There was a time when India and Canada considered each other close Allies. These pictures show Prime Ministers Trudeau and Modi at more cordial times. But this week, tensions between the two Nations, which were already bad, nose-dived. Both India and Canada expelled diplomats from their host countries on Wednesday.

Canada’s prime minister Justin Trudeau had this to say as I’ve said a number of times we are not looking to provoke or create a fight with India. The Indian government made a horrific mistake in thinking that they could interfere as aggressively as they did in the safety and sovereignty of Canada.

India’s Foreign Ministry said Canada has no Evidence of this Allegation

Justin Trudeau, there will a lot of the tensions come down to the killing of This Man Hardip Singh. A Sikh man who was killed in Canada last year. He was part of the Khalistan movement, which is advocating for a separate Homeland for Sikhs in India something strongly opposed by the Indian government.

Canada’s governments accused Indian officials of being involved in that as well. In a recent statement, India’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said Canada presented us with no evidence. Whatsoever in support of the serious allegations that it’s chosen to level against India and Indian diplomats. 

meanwhile in another development today the US has charged a former Indian intelligence officer Vikash Yadav. Allegedly directing a foiled plot to murder a prominent sikh separatist in New York last year. It’s the first time the Indian government has been directly implicated in this way.

Discuss the view of Jeff Nanel on India and Canada

To discuss all those developments, let’s speak to Jeff Nanel, a former Consul General of Canada in Hong Kong and the CEO of the Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada. Welcome to the program. First of all, where do you see things at the moment? I assume you have more of a Canadian perspective on this, but how bad are relations between India and Canada? 

There’s no question I think that they are the worst that they have been in decades. It started this latest situation started over a year ago. When Prime Minister Trudeau first rose in Canada’s House of Commons in September last year. To level allegations of the involvement of Agents of the Indian state in the murder of a Canadian citizen in Vancouver in the previous June. 

30 individuals in Canada are being Arrested and Charged

But what we had earlier this week on Monday was really an unprecedented scene. Where we had the Canadian the head of Canada’s national police. the Royal Canadian Mounted Police in a press conference talking about over 30 individuals who are being arrested and charged.

Various crimes across Canada related to extortion intimidation coercion and even murder targeting members of Canada. Indian diaspora Community particularly members of the Sikh Faith Jeff. I’m just going to jump in just to kind of zoom out a bit. because we don’t have a huge amount of time. 

And first of all on the specific allegations around Najjar. India says that Canada’s presented no evidence. It’s important to put that perspective out there as well but just to say more broadly.

Any way to walk India and Canada things back to the place

Where India and Canada once were you know things were very cordial between the two. I remember in 2019 Justin Trudeau was the guest of honor as he visited Narendra Modi in India. There were some controversies around that particular trip to India and Canada but certainly there was a good relationship is there any way to walk it back? 

There are two different elements India and Canada. I think the relationship between the governments of Prime Minister Modi and Prime Minister Trudeau is going to be very difficult. How those would improve as long as these judicial processes are going on in Canada? So that train is already in motion between India and Canada. 

But it’s important also to remember there is a trade and investment relationship between Canada and India. That has continued to grow rapidly in the last year. But it has continued to grow in spite of the differences between the two governments. So on a society-to-society level and when it comes to Commerce it’s a different picture the question.

Now is whether this latest escalation has not spilled over into the trade and investment sphere. That will happen now with these latest developments. And this is something we’ll have to see in the coming days.