Sikhs

• Any Canadian diplomats in India past Oct. 10 are expected to lose their immunity.
• The high-profile diplomatic crisis has confirmed rumours of longstanding tensions between the two countries over the issue of Sikh separatism in the Indian state of Punjab.

The facts so far

• Nijjar, a Canadian citizen wanted in India for alleged terrorist acts, was part of the Khalistan movement calling for a Sikh homeland separate from India’s Punjab state.
• The movement is controversial because of its organized violence against Indian officials and terrorism-motivated tactics.
• India and Canada have each expelled diplomats from their respective countries, and India has suspended visas for Canadians as the diplomatic crisis deepens.

Still to be revealed

• Trudeau has yet to reveal the “credible evidence” provided by Five Eyes linking India to the crime.
• The FBI has warned American-Sikh activists that their lives are in danger, while U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has called on India to co-operate with Canada and ensure “accountability” over the killing.
• But that doesn’t necessarily mean the Indian government had a hand in Nijjar’s murder.

Fraught history

• India has a painful history with separatism after it gained independence from British colonialism in 1947.
• Shortly after that, diplomatic and later militaristic crisis over Jammu and Kashmir unfolded, which culminated in two wars between India and Pakistan and several armed engagements.
• The parallel rise of Naga nationalism in neighbouring Nagaland is also a thorny issue for Indian authorities.

Existential crisis

• On the other hand, India’s secessionist movements represent an existential crisis threatening everything India has worked towards for the past 76 years.
• Nijjar’s murder, however, is also a matter of grave importance for Canada.
• But both Canada and India will need to calculate the risks and repercussions of such a high-profile diplomatic rift in a highly globalized world.

• The Tower of London’s Crown Jewel exhibition, which reopened in May, is a turning point in the museum’s narrative.
• The Crown Jewel exhibition showcases the effect of these changing narratives in its display of the Koh-i-noor and Cullinan diamonds.
• Set with more than 6,000 diamonds, nine emeralds, four rubies and four sapphires, the Imperial Crown was made from Indian resources.
• A section of the exhibition displays the dresses and objects of the guards of the Tower of London, who protect the crown jewels.

• Elsewhere, the alleged military chief of a Sikh separatist group, Paramjit Singh Panjwar, was gunned down in Lahore, Pakistan, last week.
• Are these recent acts marking the revival of a full-blown Sikh separatist movement like the one India saw in the 1980s?
• Nearly four decades ago, the demand for a separate homeland for Sikhs generated widespread terror, particularly in the Indian state of Punjab.

A violent history

• In later years, Sikhs demanded certain things from the Indian government (for instance, better water-sharing rights and greater linguistic protection).
• Some also expressed a deeper and more forceful assertion of their religious identity.
• After serving two decades behind bars, Inderjit Singh Reyat - the only person convicted - was released in February 2017 by Canadian authorities.

Sikhs in contemporary society

• There are more than 30 million Sikhs worldwide, with the majority in the Indian state of Punjab.
• And within India, the Sikhs are seen as a remarkable community: hardworking, resilient and mostly without a strong caste-based social hierarchy.
• Today, their teachings are collected in the holy book, Granth Sahib, which serves as the life guide for Sikhs.

Could the violence of the 1980s be repeated?

• There are some similarities between the Punjab of today and that of the 1980s.
• For another, there is only support at the fringes for the separatists, both within Punjab and in the diaspora.
• Admittedly, the decline of the traditional political parties in Punjab (Congress and the Akali Dal) has created a power vacuum.
• He campaigned against drug use and for puritanical Sikihism – but also advocated for a separate Sikh state of Khalistan.

• For decades, royal observers have speculated about the shape the coronation might take in an age of greater devolution, religious pluralism and increased secularisation.
• Contrary to some proposals for its reform or even its replacement by a civil ceremony, the new coronation liturgy remains a Church of England service.
• This piece is part of our coverage of King Charles III’s coronation.
• The first coronation of a British monarch since 1953 comes at a time of reckoning for the monarchy, the royal family and the Commonwealth.
• The most striking difference from the 1953 coronation service is the participation by members of non-Christian faiths.

Coronation for a modern audience

• For the modern and global audience of millions expected to watch the ceremony, many of the ancient elements of the coronation will need to be explained.
• Not just the meanings of seemingly archaic words, actions and regalia, but also their intended symbolism and relevance for contemporary society.
• All this explains the re-styled coronation of King Charles III.