Time to move to a new level

Firewall bilateral relations from the Trudeau controversies

International heartthrob, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, succeeded in having the most controversial State visit to India of any foreign leader in the past five years. Mr Trudeau has projected himself as the poster boy of this national image. However, postmodern values do not necessarily sell well in countries like India whose attitudes towards security, identity and nationalism are more traditional. The history of Indo-canadian relations has been troubled. Ottawa was among the most vociferous opponents of India’s nuclear programme, a stance it was only to change when the US ended sanctions against India a decade ago. Canada has a large Indian minority but that has generated its own problems. Studies have shown diaspora groups often hold on to distorted views of their original homes. This is evident in Canada’s Sikh diaspora and the extremists’ numbers are enough to have political leverage. The liberal arm of the Canadian political system has preferred to treat the issue of Khalistani extremism as a consequence of Indian State repression. This fits their worldview and is also part of their electoral calculations.

These are all problems that can be handled if care is taken to ensure official relations are firewalled from these other issues. Mr Trudeau failed to do so during his visit, though the inclusion of Khalistani groups in the counterterrorism framework did repair some of the damage done. It seems clear, however, that the broader bilateral relationship will continue to grow.

The Narendra Modi government has realised that second-tier economies are increasingly important to India’s rise. Canada is a perfect example. A country with a $2 trillion economy, India has a lot to contribute in terms of investment, technology and resources. Canada may also be fated to become a major civilian nuclear partner. A Canadian firm now owns the nuclear power firm, Westinghouse, which India has been wooing for some years. There is irony in this given how much New Delhi and Ottawa used to spar on nuclear matters. It is also a reminder about how nothing is permanent in the affairs of the world and how all bilateral relations should be treated with care.