Canada-India to Restore Top Diplomats; Sikh Leaders Under Threat

On 18 Jun, on the sidelines of the G7 summit, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Canadian PM Mark Carney agreed to restore the top diplomats they had withdrawn in 2023 amid heightened tensions. Carney said, ‘I think today's meeting was important, but I would describe it as foundational, a necessary first step: an exchange of views—frank, open exchange of views around law enforcement and transnational repression, as two examples—an agreement to provide the necessary foundations to begin rebuilding a relationship based on mutual respect, sovereignty, and trust.’ Soon after, a Canadian intelligence agency said India is a ‘perpetrator of foreign interference.’ Carney ducked a question about whether he and Modi had discussed the killing of the Sikh separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar, during their one-on-one meeting. British Columbia’s premier, David Eby, said he had asked Carney’s government to designate Lawrence Bishnoi’s gang implicated in the Nijjar killing as a terrorist organization in order to help police tackle extortion cases targeting South Asian businesses in the region. 'There are allegations that gangs in India are operating here in our province, and in other provinces, to intimidate and extort business owners. This is a serious step,' Eby said. 'We don’t make this recommendation lightly, but this activity strikes at public confidence in the justice system, in our democracy.' In another news, the World Sikh Organization (WSO) says multiple Sikh leaders in Canada have received notice from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police that their lives could be in imminent danger. WSO spokesperson Balpreet Singh said the national police force shared few details about who was behind the threats and provided little in terms of protection or assistance. Balpreet said some leaders were told to change their routines and think about spending time away from their families and friends, but were otherwise 'left to (their) own devices.' He added, 'It’s really an odd situation where you just don’t know where to go. And people that have had to leave their homes, have to leave their families. There’s no end to it' (earlier coverage)