The relationship between India and Canada continues to be strained.
How to stop the deterioration of India-Canada relations latest news : The relationship between India and Canada continues to be strained. The Indian Ministry of External Affairs responded sharply to a report by a Canadian commission investigating foreign interference in Canadian elections, which claimed that India had more interference in the 2021 Canadian elections than China.
The Indian Ministry of External Affairs dismissed the allegations made by the Canadian commission and countered that Canada has been consistently interfering in India's internal affairs, especially during Indian elections.
Diplomatic wisdom suggests avoiding such mutual accusations, but the rhetoric between India and Canada has already gone beyond the bounds of civilized diplomatic relations. Unfortunately, the leadership on both sides has not made efforts to reduce the temperature of these accusations.
The Canadian commission's report, released on Monday by Justice Marie-Josée Hogue, claimed that some foreign countries have been using unethical tactics to influence Canadian voters during general elections without presenting clear evidence.
These tactics include the misuse of commercial and business resources, illegal distribution of money, buying influential leaders, using media to support a particular political party, and employing various methods to defame certain political parties.
The report also states that these tactics have not been limited to a single election but have been increasing over the past few decades. According to the report, "China was initially the leader in this matter, but now India is not far behind. The same can be said about some European countries and Russia.Canada has about 800,000 Sikhs. This community is divided into pro-Khalistan and anti-Khalistan factions.
The anti-Khalistan faction is directly supported by India. Similarly, the Indian government has been playing a role in mobilizing the Hindu community against pro-Khalistan supporters." The commission did not present clear evidence to support its claims. It only based its findings on circumstantial evidence. This basis is the weakness of the report and the foundation of the Indian Ministry of External Affairs' counterattack.
It is a well-known fact that even those who migrate voluntarily do not lose their attachment to their 'homeland.' This attachment makes them desire the dominance of their preferred political party in their 'homeland' and show affection for that political party in the country they have settled in, which appears to be in favor of their 'homeland.'
Diplomatic entities know how to take advantage of such sentiments. The Chinese and Indian diasporas in Canada are very large. The governments of these countries often take advantage of this population to protect their interests. If such sentiments are used/misused during elections in favor of or against a particular candidate or political party, it should not be considered 'interference.' 'Soft power' or 'sweet pressure' is considered an effective tool in international diplomacy.
Labeling its use as illegal or unethical is not a sign of diplomatic wisdom. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's direct accusation in October 2023 that the Indian government was involved in the murder of Khalistani leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar has caused significant damage to India-Canada relations, which will take a long time to repair.
It is also ironic that the same Canadian commission report that accuses India of interfering in Canadian elections also highlights the lack of clear evidence against India in the Nijjar murder case. The truth is that if both governments had acted with diplomatic sincerity and wisdom after Trudeau's anti-India statement, the current bitter situation would not have arisen.
Even now, it is hoped that the governments of both countries will act with sincerity and wisdom to prevent further deterioration of bilateral relations.
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