As experts urge Canada to ease the strain after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau accused India of helping kill a Canadian, Ottawa is turning to the world of slideshows and flow charts.

Canadian officials are offering their Indian counterparts 鈥渨orkshops鈥� on the rule of law 鈥� at least as Canada sees it 鈥� even as tensions over Sikh separatism flare up.

鈥淗ow India defines extremism or even terrorism does not always compute in our legal system,鈥� senior bureaucrat Weldon Epp told MPs this month.

鈥淛ustice Canada has 鈥� and the RCMP in the past 鈥� done, effectively, workshops with the Indian government, to explain what our standards legally would be.鈥�

Last June, Sikh community leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar was shot dead outside his gurdwara in Surrey, B.C., and his supporters quickly blamed India.

He, like some others in Canada鈥檚 large Sikh population, was an advocate for the creation of a sovereign state called Khalistan.

In September came Trudeau鈥檚 bombshell revelation that Canadian intelligence agencies were 鈥減ursuing credible allegations of a potential link鈥� between India鈥檚 government and Nijjar鈥檚 death.

Canadian officials have since called for better co-operation from Indian counterparts 鈥� who charge Canada is providing little evidence.

Epp, who oversees Canada鈥檚 diplomacy in the Indo-Pacific, testified at a parliamentary committee this month that little more will emerge until the RCMP is poised to lay charges.

In November, U.S. authorities unsealed an indictment alleging an Indian diplomat engaged in conspiracy to order the assassination of another Sikh separatist. The plot was foiled, but American authorities said they found evidence of plans to assassinate Canadians including Nijjar.

Canada has had 鈥渓ong-standing exchanges鈥� with India on counter-terrorism concerns, Epp said, but what New Delhi considers Khalistan extremism doesn鈥檛 always meet the Canadian bar.

For example, Canada opted twice against extraditing Nijjar to India in the past decade over claims he had a role in a cinema bombing and an alleged terrorist camp.

Since Trudeau鈥檚 accusation, India caused Canada鈥檚 diplomatic presence to thin and temporarily stopped processing visas for Canadians, with Canada halting trade talks. Heightening tensions yet more, a foreign interference inquiry in Canada listed India as a potential source of meddling.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been more loudly urging Canada to get tough on Sikh separatism, said Sushant Singh, a senior researcher with the New Delhi-based Centre for Policy Research.

鈥淭here鈥檚 a backdrop, political and ideological, within the context of which the behaviour of the Indian government should be seen and analyzed,鈥� he said.

Members of Modi鈥檚 own inner circle, including his national-security adviser, were shaped by waves of violence between separatist mobs and the Indian government in the 鈥�80s, Singh said.

In Canada, some temples have openly venerated people connected with acts of violence like the 1985 bombing of an Air India flight.

But Canada insists it won鈥檛 rein in free speech.

Singh said Modi wants to send a message that India can鈥檛 be pushed around internationally, even as he consolidates power at home by clamping down on free expression and religious minorities.

鈥淗e wants to be seen as a strongman,鈥� Singh said, especially ahead of a spring election.

鈥淚t is extremely unlikely that he will walk back or be apologetic about whatever has happened鈥� in the Nijjar case.

If anything, part of Modi鈥檚 Hindu nationalist base supports extraterritorial assassinations.

Other Indian diplomats have been accused of conduct that runs afoul of international agreements.

In 2020, Germany convicted an Indian diplomat for spying on people advocating for Sikh and Kashmiri causes. Similar cases in the U.S. and the U.K. did not lead to prosecutions.

Still, as Canada鈥檚 allies suggest Trudeau鈥檚 allegations have merit, there has been 鈥渁 significant walk-back on India鈥檚 part,鈥� Singh said.

New Delhi shifted from outright denial to saying extrajudicial killings are not state policy.

鈥淚t actually showed that they may be worried,鈥� he said, adding India may ultimately decide to blame the homicide on rogue elements 鈥� and, if enough pressure mounts, signal new checks and balance for intelligence agencies operating abroad.

In that context, if Ottawa is offering workshops on the rule of law, that should be seen as an attempt at constructive help rather than trying to 鈥渂rowbeat鈥� or 鈥渆mbarrass鈥� India, said Singh.

Vijay Sappani, a fellow with the Macdonald-Laurier Institute, said it鈥檚 time for both sides to work toward restoring diplomatic and trade ties.

They have much in common, he said 鈥� on nuclear energy collaboration, Commonwealth values and diaspora ties. Trade opportunities are rich: India prizes uranium, lentils and potash from Saskatchewan.

鈥淐anada is the closest to India in the Western world,鈥� he said. 鈥淭he fact that we have these fights going on now doesn鈥檛 make sense.鈥�

Sappani said the Liberals struck the right tone after the Nijjar revelation by pledging to hold further diplomatic conversations with India in private. Trying to score points with public denunciation only drives a wedge, he said.

For meaningful progress, he said, India will want 鈥渁 long-term solution on the glorification of Khalistani terrorists in Canada鈥� 鈥� and for the Liberal government to stop hiding behind free speech, as Indian politicians have accused.

Political posturing around Sikh issues to attract votes is a tactic for all political parties at all levels of government in Canada, Sappani said.

鈥淲hat really bugs India is that the level of political, partisanship involvement by Canadians on issues related to India is very high.鈥�

The prime minister should avoid unnecessarily needling India, Sappani added, as some of his comments have damaged Canada鈥檚 reputation despite having little impact.

He listed examples like Trudeau saying his cabinet has more Sikhs than Modi鈥檚, or criticizing the Indian government鈥檚 response to farmers鈥� protests.

鈥淭he biggest challenge I think Trudeau may be facing in India is its perception, more than reality of what鈥檚 happening.鈥�

Dylan Robertson, The Canadian Press