Why Canada not supported by allies in row with India

WORLD  22 September 2023 - 06:02

Canada has stated that it possesses intelligence that potentially links Indian government agents to the murder of a Sikh separatist leader, which is typically the kind of revelation that could stir controversy among democratic allies. However, this time, the response has been notably muted.

According to Al Jazeera, India is currently being courted by the United States and other Western nations as a strategic counterweight to China. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's rare public accusation, made shortly after New Delhi hosted a G20 summit, has put Western nations in a delicate position.

Despite expressing concerns and calling for thorough investigations, none of Canada's key allies, including the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, or New Zealand, all of which are closely connected through the "Five Eyes" intelligence-sharing alliance, have echoed Trudeau's allegations or openly condemned India for its alleged involvement in the June assassination of Sikh separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar on Canadian soil.

Experts suggest that this restrained response is primarily influenced by the allies' desire to cultivate stronger ties with India in order to counterbalance China's growing power and assertiveness on the global stage. In this context, India's strategic significance in the Western world's efforts to balance China appears to outweigh any concerns related to the murder investigation.

Stephanie Carvin, a professor of international relations at Ottawa's Carleton University, pointed out, "India is important in Western calculations for balancing China, and Canada is not." This underscores the geopolitical considerations at play in the response to such allegations.

Caliber.Az