India. The Indian government fears a resurgence of violence and militancy associated with the movement. Many Sikh activists fled to Canada after the Sikh uprising in the 1980s, and the Canadian Sikh community has been supportive of the Khalistan cause. The Canadian government, while assuring India that acts of violence will be punished, also respects the rights of Sikhs to speak and organize freely. The tensions between the two countries highlight broader concerns about Hindu nationalism in India and the rights of minorities.