Canada Takes a Softer Stance on India Ahead of Mark Carney’s Visit

Ahead of Mark Carney’s upcoming visit to India, the Canadian federal government has signaled a softer stance toward India, stating that the country should not be associated with violent activities in Canada. This was reported by Toronto Star, citing a senior official who spoke during a media briefing ahead of Carney’s trip. On Wednesday, a senior unnamed official said, “We have strong diplomatic inputs, including from national security advisors, and I believe we can say with confidence that such activities are not currently ongoing.” The statement suggests that Canadian authorities are not observing any foreign interference or violent activity linked to India at present. Carney’s visit will include stops in Mumbai and New Delhi, with meetings planned with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The trip is widely seen as an effort by Ottawa to adopt a more pragmatic foreign policy approach and to strengthen economic ties with India, the world’s second-most populous country. The statement comes after past tensions in Canada-India relations, notably the June 2023 incident in British Columbia, where the murder of Hardeep Singh Nijjar outside a Gurdwara led to a diplomatic fallout. Canada had briefly linked Nijjar’s death to Indian agents, a claim strongly denied by New Delhi. The dispute had resulted in the expulsion of diplomats and a prolonged diplomatic freeze. However, Canadian officials briefing the media this week indicated that previous concerns over Indian involvement in foreign interference or violent activities are no longer active. A senior official remarked, “Had we believed such activities were ongoing, this visit would not have taken place.” The visit is being viewed as an opportunity to reset diplomatic relations and further deepen trade and economic cooperation between Canada and India.