The relationship between India and Canada follows decades of steady trade and cultural connections. However, the current situation is shockingly different. The Indo-Canadian relationship is strained to its lowest point over allegations concerning Khalistani separatists. The nuances of this diplomatic rift, which exposes deep political and ideological divides between the two democracies are aggravated by domestic political pressures in Canada and its controversial stance on extremist elements.
AMBASSADOR SOUMEN RAY, IFS (RETD)
FOR TNJ
a 4 mins read.
Since the time kings and monarchs ruled their kingdoms, the practice of exchanging royal emissaries between kingdoms to strengthen their relations has been in vogue. Those imperial envoys and their entourage were extended all the facilities they required to perform their duties without any hindrance. In many cases, they were royal guests and were treated with utmost courtesy. In the events of animosities between two kingdoms, those envoys played a crucial role in mitigating the disputes. Even during wars, they were never mistreated by the host kingdoms. This practice continued for centuries.
THE LEGACY
This convention has been institutionalized in modern days. All sovereign countries have their diplomatic missions in coteries far and wide except in the “enemy” countries which vow to destroy each other. In 1961, the United Nations Conference on Diplomatic Intercourse and Immunities adopted a resolution – the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations. It is a framework for diplomatic relations between independent countries.
The diplomatic missions and posts are tasked with improving political, economic, educational, cultural, and people-to-people relations, facilitating travel of the host country’s citizens etc. It is also their responsibility to look after the welfare of its citizens working and residing there. Additionally, and importantly, they are tasked with safeguarding their country’s political and strategic interests while serving in those countries. In discharging their responsibility, particularly in the last category, junior diplomats, guided by the Ambassador/High Commissioner/Consul General, are required to meet various persons and collect required critical information in the complete knowledge of the host country. However, this is somewhat of a grey area. In many instances, diplomats have been “caught” for spying on the host countries and/or interfering in their internal affairs which are considered harmful for their political and social structures. Such cases are sometimes genuine but often malicious.
Nonetheless, diplomatic rows between states are not infrequent. In many cases, those turn ugly and violent. Sometimes the events are overtly or covertly sponsored by the states. Non-state actors also play a significant role in such cases. Even after the signing of the Vienna Convention, following the Islamic revolution, the US embassy in Tehran was stormed by Iranian students, taking 53 American diplomats and citizens hostage. They kept the mission surrounded for 444 days with the active support of the ruling elite. The Indian mission and consulates were ransacked in Pakistan, Afghanistan, and even in the US and UK by the miscreants by active support of concerned governments or the government authorities kept a blind eye to those heinous activities defying standard norms of diplomatic protocol.\
Diplomacy safeguards bilateral ties but political opportunism often undermines these protocols, exposing vulnerabilities in international relations.
FROSTY FOR DECADES
However, it is rare in modern history that bilateral relations between two democratic countries situated far apart on two different continents which have been frosty for decades, have now reached apparently to a point of no return. However, there is no dearth of warmth between the peoples of both sides and no geo-political and or strategic conflict of interests, these two countries have strong business partnerships and bilateral trade has been growing steadily.
But still, Indo-Canadian political and diplomatic relations are presently at the lowest ebb so much so that over a period of a couple of years they forced each other to downsize their missions and now Canada has put forward charges against the Indian High Commissioner and other diplomats and, demanded from the Indian government to waive off their diplomatic immunity so that they could be investigated for their “crimes”. This is something unheard of in the realm of international relations.
The sharp dip in Indo-Canadian relations has a perspective. Canada’s Liberal Party-led government and its increasingly unpopular Prime Minister Justin Trudeau face a growing risk of early elections they appear all but certain to lose. After winning power with a majority of parliamentary seats in 2015, elections in 2019 left Trudeau’s Liberals with much fewer seats. And PM Trudeau led a minority government. The Liberals retained it following a snap election in 2021. Then, on Sept. 16 this year, the Liberals hit an iceberg. They were defeated in a ‘safe’ seat in Montreal, LaSalle—Émard—Verdun, in a by-election.
SEPARATIST ELEMENTS
The latest polled public opinions show a sizeable portion of the public animus – the feeling of ill will and hostility towards the government. It has become deeply and inextricably rooted in the prime minister himself. Justin Trudeau, who promised “Sunny Ways” as he won an election on a wave of public fatigue with an incumbent Conservative government in 2015, has now become ‘Dark Ways’.
Under the circumstances, to regain his lost popular appeal and return to the limelight, Justin Trudeau took a leaf out of his father’s book on political survival in Canada. Sikhs constitute more than 20 million of India’s population. Canada has the largest Sikh diaspora. Approximately 800,000 Sikhs constitute around 2% of the total population of Canada. Over the decades, Sikhs have become a dominant force in Canadian politics, and as a result, clamours for Khalistan have found support across political lines. Canadian politicians and their parties have supported such so-called “activism” in the name of “freedom of expression” on Canadian soil. For those who question India’s tagging of Khalistani separatists as “terrorists”, Canadian government support is assured.
Justin’s father, former Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau, had refrained from taking action against Khalistani separatists and presided over scaled-down cooperation with India. For India, Canada has been a haven for such separatist elements threatening India’s sovereignty and integrity.
Canada’s strained relations with India highlight the geopolitical realities where the West’s dependence on India outweighs their alliance with Canada’s narratives.
A RISING SUPERPOWER
Furthermore, the Canadian PM premised his success in his recent tirade against India on the expectation that he would get unconditional support from his Western allies. Canada is a member of G7, founder of the NATO military alliance and part of the exclusive Five Eyes intelligence alliance—Australia, New Zealand, the UK, and the US are other countries in Five Eyes, which has closely guarded its exclusivity. But when the news broke, most Indian commentators argued that Canada would find itself friendless in this fight against PM Modi’s India, a rising superpower.
Rather guarded and mild initial statements concerning Canadian allegations of the Indian government’s role in killing a Khalistani separatist leader on Canadian soil, from the US, the UK, and Australia, which did not even name India, seemed to confirm the reality of the Western geopolitical-economic strategy. The West needs India (against China) more than India needs the West, goes the premise. Moreover, without any hard evidence, India’s position stands vindicated. Though some Western countries like the US and UK did urge India to “cooperate” with Canada in their investigation of the murder case and the issue was raised during various bilateral meetings, there has never been any pressure on India to ‘plead guilty’. Therefore, it is a matter of political convenience for the West to downgrade the concern raised with India on such issues.
Be that as it may, the West’s stance is not likely to have major implications on its relations with India. It is a similar case with Australia. India’s ties with the West are deeper and stronger than ever. Be it in the strategic sector, trade, or their alliance against the Chinese presence, their global cooperation is growing. With the US and the larger West remaining vague in their responses, the Canadian PM is somewhat frustrated.
The India-Canada diplomatic row, sparked by allegations of Canadian support for Khalistan separatists, has strained bilateral relations, and there is no hope for an immediate resolution. However, with a substantial Indian diaspora in Canada and the potential for further economic cooperation, both nations have much at stake. The future of their ties hinges on addressing this issue sensitively while recognizing their broader partnership opportunities.
(Ambassador Soumen Ray, IFS (Retd.), Former Indian Ambassador and the noted Columnist on current world affairs. The views expressed are of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The News Analytics Journal.)
