Canada–India relations

Canada–India relations also referred to as Indo-Canadian relations, are the bilateral relations between Canada and India. In 2022, bilateral trade between India and Canada was at about C$15.14 billion.
History
19th century
In 1858, Queen Victoria proclaimed that, throughout the Empire, the people of India would enjoy equal privileges with white people without discrimination of colour, creed or race. Since both Canada and India were under British Crown rule, ex-army men from the British Indian Army migrated to Canada to start a new life. However, what awaited them was racism and discrimination. Many settled in Western Canada, which was sparsely populated at the time, and worked as law enforcement officers due to their military history. They also worked in forest clearing as lumberjacks and owned lumber mills. However, race relations with white Canadians were strained. The socioeconomic systems that advantages white people ensured that racialization and minimal direct contact (e.g. ethnic gatekeeping) remained the same by setting up various barriers. This dynamic continues implicitly and explicitly into the 21st century internally within the country, and the external intercontinental cordiality is also fraught with similar relationship dynamics.
20th century
In the 1940s and 1960s Canada–India relations were enhanced because of the personal ties which developed between Indian Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru and two Canadian Prime Ministers who served during those years: Louis St. Laurent and Lester B. Pearson. At the United Nations and in the Commonwealth, on issues as diverse as the Korean War armistice and the Suez Crisis, there was a convergence of interest and commitment between India and Canada. Canada's aid programme to India began in 1951 and grew substantially under the Colombo Plan. Canada provided food aid, project financing and technical assistance to India. In the past five decades India has been one of the largest recipients of Canadian bilateral aid, amounting to over $3.8 billion Canadian dollars. In the 1960s, Canada supported the Kundah hydro-electric power house project through the Colombo Plan.
Indo-Canadian relations deteriorated in the wake of India's Smiling Buddha nuclear test of May 1974 when the Canadian government severed bilateral nuclear cooperation with both India and Pakistan in 1976 after claims that the fissionable material used to construct India's first nuclear weapon had been synthesized with the Canadian-supplied CIRUS nuclear research reactor. Thereafter Canada resolved to engage in nuclear cooperation only with countries which signed the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) and the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT), and which instituted full-scope safeguards on their nuclear energy programmes under the supervision of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). India and Pakistan are two nations that have both consistently refused to sign the NPT, and voted against UN General Assembly Resolutions which they assert violates their nation's sovereign right to choose whether or not to sign such treaties. In early February 1997, Foreign Minister I.K.Gujral re-iterated India's opposition to the treaty, saying that "India favours any step aimed at destroying nuclear weapons, but considers that the treaty in its current form is not comprehensive and bans only certain types of tests". At that time, Canada persistently refused to engage in nuclear co-operation with India and Pakistan until and unless they sign the treaty ended its nuclear collaboration with India for the time being, and severely damaged relations between the two nations. However, in 2010, the signing of the Nuclear Cooperation Agreement (NCA) between the two countries started a new era of engagement. A follow-on agreement was signed in 2015 to supply 3000 metric ton Uranium concentrate to India under five-year contract.
Indira Gandhi was the second Indian prime minister to make a joint session of the Canadian Parliament, on 19 June 1973. Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru was the first on 24 October 1949.
The bombing by Sikh separatists of Air India Flight 182 in 1985 resulted in Canada and India maintain a bilateral dialogue on anti-terrorism, including an annual meeting of the Canada-India Strategic Dialogue, as well as regular meetings of the aforementioned Canada-India Working Group on Counter-Terrorism.
In the 1990s, a chance to improve Indo-Canadian relations arose when India instituted major reforms of its economy. India went through a large economic liberalisation, which attracted the attention of the Canadian government and the business community. Canadian Prime Minister Jean Chrétien paid a diplomatic mission to India in January 1996 with two cabinet ministers and 300 business figures. India's External Affairs Minister Inder Kumar Gujral paid an official visit to Canada in September 1996. Foreign Affairs Minister Lloyd Axworthy reciprocated with a visit to India in January 1997 during which he inaugurated the Office of the Canadian High Commission in Chandigarh, capital of Punjab and Haryana states. The Canada-India Working Group on Counter- Terrorism was also established in 1997, bringing together on an annual basis several departments and agencies of the Canadian and Indian governments. Former Governor General Roméo LeBlanc undertook a state visit to India in March 1998. Prime Minister Stephen Harper took an official visit to India in November 2009. The Canada India Foundation has been active since 2007 in fostering support for stronger bi-lateral relations between Canada and India. Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh visited Canada in June 2010 for the G20 Summit in Toronto.
21st century
2011 was dubbed the "Year of India in Canada," a joint initiative by both governments. Under this auspice, in June 2011, the Indo-Canada Chamber of Commerce co-hosted with the government of India the regional Pravasi Bhartiya Divas, a conference of the diaspora. This conference hosted over 1,000 delegates from India and Canada's governmental, business, medical, scientific, and philanthropic sectors. This event was followed by the International Indian Film Academy Awards held in Toronto in June 2011.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau spent a week in India on a state visit in February 2018 that was criticized for the invitation of Jaspal Atwal, who was convicted of attempted murder for his role in the 1986 attempt to assassinate Punjab minister Malkiat Singh Sidhu.
In December 2020, Trudeau expressed concerns about the handling of farmer protests by the Indian government. Trudeau stated that "Canada will always be there to defend the rights of peaceful protestors" and expressed support for "the process of dialogue." In response, the Indian Ministry of External Affairs stated that Prime Minister Trudeau's comments were "an unacceptable interference in our internal affairs".
2023 diplomatic crisis
In September 2023, during the 2023 G20 New Delhi summit, Canada and India did not have a one-on-one meeting but instead met on the sidelines. Prime Minister Narendra Modi raised concerns with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau about Khalistani protests in Canada, while Trudeau brought up the accusations of Indian government involvement in the killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar. The talks between the two leaders were tense, affecting ongoing trade discussions.
Later that month, Trudeau spoke in the House of Commons on what he stated were "credible allegations of potential link" of Indian government involvement in the murder of Nijjar. Subsequently, diplomatic relations between the two nations further deteriorated, and each side announced the expulsion of a top diplomat. India rejected the charges as "absurd" and motivated. On 20 September, India issued warnings to its citizens in Canada that they should "exercise utmost caution" due to "growing anti-India activities." Marc Miller, Canada's Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, rejected India's characterization of Canada as unsafe in a statement. On 21 September, India suspended visa applications from Canadians until further notice. Following the Visa suspension, India's foreign ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagchi accused Canada of being "a safe haven for terrorists, extremists, and organised crime". On 25 September, Canada updated its travel advisory and issued a warning to its citizens for potiental anti Canada protests alongside Anti Canadian sentiments. And warning its citizens of potiental intimidation or harassment of Canadians in the country. Furthermore, Canada put India into the high risk country category. Citting not just the potiental protests that could be caused by this situation but also the high levels of terrorism in India. On September 2023, Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, one of the main leaders of the Khalistan movement and spokesperson of Sikhs for Justice, threatened Indo-Canadian Hindus and advised them to leave Canada. The video, which was later deleted, was condemned by Canadian officials. Canadian agencies also took down posters and billboards advocating the killing of three Indian diplomats in a Surrey gurudwara.
As of September 2023, Canada has not provided any evidence linking the Indian government to Nijjar's death. However, there is reporting that some of the intelligence provided to Canada linking India to Nijjar's death came from US intelligence agencies. On Friday, 22 September, two days after the Canadian government accused Indian agencies of killing Hardeep Singh Nijjar, the Premier of British Columbia David Eby informed the media that the "intelligence briefing" received by him from the director of the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) was based on open-source, Internet material while also claiming that he "strongly" suspects that the federal government is holding back information. On Sunday, 24 September, the Indian government instructed its investigative agencies to identify all Khalistanis in Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia and cancel their Overseas Citizenship of India card to prevent them from entering India, in addition to confiscating their assets in India. On September 26, former Indian diplomat Deepak Vohra alleged that Trudeau's plane was "full of cocaine" when he came to India for the G20. He further alleged that Trudeau missed the G20 dinner because he was 'high on drugs and did not come out of his room for two days". This claim was rejected by Canada's Office of the Prime Minister. The statement read “This is absolutely false and a troubling example of how disinformation can make its way into media reporting.”
The Washington Post believes that the footage from the gurudwara's security cameras, which it had reviewed, and witness accounts suggest a larger and more organized operation than previously been reported. At least six men and two vehicles were involved in the killing. The report, which also contained accounts of Sikh community members present in the vicinity of the attack, said the attackers, two of them in hooded sweatshirts, fired roughly 50 bullets, of which 34 hit Nijjar. Speaking at the discussion at the Council on Foreign Relations, India's Minister of External Affairs S. Jaishankar raised concern over the incidents of threats to Indian diplomats and attacks on Indian consulates, stating that these are "very permissive" because of political reasons. He further stated that Indian Government has provided Canadian government a lot of information about organised crime leadership, which operates out of Canada in addition to a large number of extradition requests. Regarding Trudeau's allegations, Jaishankar assured during the discussion that the Indian side will take action if the Canadian side provides specific information in connection with Nijjar's killing.
On 28 September 2023, a handful of Canadian websites including those of the Canadian military were defaced. A reportedly pro India group which went by the name "Indian Cyber Force" took responsibility for the hack. Some Indian media reports allege that the killing of Khalistani leader Hardeep Nijjar in Canada was orchestrated by individuals connected to the Pakistani intelligence agency, Inter-Services Intelligence , with the aim of straining relations between Canada and India; sources further suggest that ISI had enlisted criminals to carry out Nijjar's assassination and had been pressuring him to wholeheartedly support gangsters who arrived in Canada in the past two years. However no credible evidence has been provided to prove that claim. Despite the Nijjar killing row, speaking at a press conference in Montreal on Thursday, September 28, Trudeau said that he thinks it is "extremely important" that Canada and its allies continue to engage "constructively and seriously" with India, given its growing importance on the world stage. On the same day, Balraj Singh Nijjar, son of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, said his father had been meeting with Canadian Security Intelligence Service officers 'once or twice a week,' including one or two days before the June 18 murder, with another meeting scheduled for two days after his death. According to a report by The Economic Times, Nijjar is now assumed to have been an asset for Canadian security services given the frequency of the meetings.
On 3 October 2023, India asked Canada to withdraw approximately 40 of its diplomats by October 10.
On 19 October 2023, Canadian officials confirmed that 41 diplomats and their dependents have left India, and 21 remained. Canadian Foreign Affairs minister Melanie Joly further confirmed that India's revocation of diplomatic privileges was unilateral, and that Canada would not be issuing a similar mandate for Indian diplomats.
On 25 October 2023, India has resumed visa services in Canada for 4 categories: Entry visa, Business visa, Medical visa and Conference visa which were suspended earlier amid the row.
Trade relationship
Canada and India enjoy a prosperous trading relationship. Since 2004, despite the late-2000s recession, trade has increased by over 70%. In 2009, Canadian exports to India totalled C$2.1 billion, while in the same year Canadian imports from India totalled C$2.0 billion, giving Canada a C$100 million trade surplus. India celebrated the year 2012 as year of India in Canada to promote business, cultural and political relations with India.
Despite the warm relationship, trade between Canada and India is less than their potential. India accounts for less than 1% of Canada's total export and total import in 2014, with bilateral trade of C$5.77 billion in 2014 (compared to more than C$56 billion bilateral trade between China and Canada). Nevertheless, total trade between the two countries grows steadily over the past 5 years.
Canada and India are currently holding negotiations on the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) to improve the trade relations between the two countries. As of March 2015, the two countries held their 9th round of negotiations in New Delhi.
Canada's Merchandise Trade with India 2015
Resident diplomatic missions
As both countries are members of the Commonwealth of Nations, Canada and India exchange high commissioners rather than ambassadors.
Canada has a high commission in New Delhi and consulates-general in Bangalore, Chandigarh and Mumbai.
India has a high commission in Ottawa and consulates-general in Toronto and Vancouver.
Air connectivity
Air Canada operates non-stop flights from Toronto, Montreal, and Vancouver to Delhi, and from Toronto to Mumbai. In September 2019, Air India resumed its nonstop flights from Delhi to Toronto, and in October 2020 began scheduled flights from Delhi to Vancouver. Indian carrier Vistara has expressed interest in flying nonstop from Delhi to Toronto as its first North American destination, while Canadian carrier WestJet has noted India as part of its expansion plans with the Boeing 787 Dreamliner. In May 2022, Union Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia met with Canadian Transport Minister Omar Alghabra to discuss an open skies policy between the two countries. This would allow unlimited flights between Canada and India.
See also
Indo-Canadians
References
Further reading
Budhwar, Prem K. et al. "India-Canada Relations: a Roller-Coaster Ride." Indian Foreign Affairs Journal 13.1 (2018): 1-50. online essays by seven experts
Coward, Howard, ed. Peace. Development and Culture: Comparative Studies of lndia and Canada (Calgary: Shastri Indo-Canadian Institute. 1988).
Dobell, W. M. "Canada and India: The Mulroney Years." Journal of Asian and African Studies 25.3-4 (1990): 131-145.
Edwards, Lucie. "The lady is a tiger: Canada's erratic courtship of India." Canadian Foreign Policy Journal 18#3 (2012): 264–266.
Grewal, J.S. and Hugh Johnston, eds. The India-Canada Relationship -- Exploring Political, Economic and Cultural Dimensions (London: Sage/Shastri Indo-Canadian Institute, 1994).
Gupta, Ashis, ed. Canada-lndia Opportunities - Selected 1988 Conference Proceedings, (University of Calgary, 1988)
Reid, Escott. Envoy to Nehru (Toronto: Oxford University Press, 1981).
Rubinoff, Arthur, ed. Canada and South Asia: Political and Strategic Relations (University of Toronto Press, 1992).
Rubinoff, Arthur G. "Canada's re-engagement with India." Asian Survey 42.6 (2002): 838–855. online
Rudner, Martin. "The Canada‐India nexus: Trade and development assistance in Canada's new foreign policy framework." Canadian Foreign Policy Journal 3.2 (1995): 33-50.
Singh, Milan, and Anita Singh. "Diaspora, political action, and identity: A case study of Canada's Indian diaspora." Diaspora: A Journal of Transnational Studies 17.2 (2014): 149-171. online
Touhey, Ryan. Conflicting Visions: Canada and India in the Cold War World, 1946-76 (U British Columbia Press, 2015)
External links
Canada–India relations, Government of Canada
Bilateral relations of India
India
Canada and the Commonwealth of Nations
India and the Commonwealth of Nations