Jaishankar holds secret meeting with Canadian FM amid diplomatic standoff
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar held a secret meeting with Canadian Foreign Minister Melanie Joly in Washington days ago, the Financial Times reported. The meeting came amid a diplomatic row between both countries over the killing of Khalistani leader and Canadian citizen Hardeep Singh Nijjar in June. However, neither the Indian nor Canadian governments have confirmed the meeting.
Why does this story matter?
A diplomatic row erupted between India and Canada after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau accused New Delhi of being involved in the killing of Khalistani terrorist Nijjar near Vancouver. The Indian government denied the allegation and accused Ottawa of supporting Khalistani supporters and Sikh extremists. Pro-Khalistan activities have seen an uptick in Canada. Earlier, a float depicting the assassination of Indira Gandhi triggered criticism.
Canada does not want to escalate situation: Trudeau
As relations between both countries plummet, Canadian PM Trudeau and Foreign Minister Joly said that they were trying to resolve the diplomatic row in private. "We will continue to engage privately because we think diplomatic conversations are best when they remain private," Reuters quoted Joly as saying. Trudeau further asserted that his government did not want to "escalate" the situation.
India demands diplomatic parity
Last month, India asked Canada to remove 41 of its 62 diplomats in New Delhi by October 10. CTV News reported that Canada has transferred around 30 diplomatic staff members to either Kuala Lumpur or Singapore. India also called for "parity in strength and rank equivalence" in diplomatic presence. Ottawa rejected the demand, saying that it needed a larger consulate in Delhi.
Implications of souring India-Canada relations
Per Erudera, there were 226,450 Indian students in Canada in 2022, making India the top contributor to Canada's education institutes. In case the conflict further escalates and New Delhi freezes the number of Indian students traveling to Canada, many public institutes could collapse, significantly impacting the Canadian economy. India has already suspended visa services for Canadians.
