After not the walking out but the flying out by President Trump on the genuine excuse of needing to be back in Washington because of the Iran-Israel war, the G7 meeting was denuded of much significance. Nevertheless, whatever may have been the other outcomes of the visit of PM Modi to Canada, the reversal of relations between Canada and India from the crash landing trajectory that Justin Trudeau caused, was itself worth the visit. Add on the significance of the stopover in Cyprus as a subtle snub to Turkey under Erdogan, and the reminder that while Russia was indeed a friend, India was not beholden to it, as was demonstrated by the first ever visit of a Prime Minister of India to Croatia, which does not have the best of relations with Serbia, a neighbour which is close to Russia. Its neighbour, in contrast, has prioritised its ties with the EU over those with Russia. India under PM Modi has become close to several countries in the EU, including France, where President Macron is disliked by President Trump. In the demonstrative way so characteristic of this US President, Trump has not hesitated to make his dislike public, even in the presence of Macron.
The French President has become an effective sales representative of the defence industry in France, especially aircraft. Viewed in this light, India is an attractive country to court and Macron has done so with aplomb. It is the market of the country with the largest population in the world so attractive to many EU members, and the larger countries in particular. UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer has surprised his critics by his skilful navigation of the difficulties of his job, and the signing of an FTA with India is an example.
It was not just India-Canada trade from the present low level but the realisation by the Prime Minister of Canada that criminal gangs were ruining Canada. Criminal gangs with their origins in China seemed to have a free run under Trudeau, as also gangs that worked closely with them, who swore loyalty to the K-Group. Efforts at reviving acts of terror in India were funded from the profits of the narcotics trade, which was flourishing in Canada as well. Youth in particular were becoming addicted to drugs, some graduating from milder to stronger versions and becoming social misfits as a consequence. Carney has not just cracked the whip on the K-Group, but on gang activity in Canada.
During his visit to one of the biggest and most scenic countries in the world, PM Modi worked with his Canadian counterpart to restore India-Canada ties to a healthy trajectory. Four decades and counting of the Kanishka crash, the K-Group is finding itself under pressure from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. Canadian intelligence agencies have finally begun to publicly point to the K-Group as the paymasters and operatives of those responsible for acts of terror in India. Surprisingly, such an acknowledgement was absent all this while, with even the opposition Conservative Party seeming to parrot at the time the outrageous charges made by Trudeau against India. Vote bank politics, and in the case of Trudeau, a partiality towards appeasement of China as well. The exchange of High Commissioners after the lapse caused by the allegations of Trudeau is a welcome step. This time around, Carney will make certain that the junior diplomats and functionaries in the Canadian High Commission in Delhi will no longer serve as recruiting agents for the K-Group. Both countries will exchange the best of their diplomatic talent this time around. Better still, a Joint Working Group focused on terror will be set up between the two sides. From this and other measures, it is clear that Carney is sincere in his desire to ensure a reset in relations, as is Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
After the Trudeau frost has come the Carney spring, and he merits thanks and congratulations for this. More than 40% of the foreign student intake of Canadian universities comes from India, and this number will only go up, given the betterment of relations. Canada is an important country for several reasons, and the Modi-Carney reset is a welcome change from the past.
