The so-called Khalistan 'referendums' staged in Canada by the designated terror outfit Sikhs for Justice (SFJ) carry no legal weight under Indian law and have no bearing on India's territorial integrity — yet they continue to generate real-world disorder on Canadian streets, according to a report by Khalsa Vox.

Pattern of Incidents on Canadian Streets

In cities such as Surrey and Brampton, separatist activities have been accompanied by vandalism at Hindu temples, threats directed at Indian diplomats, and escalating security concerns. Police have reportedly issued formal warnings that the lives of certain activists could be at risk, underscoring the tangible consequences of what critics describe as performative political theatre.

Notably, the 2023 killing of pro-Khalistan figure Hardeep Singh Nijjar set off a prolonged diplomatic crisis between Ottawa and New Delhi — one whose aftershocks have not fully dissipated even as bilateral ties are being gradually rebuilt.

Canada-India Relations: A Cautious Reset

Relations between the two countries are reportedly being restored under Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, driven by pragmatic considerations including trade, energy cooperation, and a proposed Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA). However, the underlying tensions from the earlier period remain, according to the Khalsa Vox report. The reset reflects both governments' recognition that the bilateral relationship is too consequential — particularly given India's growing role as an Indo-Pacific partner — to remain hostage to a fringe political dispute.

Survey Data: Most Canadian Sikhs Oppose Separatism

A Leger survey conducted in early 2025 found that the Khalistani separatist movement commands support from only a small section of Canadian Sikhs. According to the data, 54 per cent of Canadian Sikhs opposed separatist activities, while 72 per cent backed stricter measures to prevent foreign separatist agendas from being organised on Canadian soil. A further 37 per cent expressed strong opposition to the movement.

The Khalsa Vox report was direct in its assessment: 'Canadians are not obliged to host, or indefinitely tolerate, a foreign political project that imports India's internal security problems onto their soil. The majority of Sikhs in Canada are not separatists; the movement has long been a vocal minority.'

Public Frustration and Policy Implications

The report argued that treating the separatist minority as 'politically untouchable' carries measurable costs — strained bilateral ties with a major partner, recurring security incidents, and what it described as 'the quiet resentment of ordinary Canadians who watch foreign flags and secessionist slogans dominate local streets.'

It added: 'Large numbers of their citizens have simply had enough of this particular nonsense. They do not want their communities used as a stage for someone else's unresolved conflict, nor do they wish to see foreign policy subordinated to the loudest diaspora faction.'

This comes amid broader global scrutiny of how liberal democracies manage diaspora-driven political movements that intersect with foreign policy and domestic security. As the CEPA negotiations progress, how Ottawa handles the separatist question is likely to remain a defining variable in the trajectory of Canada-India relations.