Canada-India diplomacy: The view from Ottawa and New Delhi

More than a week ago Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau made an unprecedented move. He accused Indian government agents of involvement in the death of exiled Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar on Canadian soil; an accusation that New Delhi has denied strongly and dismissed as “absurd.” Since then, both countries have been in a diplomatic showdown, including tit-for-tat expulsions of each other’s diplomats. The tensions have spiralled since then with travel advisories for citizens on both sides, with India also suspending visa services in Canada. Diplomatic conflict between two G20 members raises the potential of drawing in mutual allies and transforming the conflict into a global one. The implications are serious, especially for ordinary people on both sides who will be impacted by the changing winds of foreign policy. We get two journalists from both countries to weigh in with the Canadian and Indian perspectives.

This episode was produced by Paulo Marques, Julia De Laurentiis Johnston and Saba Eitizaz.