India-Canada relations likely to improve post-Trudeau era: Former High Commissioner Ajay Bisaria

New Delhi, March 18: Former High Commissioner of India to Canada Ajay Bisaria expressed optimism about the future of India-Canada relations, stating that a change in leadership in Canada could create an opportunity to mend diplomatic ties. He noted that the political relationship had faced significant challenges under Prime Minister Justin Trudeau but suggested that a new government could help reset bilateral ties.

Speaking to ANI, Bisaria highlighted that key developments in the coming weeks and months, particularly the Canadian national elections, would play a crucial role in shaping the relationship.

"I would be optimistic about the relationship because we have reached an inflection point, what we have now is a change of government and lot of the problems that India and Canada political relations face goes thanks to Trudeau personally, and now with Trudeau's exit, there is a successor. But the more important inflection point will come in a few weeks and few months, which will be the Canadian national election. Once we have a government in place, that gives Canada an opportunity to repair the relationship," he said.

He emphasised that despite political tensions, business and people-to-people ties between India and Canada had remained largely unaffected. "The good news was that the business relationship and people-to-people relationship was not particularly affected, but what we are hoping is that with this change in guard, and a new election and a new government, that'll give the opportunity to the new Canadian government to align its interests with India and to repair that relationship," Bisaria stated.

Addressing concerns over Khalistani extremism, Bisaria reiterated India's position on the issue and stressed the need for international partners to take it seriously.

"This is a very important conversation that India has with all its partners where extremist groups are active - that there should not be space given to a Khalistani extremists. We see that happening in Canada, we see that happening in the US, the UK, and other countries as well. Our attempt is to tell our partners not to give too much space to these extremist anti-India elements. The hope is that they would be persuaded by the evidence India provides and by the argument that these elements would be detrimental to their societies - it could be divisive in those societies as well," he stated.