Produced by: Tarun Mishra
Designed by: Manoj Kumar
Justin Trudeau’s father, Pierre Trudeau, had refused the extradition request of Khalistani terrorist Talwinder Singh Parmar in 1982. The Indian government under then-PM Indira Gandhi had sought the extradition of Parmar, who was accused of killing police officers in India. However, the Pierre Trudeau-led government declined the request.
Terry Milewski, a well-respected Canadian journalist with a significant tenure as a senior correspondent at CBC News, wrote about the events related to the Khalistani movement extensively in one of his published books called ‘Blood for Blood’. "It was Pierre Trudeau’s government which refused the 1982 Indian request to extradite Talwinder Parmar to India for murder, on the quaint grounds that India was insufficiently deferential to the Queen. That is not a joke. Canadian diplomats had to tell their Indian counterparts that the extradition protocols between Commonwealth countries would not apply because India only recognised Her Majesty as Head of the Commonwealth, and not as Head of State. Case closed!" the book notes.
Parmar then went on to serve as the leader of the Khalistani terrorist group known as Babbar Khalsa. Subsequently, in 1985, this organisation orchestrated a midair bombing of Air India's Kanishka plane off the coast of Ireland, resulting in the tragic loss of 329 lives, with 268 victims being Canadian citizens. It's worth noting that Khalistani terrorists had expressed their intent to target at least 50,000 Hindus, and Parmar had issued threats of potential attacks on Indian aircraft.
According to the book, Parmar and his associate Inderjit Reyat had attracted the attention of Canadian intelligence agencies. Allegedly, these agencies observed them conducting bomb tests on Vancouver Island. Strangely, the information regarding these activities was not treated seriously by the police and intelligence agencies, who considered the informants to be untrustworthy. Furthermore, some critical evidence was either lost or deliberately destroyed by Canadian authorities.
The trial related to the Kanishka bombing resulted in the acquittal of Parmar due to insufficient evidence. However, in 1992, Parmar met his demise at the hands of the Indian police when he illegally entered Punjab from Pakistan.
In 2010, a commission of inquiry led by Justice John Major issued a report in which Canadian law enforcement and intelligence agencies were criticised for serious negligence and hindering the investigation. Justice Major stated in the report that these authorities should have been aware that the Indian aircraft was a potential target for terrorists. He deemed the failure of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) and Canada's intelligence agency, the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS), to prevent the bombing as "unjustifiable."
Inderjit Singh Reyat, the sole individual ever convicted in connection to the 1985 Air India bombing that claimed 331 lives, has been released from a Canadian prison. Reyat, an immigrant of Sikh origin, completed two-thirds of a nine-year sentence for perjury related to the tragic event.
While Pierre Trudeau was always criticised for his decision to deny extradition of Talwinder Singh Parmar, Inderjit Singh Reyat, the only convict of the Air India bombing, was released from jail in 2016, soon after Justin Trudeau became the Prime Minister of Canada.
Currently, Justin Trudeau has alleged that Indian agents have killed Canadian citizen Hardeep Singh Nijjar on Canadian territory. India has denied all the claims and accused Trudeau of engaging in vote bank politics.
India classified Hardeep Singh Nijjar as a 'terrorist' under the strict provisions of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act. According to India's National Investigation Agency, he was initially linked to the Sikh separatist organisation known as Babbar Khalsa International (BKI). New Delhi has designated BKI as a "terrorist organisation" and alleges that it receives funding from Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) spy agency.
As tensions continue to simmer between India and Canada, the future of their relationship remains uncertain. Recent developments, including the mutual expulsion of diplomats, were triggered by Justin Trudeau's accusations linking India to the murder of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, followed by India's reciprocal actions. The evolving dynamics between these two nations will be revealed in due course.