​A reboot: On Canada-India ties Politics & News

India and Canada have had to take a painstaking path to reset ties ruptured over the Nijjar killing in 2023. But this week saw a big step forward, with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney’s India visit and his talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The process began last year, after the exit of former Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who had publicly accused India of involvement in the killing, and by Mr. Carney’s entry and invitation to Mr. Modi to attend the G-7 outreach in Kananaskis, Canada. The two countries have since demonstrated that they can resolve deep differences on security issues; NSA Ajit Doval’s Ottawa visit last month, previously unthinkable, saw a closer understanding of each other’s positions on the Khalistan issue and foreign interference. High Commissioners were appointed in both countries, and the two sides restarted discussions on the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) and cooperation in other spheres. Mr. Carney’s visit and rapport with Mr. Modi have also been forged due to geopolitical factors. U.S. President Donald Trump’s unilateral moves on trade and tariffs, and foreign policy, have pushed most global players to diversify their engagements and essay partners they may not have in the past. In a more realpolitik phase, India and Canada have restored ties with China, although fraught with misgivings over China’s trade and supply chain control. Finally, Mr. Carney’s January speech at Davos, exhorting “middle powers” and multilateralism against great power moves, resonated in India. It is pertinent that Mr. Carney, who landed in India just as the U.S.-Israel attacked Iran, continued with his meetings in India before travelling to Australia and Japan.

In Delhi, India and Canada agreed to the terms of reference for the CEPA, with the aim to conclude the trade deal this year, and a 10-year agreement for Canadian uranium supplies for Indian nuclear reactors. They also decided to build partnerships in renewable energy, technology and innovation, while establishing a defence dialogue. But turning the chapter on a history of bad blood that has bedevilled ties since the 1970s, mainly over the Khalistan issue, however, will need more clarity and trust. Just before the meet in Delhi, media reports in Canada, clearly fuelled by Canadian intelligence inputs of Indian links to the Nijjar case and other instances of foreign interference, indicated an internal tussle within the Canadian government on these issues. While the joint statement skirted around the issues in India-Canada accusations over extremist groups and transnational repression, these will come to the fore again if left unaddressed, especially as Canadian authorities move towards the trial in the Nijjar case. A successful partnership will require more honest conversations and mutual respect in public dealings on differences between them.