A furious diplomatic row between India and Canada has pushed an otherwise fringe separatist campaign for an independent Sikh homeland in Punjab into the international spotlight.

There are roughly 770,000 Sikhs in Canada, about 2 per cent of the population - the largest Sikh community outside India Ottawa's accusations this week detailing a deadly Indian campaign against its Canada-based critics may have further derailed bilateral relations - but to Sikh activists,

Canadian security expert Joe Adam George highlights Western nations' disregard for India's concerns over the Khalistan movement, labeling it as a non-threat. The diplomatic tensions escalated with Canada naming Indian diplomats as 'persons of interest,