After Canada shift, Khalistan groups find new platform in Azerbaijan

NEW DELHI: Justin Trudeau’s exit as Canadian Prime Minister marked a significant turning point in India-Canada relations. During Trudeau’s tenure, bilateral ties had deteriorated considerably, largely due to differences over the Khalistan issue.

India had repeatedly urged Canada to act against pro-Khalistan elements operating from its soil, but these concerns were often not addressed, with Trudeau facing domestic political constraints. Under Prime Minister Mark Carney, however, both India and Canada have recognised the issue and acknowledged the need to address it.

More importantly, both India and Canada increasingly view Khalistani extremism as a threat to their national security. This changing assessment has prompted Khalistan-linked groups to alter their strategy. Instead of operating primarily from Canada, they are now seeking to expand their activities across multiple countries and are increasingly relying on pressure groups and think tanks to amplify their narrative. Among the organisations drawing attention in this context is the Baku Initiative Group (BIG), a think tank backed by Azerbaijan.

The BIG has traditionally centred its activities around anti-colonial narratives. In recent years, however, it has increasingly organised large-scale events that provide a platform for separatist causes. This aligns with the objectives of Khalistan groups, which continue to advocate for the creation of a separate Khalistan state carved out of Punjab.

According to an official, this reflects a calculated shift in strategy by Khalistan elements. Faced with mounting pressure from India, these groups are seeking new avenues to sustain their activities, having realised that countries such as Canada, the United States and the United Kingdom can no longer be viewed as safe havens.

Khalistan-linked groups are increasingly working with the BIG to amplify their demands on international platforms. “This collaboration forms part of a broader global strategy aimed at keeping the Khalistan movement relevant and visible,” an official said.

As part of these efforts, an event titled “The Baku Conference: Racism and Violence Against Sikhs and Other National Minorities in India: The Realities on the Ground” was held in Baku on January 16.

Global Khalistani figures from Canada, the US and the UK were in attendance along with Ramesh Singh Arora, the Minister for Human Rights and Minority Affairs for Pakistan’s Punjab Province. All those who attended the conference observed a moment of silence for slain terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar. Further, this think-tank has also published papers such as “The Khalistan Movement: Past Roots, Global Dimensions and Modern Landscape.”

Officials say, “These publications are circulated in international networks. The aim is to widen the reach of the Khalistan movement and drum up an anti-India narrative. Disinfo Lab, a group of researchers who investigate Info-warfare and Psy-war, has amplified this newfound bonhomie in detail.”

It also refers to a conference titled "June 1984, Amritsar Events: India’s Transnational Repression Against Ethnic Minorities in the Context of Genocide." The event was hosted at the same venue in Baku where the January 16 conference had taken place. Notably, Azerbaijan has only a very small Sikh population, making the choice of venue particularly significant.

According to Disinfo Lab, the hosting of international conferences on alleged Sikh genocide by a country with virtually no Sikh community points to a broader state-backed agenda rather than a purely humanitarian concern. The report further argues that the emerging Pakistan-Azerbaijan-Turkey axis plays a significant role in these developments. It notes that both Baku and Islamabad view Armenia as an adversary and have experienced tensions in their relations with India.

The BIG was established on July 6, 2023, at the initiative of Air Centre, an Azerbaijani think tank. The first agenda was to speak out against French colonialism. BIG’s co-publisher is the Sikh Federation International (SFI). In March 2026, the SFI’s legal counsel, Prabjot Singh, drafted a joint report in which he referred to Nijjar as an activist. He also demanded sanctions on India’s Intelligence chiefs, while calling for India’s INTERPOL Red Corner Notices against Khalistani operatives to be treated as persecution.

An Intelligence Bureau official said that Khalistan-linked groups appear to be recalibrating their strategy in response to changing circumstances. In countries such as Canada, these groups have often been associated with incidents of violence. By aligning with organisations such as BIG, they are attempting to present a different image of the movement on international platforms. According to the official, the emphasis is increasingly being placed on claims of persecution and on raising what they describe as human rights concerns relating to Sikhs.