As ties reset, Canada foreign minister to visit India
What's the story
Canadian Foreign Minister Anita Anand is likely to visit India next month as both nations work toward normalizing their relations. She will meet External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar during the visit, sources told NDTV. The visit will be the first high-level bilateral engagement since 2023 when ties soured over Canada's allegations of India's involvement in the killing of Khalistani separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar.
Diplomatic progress
High-level diplomatic exchanges resume
The upcoming visit follows a meeting between Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Canadian PM Mark Carney at the G7 summit in June. After the meeting, both countries sent back their high commissioners to each other's capitals. Canadian National Security and Intelligence Adviser Nathalie Drouin and Deputy Foreign Minister David Morrison visited India in September, further signaling a thaw in relations.
Arrest
Khalistani arrested
In another sign of improving ties, Canada arrested Inderjit Singh Gosal, a prominent Khalistani terrorist and close aide of Sikhs for Justice founder Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, this week. He was taken into custody on multiple firearms-related charges in Ottawa. His arrest is seen as a major shift from Canada's previous lenient approach toward separatist groups in the name of freedom of speech. According to News18, officials called the arrest the "first visible outcome" of a reset in India-Canada security cooperation.
Security concerns
Canada's acknowledgment of India's concerns on Khalistani extremism
Canada's intelligence agency has acknowledged India's long-standing concerns over Khalistani extremists operating from its soil. The report noted that these activities attempt to influence Canada's positions on key issues. In June, for the first time, Canada's top intelligence agency, the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS), acknowledged that Khalistani extremists "continue to use Canada as a base for the promotion, fundraising, or planning of violence primarily in India.