‘New Canada govt unlikely to allow pro-Khalistan lobby to hold ties with India hostage'

Hindustan Times

15 hours ago

Toronto: People involved in ongoing exchanges between India and Canada have been left with the impression that the Government of Prime Minister Mark Carney will not allow the bilateral relationship to be held hostage by the pro-Khalistan lobby. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi (left) meets Prime Minister of Canada Mark Carney on the sidelines of the G7 Summit at Kananaskis, in Alberta, Canada, on June 18, 2025. (PTI)
Among them is former High Commissioner to Ottawa Ajay Bisaria, who recently participated in two roundtables this month in the Canadian capital and in Toronto, which featured senior Indian and Canadian officials, as well as representatives of trade organisations and others.
Speaking to the Hindustan Times, Bisaria said, 'The signal that the Indian side is getting is that Canada's new government will rise above diaspora politics, it will act in Canada's national interest.'
While Bisaria did not directly name the pro-Khalistan groups, they had, in the past, proved influential when it came to Ottawa's stance towards India, particularly when Carney's predecessor as PM, Justin Trudeau, was leading the government.
Despite protestations by these groups, Carney went ahead with inviting Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the G7 leaders' summit in Kananaskis, Alberta, in June, which marked the beginning of a reset in the relationship.
'Both governments are now confirming the reset has started and this will be a step-by-step process,' Bisaria said.
The readout issued by the Canadian government after the meeting in Kananaskis noted that the PMs 'reaffirmed the importance of Canada-India ties, based upon mutual respect, the rule of law, and a commitment to the principle of sovereignty and territorial integrity'.
They also 'discussed strong and historic ties between our peoples, partnerships in the Indo-Pacific, and significant commercial links between Canada and India – including partnerships in economic growth, supply chains, and the energy transformation' and 'opportunities to deepen engagement in areas such as technology, the digital transition, food security, and critical minerals'.
They agreed to reinstate High Commissioners in the two capitals. The diplomatic agreements towards confirming those appointments are expected to be complete in August with the new envoys heading the missions soon after.
The roundtables this month, organised by the Indo-Canadian Business Chamber (ICBC), were closed-door dialogues on the 'evolving' India-Canada economic relationship. The special guests in Toronto included Sara Wilshaw, Canada's Chief Trade Commissioner and Assistant Deputy Minister at Global Affairs Canada, the country's foreign ministry, and India's Acting Consul General in Toronto Kapidhwaja Pratap Singh. A week earlier, a similar roundtable in Ottawa was attended by Global Affairs Canada or GAC's Director General for South Asia Marie-Louise Hannan and India's Acting High Commissioner Chinmoy Naik.
These will be among a series of interactions that will occur in the months ahead, including resumption of existing dialogue mechanisms between the two countries.