"India and Canada have appointed new envoys, marking a substantial step toward normalizing their relations following a major diplomatic standoff. India's Foreign Ministry said it will assign its current envoy to Spain, Dinesh Patnaik, to Canada while Christopher Cooter will be Canada's new high commissioner to India. Why did India-Canada relations become strained? The rift stemmed from former Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's allegations that Indian agents were involved in the assassination of Sikh leader and activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar."
"According to media reports, Nijjar was a prominent organizer in the Sikh community in Canada. He was also a proponent of the so-called Khalistan movement, which calls for a Sikh homeland by carving out an ethno-religious state in India's Punjab region. The movement dates back to India and Pakistan's independence in 1947, when the idea was pushed forward in negotiations preceding the partition of the Punjab region between the two new countries."
"India dismissed Trudeau's claims as "absurd" and politically motivated, leading to the reciprocal expulsions of top envoys. Roadmap to warmer ties After a fractious period of several months, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi met with his Canadian counterpart Mark Carney in June during the G7 leaders' summit held in Kananaskis, Canada. Both agreed to take "calibrated and constructive steps to restore stability in the relationship.""
India and Canada appointed new envoys as a step toward restoring diplomatic relations, naming Dinesh Patnaik for Canada and Christopher Cooter as Canada's high commissioner to India. Relations became strained after former Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau alleged Indian agent involvement in the killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar. Nijjar was shot dead in 2023 and was a prominent organizer and proponent of the Khalistan movement in Canada. The Khalistan movement seeks a Sikh homeland in Punjab and traces to partition-era negotiations in 1947. India called the allegations absurd, leading to reciprocal envoy expulsions, and subsequent G7 talks aimed to restore stability.
Read at www.dw.com
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]