PM Carney has a pragmatic approach, wants reset in India ties, says ex-envoy

The Hindu

8 hours ago

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has a pragmatic approach to global and domestic affairs which makes him vastly different from his predecessor Justin Trudeau and this could help a reset in the country's ties with India, according to Stewart Beck, former Canadian High Commissioner to India and former President and CEO of the Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada.
Talking to The Hindu on Canada-India relations, and what to expect after the recent meeting between Mr. Carney and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Mr. Beck noted that both countries have a complicated relationship that needs careful management. 'The relationship has gone through some highs and lows. In the 1970s, the first nuclear explosion by India had used Canadian technology too, which raised concerns on our side. Then in the 1980s, the bombing of Air India aircraft Kanishka, India's second nuclear explosion in the 1990s... There have been very positive developments, also some irritants ... the Khalistani separatism is an irritant that persists. It is a very complicated one and not easy for either side to understand fully,' he said.
Mr. Beck, who has spent four decades as a Canadian diplomat in various positions, thinks the recent meeting between Mr. Carney and Mr. Modi during the G-7 summit in Canada was 'a clear indication' that the relationship has turned the corner after the controversy around the 2023 killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a Khalistani separatist in Canada. Mr. Trudeau had blamed India for the killing.
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'Mr. Carney has a different perspective. He approaches relations with India quite positively, and he used the occasion of G-7 to put the ties on a positive track. And we need to do that, considering what is going on globally. India is a global player, and we need to figure out the best way to manage the relationship. I think PM Carney is prepared to do that,' Mr. Beck said. 'There was an argument that he was inviting Mr. Modi too early to Canada. But he took the position that it was not about the Canadian PM inviting Indian PM to Canada, but about Indian PM being invited to G-7 in Canada. India is one of the biggest economies of the world, and it had to be there at G-7. He then used that opportunity for a bilateral meeting too. The message that came out from that meeting is that we need to have a reset.'
The diplomat thinks the uncertainties around the Nijjar case and likely new revelations might cause fresh tensions. 'Building more trust is the key. It takes more time, mutual familiarity and interaction. Whatever happened with the Nijjar assassination, we have to deal with it. It happened, there are accusations that remain, and we have to deal with that reality. We have not got all the facts. In Canada, we will have to deal with how far do we allow people to go. From may own perspective, having a float in a parade with the glorification of the assassination of Mr. Gandhi is a step too far. These sensitivities need to be addressed. In the Nijjar case, it is allegations at the moment and there is uncertainty about what will happen now. If these allegations are established as true, we have to have a mechanism to cope with it.'
Mr. Beck is optimistic that, regardless of the Nijjar case outcome, there are several reasons for better India-Canada ties. 'Canadian pension funds have a significant role in financing infrastructure in India. We have interesting technologies in AI, biotechnology, climate change and we have things to offer,' he said.
Excerpts from the interview