Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar was killed in June. Canada has accused Indian agents of its murder. However, India has called it baseless and fabricated. The Prime Minister of Canada has also been asked to give evidence. Since then, there has been tension in the relations between the two countries.
On this issue, Canada expects support from the ‘Five Eyes’ group, of which America is also a member. Let us tell you that in recent years, relations between India and America have become very strong. In such a situation, it is difficult to say how much success Canada will achieve on this path.
‘The Five Eyes’ is a coalition of intelligence agencies from the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, and the United States. According to a Washington Post report, the alliance officials raised Nijjar’s killing privately before the G20 summit in New Delhi earlier this month. However, there was no public mention of the murder before the summit, nor was it discussed during the summit.
The member countries of this alliance have expressed concern over Canada’s allegations. Some countries have urged India to cooperate with Canada in its investigation. Two members of Five Eyes (America and Australia) are also part of the Quad alliance formed with India and Japan.
Earlier, only America and Britain were included in this alliance of intelligence agencies. The alliance expanded twice. By 1956, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand also became members.
What Are The Functions Of Five Eyes?
A charter of the alliance states, “It is recognized that the intelligence agencies of the Five Eyes countries cooperate with each other under formal or informal agreements. Each country has variations in the legislation on the protection of information or official secrets. . obliges officials to confidentiality. The member countries of this alliance are committed to sharing information and facilitating cooperation among themselves.”
Various agencies of these five countries share human intelligence, signals intelligence, security intelligence, and defense intelligence. Signal intelligence refers to information received from mobile networks, the Internet, and radar and weapon systems. The information received from satellites is also shared among the member countries.
What Did The PM Say In The Canadian Parliament?
During his address in the Canadian Parliament on Monday, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said that agents of the Indian government were involved in the murder of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar. Calling the allegations serious, the United States has said it supports Canada’s efforts to investigate the killing. He has also urged India to cooperate.
At the same time, Australia has described the reports of alleged involvement of Indian officials as worrying. He has said that this matter has been discussed with India.
What Is The Stand Of Britain and New Zealand?
Britain has said that it is in touch with Canada regarding these allegations but has also said that it will not impact trade talks with India. A spokesman for Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said, “Work on trade talks would continue as before. The Canadian authorities will now do their job, and I will not defer to them. We are not trying to mix these with other issues about the current dialogue with India.”
New Zealand has given a measured response. The NZ Herald quoted Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta: “If those claims prove true, it would be a matter of grave concern. I will not be commenting further on the ongoing criminal investigation in Canada.”
