Canada and India have just appointed new high commissioners to each other’s capitals — Christopher Cooter for Ottawa in New Delhi, and Dinesh K. Patnaik for India in Canada. On paper, this looks like the first step toward healing a badly damaged relationship. In reality, though, the path ahead is filled with mistrust, unspoken accusations, and a web of security concerns that neither side can ignore.
For Canada, the move is being framed as a “step-by-step” strategy to restore services and re-engage India economically. It’s no secret that Ottawa wants access to India’s massive market, especially at a time when U.S. tariffs — courtesy of Donald Trump’s protectionist agenda — are squeezing both countries. For New Delhi, sending Patnaik is equally strategic: India wants to signal that it is still open to dialogue, even as it bristles at what it sees as Canada’s tolerance of Sikh separatist activism.
But let’s be honest — this is not a normal reset. The shadow of 2023 still looms large, when Justin Trudeau accused Indian agents of orchestrating the assassination of Hardeep Singh Nijjar in B.C. That accusation triggered tit-for-tat expulsions of diplomats and the suspension of Indian visa services. Since then, the RCMP has tied Indian operatives in Canada to violent crimes, while a U.S. court filing linked an Indian intelligence officer to a foiled assassination plot against Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, another high-profile Sikh activist. These aren’t abstract allegations; they strike at the heart of sovereignty and safety on Canadian soil.
And the situation hasn’t cooled. Just this summer, Global News revealed that Jagmeet Singh, Canada’s former NDP leader, had been under close surveillance by a suspected Indian agent. The RCMP placed him under police protection. It’s hard to imagine two governments smiling for cameras while one side feels its citizens are being stalked by the other.
The irony is that both Prime Minister Mark Carney and Prime Minister Narendra Modi shared a stage at the G7 summit in Alberta — a summit where leaders pledged to combat “transnational repression,” the very thing India is accused of. Yet, Carney defended Modi’s presence as necessary, citing India’s size and economic weight. This is the tightrope Ottawa now walks: speaking out against interference while still courting India as a crucial partner in trade and diplomacy.
The federal inquiry into foreign interference has already ranked India as the second-most active threat to Canadian democracy, behind China. That finding should give pause to anyone who thinks a simple change of personnel can wipe the slate clean. Trust, once broken, isn’t rebuilt by swapping out ambassadors.
None of this means Canada and India should not talk. Quite the opposite — they must. But we should be clear-eyed about what’s happening here. This is not reconciliation born of mutual respect; it’s damage control driven by necessity. Canada cannot afford to cut ties with the world’s most populous country. India cannot afford to alienate Western democracies while trying to position itself as a global leader.
The appointments of Cooter and Patnaik might stabilize the relationship for now. But until Ottawa feels secure from foreign interference, and until New Delhi is willing to reckon with the allegations leveled against it, the Canada–India relationship will remain what it has been for years: uneasy, fragile, and one wrong move away from another diplomatic blow-up.
