New Delhi: In a significant step toward repairing strained diplomatic relations, India’s External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar held a phone conversation with his Canadian counterpart Anita Anand on Sunday. This marks the highest-level contact between the two countries since Mark Carney became Prime Minister of Canada in March 2025.
Jaishankar said the two discussed the “prospects of India-Canada ties” and extended his best wishes for Anand’s tenure. Anand, whose parents are of Indian origin, echoed optimism in a post on X, saying she looked forward to “strengthening Canada–India ties, deepening our economic cooperation, and advancing shared priorities.”
Diplomatic Tensions
Bilateral relations hit a low point in 2023 following allegations by Canada that Indian agents were involved in the assassination of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a Canadian Sikh leader and pro-Khalistan activist, in Vancouver. India categorically denied the accusations.
The diplomatic fallout saw both countries expel senior diplomats and relations remain tense ever since.
The Khalistan Issue
Canada hosts the largest Sikh population outside of India, including supporters of the Khalistan movement—a fringe separatist campaign seeking an independent Sikh homeland in Punjab, India. While the movement is banned in India, some of its prominent figures have been active abroad.
New Delhi has long urged Western countries, particularly Canada, to crack down on Khalistani groups, which India has linked to acts of terrorism, including the assassination of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi and the 1985 Air India bombing.
Looking Ahead
Canada is set to host the G7 Summit next month. India has been a regular guest at past G7 meetings since 2019, but it remains unclear whether Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be invited to the upcoming summit in Canada.
The recent diplomatic engagement signals a possible thaw in relations, with both sides appearing willing to open a new chapter in bilateral ties.
