Sikh youth flash swords while raising slogans in support of Khalistan at Golden Temple on the occasion of anniversary of Operation Bluestar. Express Photo/Rana Simranjit Singh Sikh youth flash swords while raising slogans in support of Khalistan at Golden Temple on the occasion of anniversary of Operation Bluestar. Express Photo/Rana Simranjit Singh

Canada’s training of Kurdish military may have the consequence that the government of Canada has told the Kurds it doesn’t support: the ultimate breakup of Iraq and the establishment of an Independent Kurdistan that Iraq or Turkey won’t support. But the Kurds have proven far more effective an ally in the fight against ISIS and they will most likely declare independence after the defeat of ISIS and defend it with soldiers trained and armed by Canada.

Not a pretty situation for a country within whose own borders lives Quebec with an old and experienced movement for independence.

Canada has faced this dilemma before in domestic politics when local politicians respond to different minorities about issues in other countries that concern them; be it the concern about Ukraine, the historical injustices against the Armenians, Sri Lankan Tamils or dozens of others. Often this advocacy on behalf of Canadians crosses into pandering; and on pandering no one political party has any better record than the other.

Canada always faces the danger of being drawn into international issues impinging on the sovereignty and territorial integrity of friendly nations. One such nation is India; an ancient civilisation and the largest democracy in the world. The government of Canada is believed to be contemplating a trade mission to India while Canada has for various reasons pulled back from negotiations on the Free Trade Agreement with India.

India is also aware of an active Canadian Khalistani movement for carving a theistic Sikh state out of India. The Khalistani movement exported from countries like Canada in the first place died its natural death in India years ago. It had been supported by the CIA and the Pakistani Inter Services Intelligence Agency (ISI). The US has clearly changed its position as it seeks a stronger strategic partnership with India but ISI continues to support various groups to destabilise India using part of the funds it receives from the US.

The movement for Khalistan remains alive in Canada and particularly so by way of influence in Canada’s political parties. The Islamists too have succeeded in infiltrating the political parties in Canada. They share with the Khalistanis the desire to undermine the unity and integrity of India. And unfortunately some of Trudeau’s insiders and gatekeepers particularly in Ontario and British Columbia have been associated with the Khalistanis. Their influence reaches deep into the Trudeau government.

Surprisingly, the City of Surrey just hired a prominent Trudeau backer, a former president of a separatist organisation, to work on its behalf vis a vis the federal government.

As it prepares for a trade mission to India, the Trudeau government will do well to remember Canadian reaction to Charles de Gaulle’s “Vive le Quebec libre”. For India, trade is important but even more important is its territorial integrity. Training and arming a few million Kurds is one thing. But with such deep and blatant khalistani influence in Canadian government it is quite another to poke 1.2 billion Indians in the eye.

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