Here’s what you need to know about the Khalistan movement and how it has influenced Canadian politics. It’s a movement that aspires to create an independent Sikh state — called Khalistan — in the Punjab region of India. In the wake of the trip, commentators in India and Canada have accused the government of being cozy with Sikh extremists. The issue is a lightning rod right now, but the issue has never been far from Canadian politics, although often on the periphery. And, with Canada home to nearly half a million Sikh Canadians and about 1.4 million Indian-Canadians, the issue has often seeped into domestic politics as party vie for Sikh votes.

Source: National Post March 16, 2018 13:28 UTC