What Happened
- India and Canada agreed to cooperate in the fight against terrorism, extremism, and radicalisation during PM Carney's official visit on March 2, 2026, with PM Modi stating these are "shared and serious challenges."
- Both sides agreed that the Khalistan issue would be viewed through the lens of terrorism and organised crime — rather than free speech — a significant policy shift from Canada's earlier position under the Trudeau government.
- The agreement includes cooperation on intelligence sharing related to designated terrorist organisations and extremist groups operating in each other's territory.
- This marks a decisive shift in Canada's stance, with PM Carney's government signalling willingness to act against Khalistan separatist networks operating from Canadian soil — a core Indian demand during the 2023 diplomatic standoff.
- PM Modi described terrorism, extremism, and radicalisation as concerns for "all of humanity" — framing the cooperation in global rather than purely bilateral terms.
- The anti-terrorism agreement is embedded in the broader strategic reset, not a standalone pact, and will be operationalised through existing multilateral mechanisms and new bilateral channels including the Defence Dialogue.
Static Topic Bridges
The Khalistan Movement: History and India's Position
The Khalistan movement advocates for a separate Sikh homeland (Khalistan — "Land of the Pure") carved from parts of Punjab in India and Pakistan. Originating in the 1940s, it gained violent momentum in Punjab during 1984-1992, leading to Operation Blue Star (June 1984) — the Indian Army's assault on the Golden Temple in Amritsar to flush out militants led by Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale. The movement was militarily suppressed in Punjab by the early 1990s but has persisted among segments of the Sikh diaspora in Canada, the UK, Australia, and the US. India designates the Sikhs for Justice (SFJ) organisation as a terrorist entity and considers its leadership — operating largely from Canada — a threat to India's territorial integrity.
- Operation Blue Star: June 3-6, 1984, Golden Temple, Amritsar (PM Indira Gandhi's authorisation)
- Indira Gandhi assassination: October 31, 1984 (by her Sikh bodyguards, following Operation Blue Star)
- Khalistani militancy in Punjab: peaked 1984-1992; declared "controlled" by 1993
- Sikhs for Justice (SFJ): banned in India since July 2019 under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967 [UAPA]
- 2020 Khalistan Referendum: SFJ organised informal referendums in diaspora countries (legally non-binding)
- Hardeep Singh Nijjar: designated a terrorist by India in July 2020; killed in Surrey, BC, June 18, 2023
- Canada's Sikh diaspora: ~771,790 (2021 census), 2.1% of Canada's population — influential electoral bloc
Connection to this news: The re-framing of the Khalistan issue as terrorism (not free speech) represents Canada's most significant concession on India's core security concern, enabling genuine anti-terrorism cooperation for the first time.
India's Counter-Terrorism Framework and UAPA
India's primary counter-terrorism legislation is the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967 (UAPA), amended significantly in 2004, 2008, and 2019. Under UAPA, the central government can designate organisations and individuals as terrorist entities. The 2019 amendment was significant as it allowed individual designation (not just organisations), for the first time enabling India to designate specific persons as terrorists without trial. The National Investigation Agency (NIA), established in 2008 through the National Investigation Agency Act, is India's primary counter-terrorism investigation body, with jurisdiction over scheduled offences including terrorist acts, CBRN weapons, and cyber-terrorism.
- UAPA (Unlawful Activities Prevention Act): originally enacted 1967; major amendments in 2004, 2008, 2019
- 2019 UAPA amendment: empowers central government to designate individuals (not just organisations) as terrorists
- NIA (National Investigation Agency): established by NIA Act, 2008 (passed after 26/11 Mumbai attacks)
- NIA jurisdiction: can investigate cases across states without state government consent
- India's designated terrorist organisations include: JKLF, Lashkar-e-Taiba, Jaish-e-Mohammed, Hizbul Mujahideen, SFJ, Babbar Khalsa International
- India's position: Canada must extradite or prosecute individuals wanted for terrorist activities against India
Connection to this news: India-Canada cooperation on terrorism will build on UAPA designations of Khalistani entities — enabling information sharing and potentially extradition proceedings against listed individuals.
Canada's Domestic Constraints: Free Speech, Multiculturalism, and Foreign Policy
Canada's position on Khalistan has historically been shaped by: (1) constitutional protections of free expression under the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms (Section 2(b)); (2) political sensitivities around the large Sikh-Canadian electoral base (concentrated in Ontario and British Columbia); and (3) foreign intelligence constraints limiting public disclosure of evidence. Canada does not designate the Khalistan movement as a whole as a terrorist organisation, though specific violent acts are criminal offences. PM Carney's reframing of Khalistan activity as "terrorism and organised crime" — rather than protected political speech — is a meaningful but legally nuanced shift, reflecting the evidentiary finding from the RCMP investigation into Nijjar's killing.
- Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms (1982): Section 2(b) guarantees freedom of expression
- Canada's Criminal Code Section 83.01: defines terrorism (must include element of political/ideological motivation plus violence)
- RCMP arrested three Indian nationals for Nijjar killing: May 2024
- Canada expelled 6 Indian diplomats including High Commissioner Sanjay Kumar Verma: October 2024
- Carney government took office: March 2025 (after Trudeau's resignation in January 2025)
- New Canada position: Khalistan activity = terrorism/organised crime (not protected free speech) — stated March 2, 2026
Connection to this news: The policy shift under PM Carney enables a qualitatively different level of cooperation — where Canada can act against Khalistani extremist networks without being accused by its courts of suppressing political expression.
Key Facts & Data
- Hardeep Singh Nijjar killed: June 18, 2023, Surrey, British Columbia
- Trudeau's allegation against India: September 18, 2023
- RCMP arrests for Nijjar killing: May 2024 (3 Indian nationals)
- Canadian diplomatic expulsions: October 2024 (6 Indian diplomats, including High Commissioner)
- PM Carney took office: March 2025 (after Trudeau resignation in January 2025)
- Khalistan issue reframed as terrorism/organised crime: March 2, 2026 (Carney-Modi summit)
- SFJ banned in India under UAPA: July 2019
- Nijjar designated terrorist by India: July 2020
- Canada's Sikh population: ~771,790 (2021 census), 2.1% of population
- UAPA individual designation amendment: 2019
- NIA established: 2008 (NIA Act, 2008)