India is cooperating with Canada and relations between the two countries are improving after tensions increased over the killing of a Sikh separatist in British Columbia, a top Canadian official has said.
“I wouldn’t describe them (the Indians) as not cooperating. I think we’ve made advancements in that relationship,” Jody Thomas, Trudeau’s national security adviser, told CTV in an interview published on Friday. “My discussions with my counterpart in India have been fruitful, and I think they’ve moved things forward,” said the outgoing National Security and Intelligence Advisor.
India-Canada ties soured after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau last September said that Ottawa was “actively pursuing credible allegations” that Indian agents were potentially linked to the June killing of Canadian citizen Hardeep Singh Nijjar. Canada has been asking India to cooperate in its investigation of Nijjar’s killing.
Meanwhile, New Delhi has strongly rejected the accusations and asked Ottawa to furnish solid proof. What heightened tensions was the US assertion of preventing a plot to harm a Sikh separatist in the United States. “The information that they (the Americans) revealed supported our position and our assertions with India, and India is working with us … far more closely to resolve this,” Thomas told CTV. Trudeau said in December he sensed a change in New Delhi’s tone with Ottawa after the US case.
‘Always been collaborative’
However, India has maintained that its approach right from the beginning was collaborative and wanted to deal with the concerns raised by Canada through diplomatic channels. “Our approach towards resolving this issue has always been collaborative. What we have been saying right from the beginning is that unless you share something specific and relevant with us, what do we look into? How do we help you?” Indian high commissioner to Ottawa Sanjay Verma in an interview last month.
Amid the frayed diplomatic ties that have delayed talks on a free-trade deal, India has continued to push its ‘core issue’ with Canada, which remains the space given to separatists, terrorists, and anti-India elements in that country. “Our position has been consistent. We have highlighted how we see the problem and frankly, the core issue remains the space that is given to extremists, terrorists and anti-India elements in that country,” then-Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said in December.
Bagchi said that New Delhi’s positions have remained consistent and it would hope that they would take action on such extremist elements that are misusing freedom of speech and expression. India believes that said that relations between the two countries will return to normalcy only if Ottawa takes note of India’s concerns in Canada.
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