PM Narendra Modi with his Canadian counterpart Justin Trudeau during the G20 Summit in Delhi on September 10. Image posted by Trudeau on X.
Amid frosty ties, Canada indefinitely postpones trade mission to India
A five-day Team Canada mission to India was to be led by Minister of International Trade, Export Promotion, Small Business and Economic Development Mary Ng.
Amid a chill in bilateral relations over Khalistani activities in Canada, Ottawa has indefinitely postponed a trade mission to India scheduled in October that was tied up with its Indo-Pacific strategy.
The development came a month after Canada placed a “pause” on the Early Progress Trade Agreement (EPTA) and shortly after officials in New Delhi said that trade talks with Ottawa have been suspended till subversive activities continue in Canadian territory.
“New Delhi will not engage in trade talks with any country that allows subversive activities against India or its people,” Hindustan Times quoted an unnamed senior official as saying.
A five-day Team Canada mission to India was to be led by Minister of International Trade, Export Promotion, Small Business and Economic Development Mary Ng and begin on October 9.
Ng was set to visit Mumbai with Canadian business leaders to form ties with their counterparts in the world’s most populous country.
Khalistan spoiler
Canadian Press said Ng’s office gave no reason for the postponement. An Indian official said they became aware of the decision only through the media.
The trade mission was announced when Indian Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal was in Canada in May.
The postponement is the latest fracture in the troubled relationship over pro-Khalistan activities in Canada.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi had conveyed New Delhi’s “strong concerns about continuing anti-India activities of extremist elements in Canada” to his Canadian counterpart Justin Trudeau on the margins of the G20 meeting in New Delhi recently.
The secessionist Sikhs for Justice held a so-called Khalistan Referendum at a gurudwara in Surrey a week ago and announced yet another round of voting on October 29 in the same town.
Still hopeful
Goldy Hyder, President and CEO, Business Council of Canada, said: “Canada and India share a deeply rooted and mutually beneficial economic partnership with a strong history and a bright future. We expect this relationship to continue irrespective of political tensions that may occur from time to time.
“As we have seen with other bilateral relations, disputes tend to work themselves out,” NDTV quoted him as saying.
Canada earlier said that it had a mutual interest in expanding commercial relationship and growing people-to-people connections with India.
Canada is home to the largest Sikh population in the world after India. Many among them vocally and openly seek an independent Sikh state called Khalistan.
Modi had told Trudeau that extremist elements are "promoting secessionism and inciting violence" against Indian diplomats, damaging diplomatic premises, and threatening the Indian community in Canada and their places of worship.
Trudeau’s stand
In turn, Trudeau said that Canada will always defend freedom of expression, freedom of conscience, and freedom of peaceful protest, "and it is extremely important to us".
"At the same time, we are always there to prevent violence and push back against hatred," he said.
India last year served a demarche to the Canadian government, asking it to stop the so-called Khalistan referendum.
India and Canada had first launched negotiations for a trade deal 13 years ago in 2010. After a lull of almost five years, the talks restarted in 2022.
Earlier this week, the Saskatchewan government claimed Ottawa left provinces in the dark for months over the status of trade talks with India.
