Editorial: Mark Carney's visit to India is important for Punjabis
According to media reports, Karni will arrive in Mumbai directly on February 26.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney's visit to India starting tomorrow (February 26) is being considered an important link in the process of improving bilateral relations. According to media reports, Carney will reach Mumbai directly on February 26. The next day, after meeting representatives of commerce and industry there, he will go to Delhi. From Delhi, he is scheduled to go to Australia for four days on March 2. From there, he will return to India and visit Japan on March 7. According to a press release from the Canadian Foreign Office, the purpose of Mr. Carney's visit to India is to take the partnership with India to a new level in the areas of trade, energy and artificial intelligence (AI).
The same release described India as 'Canada's best friend' in the Asia-Pacific region and said that Carney's talks with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi would help boost bilateral security and prosperity. Given the abysmal state of India-Canada relations two years ago, the current diplomatic language reflects the fact that the two countries are making great efforts to bring their relationship back on track. Before Carney, Justin Trudeau, leader of his own Liberal Party, had made India-Canada relations hostage to the 'Khalistan issue' and brought the two countries to the brink of hostility.
Diplomatic tensions reached such a level that Trudeau accused the Indian government in the Canadian Parliament of having orchestrated the assassination of Khalistani leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar. Although he did not present any evidence to support this accusation, the incident itself was so sensational that its shadow still lingers in some form or the other on India-Canada relations.
Carney, who is fundamentally a technocrat and economist, was entrusted with the command of the Liberal Party in place of Trudeau to bring the Canadian economy back on track. Despite not being a traditional politician, he first saved the Liberal Party's political reputation from further erosion and then, contrary to the predictions of political pundits, made it possible for this party to win the parliamentary elections and retain power. Like India, Canada is also having to deal with the threats and economic sanctions of US President Donald Trump. This reality also led the Canadian Prime Minister to change his government's approach towards India.
The positive results of this alternative approach are now clear. In 2024, India was Canada’s seventh largest trading partner in terms of goods and services, with bilateral trade reaching 30.8 billion Canadian dollars. While figures for 2025 are yet to be officially released, government estimates put it at around 50 billion Canadian dollars. Diplomatic relations between the two countries have now returned to the level of posting high commissioners, and proposals to reopen consulates closed during the Trudeau era are under consideration by both countries.
Canada-India relations are important not only economically but also socially and culturally, as the Indian community constitutes 5.1 percent of the total Canadian population. Punjabis, especially Sikhs, constitute 2.1 percent (7.72 lakh) of this figure. 'Khalistan' is no longer part of the Indian Punjabi mindset, but there are still a number of people in Canada who use it as an emotional issue and as an important tool for anti-India propaganda.
The activities of the leaders who used to support Khalistani elements under the guise of vote-bank politics during Trudeau's tenure have now reduced comparatively. Instead, issues like extortion, drug trafficking and involvement of Punjabis in gang wars have become more serious issues for the Punjabi community. Moreover, the restrictions on the entry of immigrants and the strictness in issuing permanent residence (PR) permits have made the dream of settling in Canada of the residents of Indian Punjab and Haryana a nightmare to a large extent. Mark Carney, as Prime Minister, has adopted a sensitive and balanced approach to all such matters and issues. He has narrowed the scope of activities of Khalistani elements without curtailing their civil rights. The same strategy has been adopted in the case of separatists associated with other countries.
By keeping his government focused on addressing the economic and political challenges created by Donald Trump, he has maintained efforts to strengthen the Canadian economy. By prioritizing Indian partnerships in these efforts, he has erased many of the bitterness that had plagued Indo-Canada relations during the Trudeau government. This is no small achievement in itself.