Indian diaspora sees PM Modi's Canada visit as moment for rebuilding trust

India Gazette

9 hours ago

Alberta [Canada], June 15 (ANI): As Prime Minister Narendra Modi embarks on a three-nation tour, culminating in his participation at the G7 Summit hosted in Alberta, Canada, members of the Indian diaspora across Canada and the United States have extended a warm welcome and expressed hope for a renewed chapter in India-Canada relations.
The visit comes at a time when bilateral ties between the two nations have been strained in recent years, primarily due to concerns over Canada's perceived leniency towards Khalistani separatist elements.
However, PM Modi's invitation by Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney is being viewed by many as a significant diplomatic overture and a potential turning point in Indo-Canadian relations.
'We warmly welcome you to Canada and hope that with your arrival, the relations between India and Canada will grow stronger and more prosperous,' said Harjit Singh Sandhu, Vice Chairman of the India Canada Organisation (ICO), Montreal.
Echoing a similar sentiment, Harpreet Singh, a Canada-based journalist, noted the importance of the G7 platform.
'The world is passing through a critical phase, and the G7 meeting in Alberta will be a great opportunity for world leaders to brainstorm and find solutions to pressing global challenges,' Singh said.
'Our Prime Minister, Mark Carney, has invited Prime Minister Narendra Modi from India, which is a welcome step. There have been issues between India and Canada in the past few years, and I hope during this meeting, things are sorted out and a new path is chosen where both countries develop and prosper,' said Harpreet Singh.
Singh emphasised the importance of strengthening cooperation in trade, technology, and investment, stating that the over one million-strong Indian diaspora in Canada is eager for 'peace, stability, and progress.'
In New Jersey, HS Paneser, President of the Global Indian Diaspora Alliance, hailed the visit as a 'pivotal moment to reset and rebuild Indo-Canadian relations.'
'As of June 2025, Prime Minister Modi's participation in the G7 Summit, hosted by Prime Minister Carney, is being widely viewed by the Indian diaspora and global observers as a crucial opportunity to address and improve the recent strain in bilateral ties,' Paneser told ANI.
He pointed to a prevailing sentiment of cautious optimism among the diaspora, referring to the G7 invitation as 'an olive branch -- a symbolic and strategic soft restart to the relationship.'
Highlighting shared interests in trade, critical minerals, technology, and academic exchange, Paneser said both countries stand to benefit from 'strengthened cooperation and mutual respect.' He also stressed the significance of people-to-people ties, particularly the contributions of Indian students and professionals in Canada.
'The fact that PM Modi has been invited to the G7, despite India not being a member, underscores India's rising global stature as the world's most populous country and fourth-largest economy,' Paneser remarked.
'We see this visit as a pivotal moment to rebuild trust, enhance cooperation, and usher in a more constructive and mutually beneficial phase in Indo-Canadian relations.'
Concluding on a hopeful note, he added, 'In the spirit of progress and partnership, we, the members of the Indian diaspora, wholeheartedly welcome this positive move and hope it marks the beginning of better days for both nations.' (ANI)