"Countering the influence of Sikhs in Canadian politics"
Bombshell documents about India's foreign interference objectives and capabilities
“Attempting to influence Canadian elections, nomination races, etc. is one of the ways the (Hindu-centric) GoI gears Canadian policy and messaging towards India’s interests, which, conversely, includes countering the influence of Sikhs in Canadian politics.”
-Top Secret CSIS briefing (March 2024)
In a bombshell revelation regarding India’s clandestine operations in Canada, Canadian intelligence presented to Canada’s Foreign Interference Commission explicitly confirmed that the Government of India broadly seeks to counter “the influence of Sikhs in Canadian politics” as a whole.
A number of the uncovered documents paint an unequivocally clear view of India’s relentless attempts to manipulate Canadian policy in line with India’s own strategic interests to target Sikh activists in particular. Specifically, the intelligence notes that India engages in foreign interference in an attempt to “align Canada’s positions with India’s interests… particularly with respect to how the GoI perceives Canada-based supporters of an independent Sikh homeland that they refer to as Khalistan.”
“The GoI [Government of India] attempts to align Canadian politicians and decision-makers–including through public statements, policy positions and responses to Parliamentary votes and motions–with pro-GoI positions and policies. Additionally, the GoI attempts to shape the final make up of Parliament through supporting individual pro-GoI candidates, including through interference in leadership and nomination contests.”
One such document is described as an unclassified summary of intelligence held by Security and Intelligence departments and agencies. It has been created by the Canadian Security Intelligence Service, with input and agreement from the Communications Security Establishment, Global Affairs Canada, Privy Council Office, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and Public Safety Canada. The summary indicates that proxy agents of the Government of India:
may have attempted to interfere in democratic processes, reportedly including through the clandestine provision of illicit financial support to various Canadian politicians as a means of attempting to secure the election of pro-GoI candidates or gaining influence over candidates who take office.
Beyond electoral interference, an internal memo dated in 2020 takes note of the expansive range of hostile activities that Indian operatives utilize against Canadian interests, “including: collection of Canadian political information; dissident monitoring in Canada; interference with Canadian interests; influencing Canadian policy and political leaders and using clandestine sources to influence media.”
In a Top Secret briefing note, CSIS identifies India as the “second-most active state actor engaging in FI activities in Canada”, noting specifically that India “seeks to covertly influence Canadian officials at all levels of government to take positions and decisions that are favourable to the GoI.” The briefing explicitly notes that influencing Canadian elections and nominations is “one of the ways the (Hindu-centric) GoI gears Canadian policy and messaging towards India’s interests, which conversely, includes countering the influence of Sikhs in Canadian politics.”
Vanessa Lloyd, Acting Director of CSIS on India’s foreign interference objectives
Moving into the realm of disinformation and media manipulation, Canadian intelligence unequivocally concluded that the Government of India “has also attempted to interfere in Canada’s democratic processes by creating and spreading false narratives regarding certain elected officials.” This appears to be a reference to concerted Indian efforts to target Sikh elected officials or those deemed to be sympathetic to Sikh issues or otherwise perceived to be inimical to Indian interests.
A 2023 Threat Summary Report concluded that Indian officials “conduct deceptive, clandestine and coercive interference activities targeting the Indo-Canadian diaspora and elected officials at all levels of government in Canada.” It particularly notes a 2022 travel advisory issued by India’s Ministry of External Affairs citing a “sharp increase in hate crimes, sectarian violence and anti-India activity” in Canada. CSIS concluded that this was a clear example of disinformation.
This advisory was referenced a second time in an alarming Analytical Brief produced by CSIS in September 2023. In a page titled, “India’s interest in influence activities,” CSIS pays considerable attention to engaging with India’s capabilities to wage cognitive warfare, an “unconventional form of aggression that uses cyber tools to alter cognitive and decision-making processes of an individual or a group of individuals. It involves the integration of traditional psychological and information operations with the latest advances in computer, cognitive and neuroscience technologies.” In particular, it notes India’s collaborations with countries like Israel in efforts to increase its cyber capabilities.
Embedded within this heavily redacted section, the brief makes a second reference to the 2022 travel advisory issued by India’s Ministry of External Affairs. Significant portions of text are redacted before and after this sentence, raising concerning questions about Canada’s analysis and assessment of India’s clandestine operations surrounding this announcement. Ultimately, CSIS concluded that “the GoI will likely seek to promote a pro-India and anti-Khalistani narrative in Canada using cognitive warfare techniques.”
David Vigneault, Former Director of CSIS on cognitive warfare
The unclassified Canadian intelligence acknowledges that India continues to target those engaged in lawful political advocacy in favour of Khalistan as it perceives “anyone engaged in Khalistani separatism as a seditious threat to India’s domestic stability.” This is particularly concerning as evidence over recent years has made it unequivocally clear that India seeks to use a variety of tools to persuade or manipulate its international partners, like Canada, to aggressively repress Sikh political advocacy or otherwise criminalize Sikh political speech and expression.