INTRODUCTION
The two countries of Canada and India share more than just the membership of the Commonwealth countries. The two countries share a rich tapestry of resources, an abundant landmass and a cultural richness that goes back centuries. Canada had been a colony of the British Empire but had been granted independence long before India was.the influence that Canada has had on India has transcended the boundaries of the realm of politics and bureaucracy. Canadian involvement has been a major player in certain provisions of the Indian Constitution. Having been drafted more than a hundred years before the Indian Constitution was, the pivotal role that it has played in outlining the federal structure of administration and the emphasis laid on human rights is unparalleled and to this day remains a major source of information and inspiration to many[1]
This has been closely followed by the country being a major destination for students to pursue higher education and employees to seek jobs thereby making the two countries be inevitably reliant on each other for the supply of personnel and employment.
In this article, Team YLCC aims to bring you an overview on India’s relations with Canada. Read on!
BRIEF ANALYSIS OF THE HISTORICAL RELATIONS BETWEEN INDIA AND CANADA
India only began to have autonomous and interpersonal alliances and relations with countries after it had gained its independence. Canada always remained a top priority of geo-political and cultural value to the Indian Diplomats owing to its proximity to the United States of America and the value of its exports which, owing to its vegetation and weather, is difficult to replicate in a sub-tropical region in which India finds itself. Over the decades, India and Canada has had a longstanding bilateral relationship built upon shared traditions of plurality, pluralism, democratic values and strong interpersonal relations due to the high number of Indians who reside in Canada, with almost 4% of all Canadians having an Indian heritage.At the Ministerial level, India and Canada have historically enjoyed a partnership underpinned by the Ministerial Dialogues on avenues like Foreign Policy, Trade and Investment, Finance and Energy.[2]
As Canada aims to strengthen its Indo-Pacific links and creates stronger bonds of trade and strategic partnership in the South Asian region, it will benefit from the past proximity between the trading outposts of the two nations. As of 2021, the latest report available, India was Canada’s 14th largest exporter and 13th largest trading partner overall. Before the start of 2022, the Canadian and Indian High Command held a Ministerial Dialogue on Trade and Investment which paved the way for the creation of a comprehensive new strategy under the ambit of Foreign Investment Promotion and Protection Agreement (FIPA).
ANALYSIS OF THE RELATIONS BETWEEN INDIA AND CANADA IN 2022
All nations worldwide faced unprecedented challenges in 2022 as the fallout from the lean months of the pandemic and the subsequent lockdown became clearer in a daunting and distressing fashion. Late in 2021, Justin Trudeau won a historic third office as Canada’s Prime Minister as his Indian counterpart has seemed to solidify his position to win his third office in the 2024 General Elections. It has been touted quite vociferously that the two nations are revitalising their relations after what has been a somewhat rocky beginning between the leaders of the two nations. A global geo-political realignment has been in the works to help bring the two G20 nations and Indo-Pacific democracies closer as the ambit of QUAD increases and the democracies around the world scramble to find a peaceable solution to the autocratic and authoritarian regimes.[3]
Amidst all of these developments, what has been seriously lacking is a framework for a bilateral trade agreement that could kick start the much-anticipated Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) which has been in the works for more than a decade. The differences on over the market access and tariff reduction issues are set to be resolved and the respective High Commands seem to be in agreement about its successful commencement.
In 2022, when the QUAD countries- India, Australia, United States and Japan- held their physical meeting, there were some serious proposals and considerations for the addition of Canada to the QUAD owing to its importance in the Indo-Pacific trade and the maritime security to counter and dispel the threat posed by China and North Korea along with any potential sympathisers of theirs to wage nuclear submarine dominance on the shores of the countries.
However, the year was also marked by a serious threat to the relations when India released a travel advisory for the students travelling to and within Canada to “exercise due caution and remain vigilant.” This advise was followed on the heels of the strong rebuttal to the Khalistan referendum which was held in Ontario by the banned pro-Khalistan outfit called Sikhs for Justice (SfJ). The Indian authorities took up the issue of a sharp increase in hate crime, gang violence, sectarianism and regionalism and requester their Canadian counterparts to take appropriate action.[4]
ISSUES CHALLENGING THE RELATIONS BETWEEN THE COUNTRIES
A through analysis of the year that has been for India and Canada paints a vivid picture which is a bit marred by the impediments along the way. The most glaring one is the continuing occurrence of Pro-Khalistan action in Canada. Following the convention earlier this year, a temple was defaced allegedly by Canadians Khalistanis who are sympathisers to the topical and sensitive issue prevalent between the two nations. India has not only be proactive to dial down the narrative which it finds undemocratic and totally untenable but also find itself in a difficult place with diplomatic and bureaucratic relations in place after the nadir that it had reached following Justin Trudeau’s visit to India in 2018.
CONCLUSION
Regardless of the Khalistan presence and the glaring challenges, the relation between the two nations not only bettered in 2022 but also blossomed. With the G20 Presidency with India for the upcoming year, it remains to be a tantalising prospect to hopefully witness a rekindling of diplomatic friendship between Modi and his Canadian counterpart. As both the countries seek to come out of the COVID-19 infused inward-looking stance due to inner turmoil and depleting health care, the post-COVID phase will be marked by a renewed interest in the interpersonal relations between the High Command of the nations and their need to maintain and preserve global security and peace with the multi-national alliances.
Over the years, Canada has captured only a relatively small slice of India’s rapidly growing market. Historically, India protected its domestic sectors and refrained from forging FTAs with developed countries. But despite challenges in earlier stages of free trade negotiations between Canada and India, there is now momentum not only for an Early Progress Trade Agreement but for a full-fledged FTA between the two nations. The former wants to capture a greater market share in India, and the latter wants to build a long-term economic partnership with a developed economy.[5]
[1] The Canadian Constitution and the Indian Constitution, Unacademy, https://unacademy.com/content/bpsc/study-material/polity/canadian-constitution-and-the-indian-constitution/
[2] Canada and India Relations, International-Government of Canada, https://www.international.gc.ca/country-pays/india-inde/relations.aspx?lang=eng
[3] Nayanima Basu, After Years of Differences, India & Canada Seek To Reboot Relations In PM Trudeau’s Third Term, The Print, https://theprint.in/diplomacy/after-years-of-differences-india-canada-seek-to-reboot-relations-in-pm-trudeaus-third-term/800857/
[4] Mandira Nayar, India-Canada Relations Rocked by Pro-Khalistan Activities, The Week, https://www.theweek.in/news/india/2022/09/24/india-canada-relations-rocked-pro-khalistan-activities.html
[5] Pia Silvia Rozario, A Free Trade Agreement for Canada and India: Is the Time Finally Right?, Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada, https://www.asiapacific.ca/publication/free-trade-agreement-canada-and-india-time-finally-right
YLCC would like to thank its Content Team for their valuable insights in this article.
