New Delhi: India is likely to appoint a high commissioner to Canada soon, with the two countries looking to reset ties following Mark Carney’s victory in the recently concluded federal election, ThePrint has learnt.
A person familiar with the matter confirmed to ThePrint that an appointment of a new high commissioner to its mission in Ottawa will likely be “announced soon”. Senior diplomats will likely be appointed at the Indian consulate in Toronto.
Ties between the nations hit a nadir after ex-prime minister Justin Trudeau’s charge against Indian officials, who, he said, had a hand in the Sikh separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar killing.
Gunmen killed Nijjar, an India-designated terrorist, outside a gurdwara in Surrey, British Columbia, in June 2023.
Earlier this year, Trudeau resigned, and Carney won the Liberal Party leadership poll. The ex-Governor of the Bank of England, assumed the Premiership of Canada last month and led the Liberal Party to a stunning victory Monday.
In what was a sign of a thaw in ties, Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated Carney and his party after their victory.
“Congratulations @MarkJCarney on your election as the Prime Minister of Canada and to the Liberal Party on their victory. India and Canada are bound by shared democratic values, a steadfast commitment to the rule of law, and vibrant people-to-people ties. I look forward to working with you to strengthen our partnership and unlock greater opportunities for our people,” said Modi in an X post.
In September 2023, Trudeau informed the House of Commons that the Canadian government had “credible allegations” linking Indian officials to the Nijjat killing.
India rejected the charges as “absurd and motivated”.
Ottawa, then, expelled an Indian diplomat, triggering New Delhi’s tit-for-tat response by expelling Olivier Sylvestre while calling him a Canadian intelligence agent. India then went for diplomatic ‘parity’, ordering the ouster of 41 Canadian diplomats, further downgrading bilateral ties.
A year later, in October 2024, Canada sought an immunity waiver to question six Indian diplomats, including then-high commissioner Sanjay Kumar Verma. New Delhi refused, withdrawing Verma and five other diplomats while announcing the expulsion of six Canadian diplomats, including acting high commissioner Stewart Wheeler. The action left only 16 Canadian diplomats operating in its missions in India.
New Delhi went further and accused the Canadian Prime Minister of indulging in “vote bank politics” and appointing members to the cabinet with “extremist and separatist agendas” when it came to India. The public fallout in the matter has seen neither country appoint a High Commissioner at their respective missions since October last year.
As the Canadian PM, Trudeau also sought to insert himself into the dialogue surrounding the 2020 farm laws withdrawn by New Delhi, eventually following protests by farmers.
Carney, however, wants to carve out a different path in India.
Days before the poll, Carney, in an interview with Canadian media, called ties with India “incredibly important”. He has not referred to the killing of Nijjar, showing his interest in handling “strains” on the relationship through mutual respect, according to media reports.
Carney’s reluctance to publicly take on India, as his predecessor had done, comes at a moment when US President Donald Trump has unleashed his tariffs on the country. He has to diversify trade now, and India remains one of the largest markets in the world.
(Edited by Madhurita Goswami)
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