Image Source: TRIBUNE

Canada has made it clear that it respects the territorial integrity and unity of India. “We do not support separatism (in India),” Canada’s long-serving High Commissioner to India Nadir Patel said in an interview to The Tribune. Patel said if there was any violation of Canadian law or if someone crossed the line, “we will act on any evidence given to us”.

At the same time, Patel indicated that India should not be minatory over low-level activity that did not breach any law. “We very much respect the constitutional charter of rights which provides for freedom of expression,’’ he said.

According to popular perception, India-Canada ties took a nosedive over Ottawa’s empathy with Sikh separatists that culminated with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s week-long trip to India in early 2018 being termed a “diplomatic disaster”. Patel, who is now packing bags to return after an unusually long five-year tenure, said Ottawa would like to see more opportunities for Indians relocating to Canada, whether in the short or long-term. “We have a special place for India... Canada has a long-standing, very positive and deep-rooted relationship with Punjab which goes back many, many years to the late 1800s,’’ he observed. Patel dispelled the impression that bilateral ties had gone into a deep freeze after New Delhi felt Ottawa was indulgent towards Khalistani separatists.