CSIS Acknowledges Khalistani Extremists Exploiting Canadian Soil for Anti-India Activities
Canada's leading intelligence organization, the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS), has for the first time formally recognized that Khalistani extremists are using Canadian territory to promote, fund, and organize violent actions aimed at India. This acknowledgment substantiates India's persistent concerns about anti-India factions operating without constraint from within Canada.
According to its 2024 annual report, CSIS identified "a small group of individuals considered to be Khalistani extremists" who exploit Canada as a base to further promote, raise funds, or plan violence, primarily in India. The report differentiates these extremists from those who engage in peaceful advocacy but underscores the persistent threat from politically motivated violent extremism (PMVE) affiliated with pro-Khalistan ideologies.
The agency traced the origins of this threat back to the mid-1980s when Canada-based Khalistani extremists began utilizing the country to push for a separatist agenda to create an independent Khalistan in India's Punjab state. The report also highlighted that such extremism continues to provoke Indian foreign interference activities in Canada, including alleged efforts to monitor or target those viewed as Khalistani supporters.
This disclosure arises amid tense diplomatic relations between New Delhi and Ottawa, particularly following the 2023 assassination of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a recognized Khalistani terrorist, in British Columbia. Canadian authorities had implicated the Indian government in the killing—an allegation India vehemently dismissed as "absurd," instead accusing Canada of disregarding anti-India extremism.
Notably, the release of the CSIS report coincided with a meeting between Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the G7 Summit in Alberta. Despite diplomatic tensions, both leaders agreed to reinstate formal relations, appoint new high commissioners, and resume stalled trade discussions. Carney defended his outreach to Modi amidst domestic criticism, citing India's substantial economic influence globally and the importance of constructive dialogue.
The findings by CSIS underscore the critical need to address cross-border extremist activities and affirm India's consistent claims regarding the misuse of foreign territories to instigate violence at home. While the report mentioned that no Khalistani extremist attacks occurred in Canada in 2024, the ongoing planning of violence internationally remains a significant concern for Canadian national security.
This acknowledgment represents a pivotal moment in bilateral discussions concerning terrorism, foreign interference, and diaspora politics, potentially influencing the future path of India–Canada relations in the coming months.
