In the middle of tense ties between the two nations, Canada has announced that it would postpone a trade trip to India scheduled for October. On September 1st, a representative for Canadian Trade Minister Mary Ng verified the modification; however, no explanation for the postponement was provided.
According to Shanti Cosentino, the spokesman, “We are postponing the upcoming trade mission to India at this time.” Reporters were also informed earlier in the day by unnamed Indian officials that trade discussions were halted because of concerns about “political developments in Canada.”
Ng and Piyush Goyal, her Indian colleague, expressed their aim to increase trade and investment between their two nations by the end of the year in a joint statement they released in May. They have, however, encountered a number of significant obstacles.
Why did the relationship truly worsen?
Video footage of a contentious parade float in Brampton, Ontario, patterned after Indira Gandhi’s murder went viral in June. In 1984, the former Indian prime minister issued an order for military action against Sikh separatists at the Golden Temple in the province of Punjab. Her Sikh bodyguards then assassinated her.
The Indian authorities became enraged by the parade float and labeled the spectacle as a promotion of separatist violence.
Although he did promise to “push back” against “hatred,” Trudeau has stood up for Canadians’ rights to “freedom of expression, freedom of conscience, and freedom of peaceful protest.”
He also downplayed how big the protests were. “Remembering that the actions of a few do not represent the community or the nation as a whole is vital,” he said.
The greatest Sikh population outside of Punjab is found in Canada. Separatists who want to establish Khalistan, an independent Sikh state in northern India, are among them.
A glimpse of the G20 meeting:
Many viewed Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s choice to forgo a formal bilateral meeting with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, the leader of Canada, during last weekend’s Group of 20 (G20) summit in New Delhi as a snub.
Additionally, Modi drew Trudeau aside to be critical of Canada’s response to the most recent Sikh unrest. Following Modi’s meeting with Trudeau, the Indian government reaffirmed its “strong concerns about continuing anti-India activities” in Canada in a press release on Sunday.
Inciting violence against Indian diplomats, destroying diplomatic property, and endangering the Indian community in Canada were the actions of “extremist elements” within the nation, according to the news statement.
